Power Rangers Peacekeepers
by y3k
Summary: The year is 2242 and the universe is burning. An intergalactic war rages, numerous factions plot and scheme...and a team of misfits unwittingly find themselves at the center of it all. Come, embark on a journey across the Power Rangers' universe.
1. 1x01: Less than Perfect, part 1

**1.01: LESS THAN PERFECT, part 1**

Arkilla. By all accounts it was a gem of a world. A bit rough, being on the outskirts of the Alliance, but a gem nonetheless. Not that you'd be able to particularly tell from orbit, mind you. From space it looked like a dime-a-dozen ice ball that the outer fringes of any star system would contain thousands of. And yet…tectonic activity allowed for an under-ice ocean teeming with alien life. Temperate oases full of evergreen forest pockets, encircled by ice walls, pockmarked the surface. A powerful magnetosphere allowed for stunning auroras at night. Massive fog-covered ice mountains created breathtaking vistas. Ice chasms crisscrossed the surface.

And of course, there was the capital. Arkilla City was a gem in of itself; a major port settlement for wayside travelers looking to rest between Alliance space and wherever else they were going to or coming from. Beautiful brightly-lit towers stretched up above the ice canyon it was located in, and housing districts sat under the ice, with a view of the ocean and all its wonders. People of all kinds came to Arkilla; it was a trade hub, a central nexus of culture and society. Rough and tumble maybe, but cosmopolitan.

But of course, being 'rough and tumble' meant that the local law enforcement always had to deal with…less than reputable members of society-such as the two streaks of light that were currently making a B-line for the capital city below; one green, the other blue.

_"Attention unidentified craft, you are within unauthorized aerospace. Power down your vehicles and prepare to submit to SPD authority. Failure to yield will resort in lethal force. This is your final warning"._

Several more streaks of light now tailed the first two, all of them white. To someone watching, they might have been forgiven for thinking it was an unusually colorful, if brief, meteor shower. That is, until the streaks began to twist and turn, moving in ways that would be impossible for average chunks of rock and ice.

As the streaks entered the lower atmosphere, their speed decreased dramatically, until they vanished completely, in their place now a number of small, personal riding craft, each occupied by a single figure. The first two, the green and blue ones with black accents, were ridden by, predictably, rangers of their patron color. Both were of the same design—the blue and green on their suits accented by black going up the inside of their legs and wrapping around their belts, before going straight up and widening across the chest, the split between the two colors being tied together by silver trim (and a silver belt), dividing the suit in an angled design. The chest continued the theme, being overlaid with angled trim of the suits' patron colors and an abstract rendition of their helmet visors in the center. The visors themselves were basic and angled, both unique from the other. Above the visor lay another stylized black piece that reached up and behind the head, the symbol an almost further abstract of the chest symbol. The visors effectively split the helmet, with the bottom half consisting of a black color with a blank faceplate connecting directly below the visor. The neckpiece was of the suits' patron color, cutting off with a silver collar at the neckline. Light silver and black armor wrapped around the suits—as boots, as wrist guards, and as shoulder pieces.

The other vehicles, the white sky bikes with the armored black and white figures, well…

"E Class SPD forces" the green ranger, male, called to blue, "At least seven of them. I told you this was a bad idea!"

Blue, female, scoffed, "They're just mass produced grunts, Trok. They can't hold a candle to real ranger powers. We can take 'em!" with that, blue veered off sharply, twisting her skycycle about in impossible ways, throwing herself directly at the enemy.

Trok grimaced under his helmet as a laser blast nearly melted his leg off, "You know, when Iota told us to keep a low profile, I don't think this is what he meant!" He sighed inwardly in aggravation. Trok looked up to her, really he did. But dang she didn't know the meaning of the word 'stealth'. How the heck were they going to explain *this* to the boss?!

The two rangers proceeded to turn on the suddenly hostile SPD craft, signaling the beginning of a furious dogfight. Blue shot right between two enemy cycles. As she did, she tapped her controls, letting two grappling guns on the sides of her vehicle fire and latch onto the SPD bikes. As she soared past, the two SPD skycycles were dragged with her, colliding into each other and exploding in a furious storm of smoke and debris.

"Down to five, now!" she cheered, pumping her fist in the air as if to make her point. Her self-satisfaction came to an abrupt end however, when a laser blast from another bike hit her in square in the primary engine. "Uh…uh…" she sputtered, noticing the black smoke and fire beginning to consume the back of her craft, and as her vehicle began to lose control, "…Uh oh!"

"Xolin!" Trok shouted, noticing his teammate's dovetailing into the cloud layer above the capital. The green ranger pulled away from his attack, immediately flying off to assist the blue ranger.

Xolin shooed him off, "…Don't worry, I…I got this! Just keep them off me!" she shouted, while still struggling to stay seated in the centripetal nightmare that was her immediate existence. She wasn't…*worried*, exactly. Maybe slightly concerned. Sure, she might be plummeting to a painful death but…er…okay, maybe just a little worry.

"But—"

"Do as I say!" she shouted again, as another laser blast nearly took off her head, "I GOT THIS! WATCH YOUR SIX! WATCH *MY* SIX!"

Green narrowly avoided a stream of laser fire, as he reluctantly returned to the fray. Xolin flipped on her thusters, "Please be okay, pleaaaaase be okay" she worriedly mantra'd to herself. To her extreme relief, the skycycle's thrusters activated with no issue. It wasn't anywhere in the same neighborhood to being a perfect solution; thrusters weren't built for flying a ship, just for minor navigational corrections, but at least she could get herself to stop spinning…

There, thank the Trinity. She had stopped tumbling aimlessly…of course there was still the problem of the city down below. And, y'know, the fact that it was approaching. Quickly.

…Rather quickly, in fact.

Really, really quickly.

"…Oh, this is gonna suck" she muttered to herself, gripping her controls tightly. Her best bet now was to somehow glide in, y'know, at paint-splattering speeds…within a city with lots of buildings. Another barrage of lasers firing past her alerted her to another SPD soldier on her tail. "Man, today just *sucks*".

Putting her thrusters on full burn, Xolin forcefully swung her machine around, still plummeting, to a full one hundred eighty degrees, just as another series of lasers sizzled past. It took her a moment to aim her skycycle correctly but…

Xolin pressed the 'fire' button, and the SPD skycycle lit up like a roman candle. Satisfied, the blue ranger flipped her vehicle back around and her mind returned to the more pressing concern. Those buildings, for instance, were getting pretty big. She managed to correct her direction just as she grazed by the highest-most towers, currently gliding many stories over a thankfully long stretch of freeway. If she hadn't been confronting her own mortality, she might have stolen a brief half-second to admire the beauty of the city; high brightly-lit skyscrapers bunched together with the faint golden glow of dusk bouncing off of them, wide freeways of hovercraft intersecting below, a vibrant cornucopia of activity from all the ads and lights and sounds and people and…everything, below. And all of it sat within a large ice canyon, a dark bluish white now that the sun wasn't directly bouncing on all of it, and very much a contrast to the darker makeup of the city skyline, or the even darker bluish sky. It was almost scenic.

…And, predictably, that was when the city began firing on her. Automated defense systems in case of stray asteroids or debris, she figured. Not that it made things any less annoying. Or terrifying.

"You have GOT to be kidding me!"

Up ahead the highway made a sharp right turn. There was no way she could maneuver that; her bike was running on inertia and gravity, and little else. Two SPD skycycles flanked her. The building at the end of the road approached rapidly.

"…WELP"

Xolin had nothing to lose. The blue ranger leapt off her bike in a single fluid movement, bringing her legs up and wrapping her arms around them as she flung herself down. The skycycle slammed into the side of the building in a blaze of glory, giving her the opening she needed. She hit the interior floor of the structure and rolled, allowing her inertia to let her get back up and keep running as the wreckage of the bike exploded, ripping through what looked to be a warehouse.

Of course it was a warehouse.

Reaching the end of the scaffolding she was on, Xolin flipped off, just as the explosion consumed the entire area. The blue ranger landed in a heap on the ground floor, debris from the partially destroyed building raining down around her. Xolin groaned as she staggered back to her feet. As if to signify she meant to do that, the blue ranger simply began brushing herself off.

…Unfortunately, her pursuers weren't quite so willing to go along with it. As she got her bearings, she realized the burning building was in the process of being surrounded. She saw white armored troops arriving at every entrance and piling in. Immediately, she took up a defensive position, waiting to see what they did next. This was…actually not good, at all. The leader of the group, his armor a bit more imposing than the mass produced models, stepped forward.

"We have you surrounded, do not attempt to escape. You are charged with multiple counts of trespassing, violation of aerospace, failure to yield to authorities, and vandalism".

Under her helmet, Xolin's eyebrow arched as she put her hands on her belt, "…Vandalism? What…" she turned her vision to the the burning wreckage around her, "…Oh, riiiight, the building. Duh. My bad".

The SPD commander brought out his judgment scanner, which unsurprisingly declared her guilty in a heartbeat. "You are under arrest by the authority of Arkilla E-Squad Battalion. Prepare for sentence".

Xolin made a short, dry chuckle, "Sorry. I don't much feel like being part of someone's trading card collection. Not this way, anyway" out of nowhere a lance appeared in her hand, "But you guys are totally welcome to try".

"Target has chosen force" the officer commanded to his troops, "All units, take the criminal down!"

Outnumbered at least twenty to one. No way to escape. Stranded on a hostile world. Not good odds. Definitely not a good start to a mission. And Trok! Where had he—

Xolin's thoughts as the enemy soldiers closed in were shattered as another large chunk of the wall in front of her was ripped apart, laser blasts once again filling the air over her head with blinding light and thunderous fury. For a second, she swore the entire building was coming down, or that SPD had trained the city defenses on her, or both. But then, she realized with relief that the cavalry had arrived in the form of a green skycycle which emerged through the hole, gunning down the equally stunned SPD soldiers…before turning his attention to the supports of the building itself.

Wait, what. No. Nononono. OH SHI-

"TROK, WHAT ARE YOU—" her words were drowned out by the unearthly chaos of reality crashing down around her.

* * *

New hired hands often complained about dank, dark, and cramped feel of his ship. He was always baffled about this; did none of them ever find themselves in the employ of any other pirate lord ever? Or a Vile mercenary band? How was it he only ever got the freshest of meat?

For his part, he loved his ship. Bright lights bothered his vision, and he enjoyed the atmosphere the shadows provided; it always helped to unnerve visitors or prisoners. It wasn't the biggest or most powerful ship out there, but it was his. He knew every creak, every loose wire, every stain. Here, he was *The* Pirate Lord. Pipes stuck out of the walls, the floor consisted of grates covering knotted up wires, and bare twisted struts jutted out at random intervals like knives. Even the bridge contained few types of comfort to more…squishy types, mostly just existing to house his throne, a few status stations to his back and side, and the main screen.

They called him Capricorn; a nickname given to him when he was young, on his first pirate mission onboard a Eurasan Clan vessel. See, he resembled a humanoid goat…thing, so…well, *they* had thought it was clever. Capricorn had taken that name and owned it. To him, it *was* his real name; whatever one he had been given when he was created was lost long ago; destroyed in whatever evil lair he had been concocted from. It was probably something lame anyway, like 'Goat Master', or 'Robogoat'. He was an imposing sight; he was almost seven feet tall with Greek style hoplite armor plated over his hide, and four large horns twisting out over his head.

"We've docked" a rough voice from behind his command chair stated. Vl'nox, a varox, and one of his longest-lasting crewmembers—he had actually come with the ship when he bought it. It was something about 'sentimental value' or some nonsense. Whatever, he had proven a loyal –and more importantly, capable— minion. The haphazardly but full-body armored and fearsome-looking bounty hunter made a pass around the edge of the bridge, coming to Capricorn's left, "Shall I alert the crew?"

Capricorn nodded, then stood up, "They know the mission objectives; have them fan out. The Objective must be secured before it leaves this planet".

Vl'nox bowed slightly, "It will be done" he stated, before turning to leave. Capricorn remained behind for a moment to ponder, glancing at the viewscreen, out at the busy thoroughfare that was the landing bay of Arkilla City's spaceport. The payoff for this mission was absolutely insane; whoever wanted the objective was desperate. For a moment Capricorn entertained blackmailing them for more money once he had what they wanted, but soon dismissed it; pulling that on an employer who could dish out this kind of cash probably meant he'd be dead within a week. He'd played this game long enough to know when being a scheming backstabber was a stupid idea. And regardless, he'd soon be swimming in credits. Well, not literally swimming, since they were an electronic form of currency but…well.

* * *

_"Please remember to take your belongings with you as you exit the transport. We appreciate you choosing to fly with Aeurola Spacelines today. Thank you, and have a nice day". _

Sid idly wondered why businesses bothered with fake pre-recorded pleasantries as he grabbed his backpack from the top rung of the transport he had been riding for the last several hours. It's just, no one actually believed the message itself really cared, or that the person who had recorded it really had the capacity of empathy for every single person in the billions who would hear it every time they stepped off a space transport, right? But if they didn't, it'd still be committing a social faux pas because people would get the idea the company couldn't bother.

Hrn.

He was thinking about this too much. Sid shrugged and exited the ship, finding himself in the midst of the Arkilla spaceport, a gigantic open parking lot, ringed by multi-tiered walls covered in shops and services, the interior filled with transports and cargo vessels, and thousands upon thousands of people making their way from one place to another; a sea of people, as one would expect from a major metropolis. From his vantage point, Sid could also see it wasn't even the largest of the landing pads—up above him loomed a number of towers, all part of the same complex, reaching up to various heights. This was the center of the city, its beating heart.

"I do love scenic worlds" the early-mid 20-something-year-old male whispered to himself, before adjusting his bag and turning to go. He fished a small note out of his pocket, looking it over for the umpteenth time. The email had been fairly vague, just a name, an address, and promise of 'high pay' for his services. Sid wondered how someone this far out even knew about him; usually he had to work hard to sell himself to skeptical would-be employers. And what would this person even want with Sid? He was an odd-jobs kinda guy, y'know, jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none sort of thing. Except not really a jack, more of um…an '8' in the deck, he guessed. Maybe a '5'.

…Sigh. This was totally a trap. But then, Sid couldn't figure out why *him*. It couldn't be a scam, you didn't need a person's physical body to steal their bank account. Not that Sid even *had* anything in his bank account, hence his actually-coming-out-here. And like, they had paid for his trip and everything. So, y'know, suspicious. Either he was going to be harvested for organs, or he was about to be thrown into some sort of clandestine gang war.

"This was a bad idea" he muttered, looking around, "A really bad idea".

His train of thought was brought to an abrupt end by the sound of commotion not too far away. He turned his attention to a group of various aliens—two tengas and…a piranatron? Huh, didn't see many of them these days. Also, there was an aquitian. Looked to be an older dude too. Huh.

…Oh! They were shaking the aquitian down, it looked like. Duh. And of course none of the guards were coming to assist. Sigh.

"Excuse me!" he said, swaggering up to the group, "Is there a problem here? I couldn't help hearing all the noise".

One of the tengas turned around to look at the newcomer. Sid never much liked tengas; they were kind of like one of those scary bedtime story monsters. Y'know, when you'd have a nightmare as a kid of a large black-feathered human-sized bird creature carrying you off. It didn't help that it always looked like they had some sort of disease either. piranatrons were better; though that was mostly because he had no idea what any of them looked like under their copper fish-themed armor.

…Really, did anyone know? He made a mental note to search 'piranatron' later.

"None of your business, human. Be on your way" the bird creature crowed, annoyed that it had been interrupted.

Sid sighed and grinned, "Sorry, but I'd like to hear it from the old man" he said, pointing to the elder man who, if one had been living under a rock for…well, centuries, looked as if either his head was swollen, or as if he was wearing a strange helmet of some sort. To anyone in the know of course, he was just your average aquitian, an aquatic humanoid alien with a thick protective skull to house their enlarged brains.

The aquitian gave Sid a knowing nod. Sid nodded back, "Okay guys. Step away from the old guy".

"You gonna make us?" cawed the other tenga. All three took an aggressive stance against the human.

"You really want to do this in the middle of the spaceport?" asked Sid, casually tossing his bag aside, "I can walk out of the police station without a problem" his voice took on a dangerous tone as his grin widened, "Can you?"

The three aliens looked at each other for a moment before grumbling. "…You win this time, human. Watch yourself" said the first tenga as they began to walk away.

Sid just gave him a cocky smile and a fake salute, "I'll keep that in mind".

"Oh, thank you for that" the elderly aquitian casually brushed himself off, "They were *quite* persistent".

"It's no problem, really" Sid replied in earnest. He picked up his bag off the floor, then paused, "What was that about, anyway?"

The aquitian shrugged, "Just some common thugs looking for some change. Come now, we should speak in my office" he said, his voice carrying the usual 'bubble' accent that most of his species had when speaking land languages—though it was noticeably less present than usual. Whoever this guy was, he'd been away from home for quite some time. He waved Sid to follow him as he turned.

Sid's eyebrow arched, "…Come again?"

The aquitian turned back again, the two of them just sort of staring at each other for the briefest of awkward seconds. "…The employment position. I assume that's why you are here, yes? You are Sid Drake?"

"I...wait, you're…" Sid looked down at his paper, "…Coros?" Hrn. He hated being blindsided like this.

The elder chuckled, "Indeed I am. It is good to finally meet you. My employer has said many good things about you".

Now Sid was *completely* taken off guard, "Wait, what? Your employer? Who—"

Coros chuckled again, "Come, come. We can discuss everything in my office. But not here". The aquitian once again motioned for Sid to follow him. Sid sighed; this was *totally* going to end in organ harvesting, wasn't it?

* * *

Eugh. She'd be scrubbing dust and debris out of her hair for weeks. Part of it reminded her of the dust storms growing up in the arid badlands of Triforia…she hated it then, too. Granted, she hated most of her childhood, so not much was new there. Xolin absently combed her fingers through her black hair for the umpteenth time as she glanced around the corner of the alleyway the two of them had ducked into. The city street seemed clear of hostiles—by now night had settled, and the entire strip was illuminated by artificial light. The next target was clear even from here—the Arkilla spaceport, the massive towering , monolithic complex in the center of the city; the hub of all commerce in this trade town. She smiled to herself; downtown was a dang good place to hide in plain sight. She and Trok had both forgone their ranger attire, instead returning to their civilian forms. Even in SPD space, a triforian and a horathean wouldn't be too out of the ordinary, especially not for a port city like Arkilla. She just had to blend in and look like she was supposed to be here. And it wasn't like a triforian couldn't just pass off as an indiscriminate human anyway—and there were still more than a few human colony worlds waving the Alliance flag. Even the ceremonial tattoo around her left eye could be ignored as a fashion statement unless one had really brushed up on obscure triforian subcultures.

Heh. She wished it was.

"What do you even call that?!" she exclaimed to her companion, as they rejoined the busy city life. She was obviously referring to the whole 'bring the house down around us' fiasco.

Trok shrugged, kind of uncomfortably, "You were surrounded, our cover was blown, I had to do something. So I thought, 'what would Xolin do?'"

Xolin eyed the horathean suspiciously. The green scaly patches that covered much of his head and limbs should have made him an imposing sight, but somehow, they only served to make him even more like the adorkable kid she was leading around on deadly mission after deadly mission. Well, not *actually* a kid. Late teen, maybe? Very late teen. But still, a good few years younger than her. Wait…how fast *did* horatheans age?

Regardless, she pressed on, "So months training together, and the only thing that comes to mind when you think about me is 'blow buildings up with us inside', huh?" her voice was even, peppered with bemused sarcasm.

Trok shrugged again, "You uh…did sort of botch the whole 'undercover' thing with an aerial dogfight. In broad daylight".

The triforian wheeled on her teammate, an annoyed expression plastered on her face, "Not my fault! And what are even the chances they detected our approach with a trajectory like that? We should have just been considered space debris!"

"Space debris with morphin' grid energy readings, maybe" Trok said with a knowing smirk, continuing to walk.

Xolin glared at him impetuously as he passed her by, "…You know, I think I liked you better before you learned to snark". Trok just snickered.

She sighed as she resumed her walk, now behind Trok, "Guess I better call the boss. Let him know we landed alright". She grimaced inwardly as she tapped into her wrist morpher; she wasn't looking forward to this call at all. But, well, she supposed it was better to get it over with now instead of him calling them later concerned about their lack of progress. Detaching a small device from her morpher, she placed it in her ear and dialed.

"We made it to Arkilla" she said, after making sure the connection had gotten through, "Enroute now to the spaceport".

_"Enroute? I thought you said you landed"_ came the response. No real outward emotion to it, but that was Iota for you; all business.

Xolin chuckled nervously, "We uh…had to take a slight detour. We're in the city, just…a bit off of our destination".

"By 'detour' she means she crashed into a random building" Trok smirked.

_"…What was that?" _asked their boss, concern laced in his voice.

"Nothing!" Xolin continued to laugh nervously, before giving Trok a withering glare, "Nothing. Trok's just being his usual charming self. We're fine. Everyone's fine. No need to be alarmed. We've got this".

_"You're a terrible liar, Xolin"_

Xolin sputtered, red in the face, while Trok looked like he was about to double over laughing.

_"Let me remind you that this mission is supposed to be subtle. Undercover. Incognito. Get in, get the girl, get out without being noticed. It's a stealth mission, not a combat mission. The stakes on this one are impossibly high. Don't make me regret letting you play squad commander. Get your objective, and get out as quickly as you can"._

"I…" Xolin sighed, knowing from experience that arguing with Iota was fruitless, "Yes sir. We're pretty sure SPD lost our trail after we landed anyway".

There was a slight pause, _"…SPD's not who I'm worried about"._

The two rangers glanced at each other as he said this, now somewhat concerned and confused. "…Sir?" Xolin asked warily. Unfortunately for them, she was not about to get clarification.

_"Just do your jobs. Iota out"._

"Always a sociable guy, that one" Trok said, as Xolin's link went dead. She just sighed and returned the earbud to its place on her wrist morpher. "What do you think he meant be 'the stakes are impossibly high', anyway?" Trok asked.

Xolin shrugged as they turned a corner, "Heck if I know. He never lets us in on the actual strategic details". She couldn't help but feel a bit hurt at that; no matter how much they accomplished, she could tell Iota was keeping things from them. It was just…frustrating. She never doubted they weren't making a difference; they had defeated countless monsters since she had joined up, but…well. And then there was this mission…something just felt a bit off about it

"…Not sure if it's all really classified by the organization, or if he just doesn't trust us" she continued, a bit quieter than before.

"Well, given the situation…" Trok turned back to see Xolin giving him another withering glare, which he just took in stride with a large troublemaking grin. She was just too easy sometimes. "You didn't tell him that we need new skycycles, huh?"

"…I hate you" she deadpanned.

* * *

Sid had to hand it to the aquitians; they knew how to decorate. He had been expecting your average office; big desk, fancy chair, probably a full wall window overlooking the spaceport promenade, somewhere underneath the landing deck. And yeah, all three of those were things he found once Coros opened the door. But then there were the aquariums. Not like, fish tanks, but like, the walls themselves were one giant ecosystem filled with all sorts of flora and fauna from Aquitar. Vibrant and elaborate alien coral and fan seaweed made a playground for all sorts of bizarre creatures swimming in and around the entire room. The water cast a soft blue light on the interior of the room, only dissipated by the lights coming from the window. Sid had to admit, it was kind of impressive for an office; it really set a unique mood. And he figured it was a way for Coros to keep from getting homesick.

…But jeeze, this must have been expensive. How important was this guy? What did he even *do*?

The other thing Sid noticed upon entering the room was the girl. She had green hair and a small crystal on her forehead; Xybrian, Sid guessed, and looked to be…fairly young, actually. seventeen…ish? She looked at him for a moment, making direct eye contact with no expression on her face, before returning her gaze to the spot on the aquarium just opposite of her.

…Yeah, this wasn't weird at all. Sid made a mental note to bug out the second the March Hare showed up and asked for more tea.

"Please, have a seat" Coros said, motioning to a chair as the entered the room. Coros took his seat behind the desk, while Sid elected to remain standing. He crossed his arms expectantly, his eyebrow arched. Coros cleared his throat, "…Yes, well. First of all, I would like you to meet Sel" he said, motioning to the Xybrian in the corner of the room.

"Hello" Sid said casually, waving his hand before continuing to keep his arms in the folded position. She said nothing in response, instead simply making eye contact one more before returning to her vigil. "…Right" he turned back to Coros, shrugging, "Okay…?"

"Forgive her; she's a very quiet type. Don't take it personally" Coros said. He began looting through his desk drawer, eventually finding a small button which he pressed. A panel in the middle of the desk rose up, revealing a small compartment with a box. Oh god, this wasn't good. Small, hidden boxes were *never* good. "I apologize for the…unconventional situation" the aquitian continued, "Time, and secrecy, has made the usual method of doing things unwieldy"

Sid eyed his potential employer. This was sounding worse all the time, "…So what exactly do you want out of me?"

"I understand you were once a ranger. Red ranger, in fact. SPD D-Squad, Mirinoi division? During the War?"

Shit.

"…Yeah?" Sid asked hesitantly, now definitely sure he didn't like where this was going. His eyes went back to the small, black box. He pretty much knew what was inside. Sure enough, Coros opened the box, and a wrist morpher lay inside. "No deal" Sid replied briskly as he began walking to the door, "Sorry for wasting your time".

"I need a protector. A guardian. Your file fits that; you were chosen out of hundreds of options. You are the most qualified—"

Sid cut the old man off with anger in his voice, turning from the door, "No. You chose wrong. If you've really studied my file, then you knew exactly what my answer was going to be before I even walked in here". Never again. Never, ever, ever again. Not after…well.

Coros sighed, "And I'm afraid that's an answer I cannot accept".

Sid pressed the door button several times to no effect. Hrn. He glared back at the elderly aquitian, "Let. Me. Go" he growled, anger seeping through his clenched teeth. This wasn't happening. He had absolutely *no* intention of playing this game—not today, not ever.

Maddeningly, Coros continued on as if nothing had happened, "The girl in front of us represents a major investment for my organization. The details are not important just yet, but suffice to say numerous hostile parties are looking for her. If they were to take her into their custody, the consequences would be…catastrophic".

"For you, anyway" Sid added, still futilely, but absentmindedly pressing the door button.

Coros turned his gaze from Sel to Sid, almost unnervingly so, "For everyone" he corrected him, his voice low, quiet, even.

"…Right" Sid said, "Now, can you let me out? I'd rather not have to crash through your window". Really, he'd rather not. All those shards, and the tumbling several floors down, and having to explain to the police…just way too much work involved.

"Your personality files suggested you were the heroic type. I must say, even with your…background, I'm surprised you're not even willing to listen to me" Coros calmly placed his hand together on the desk in a steeple formation.

Sid's eyes narrowed as he let go of the door, making a few steps toward Coros's desk. Oh no. They were NOT playing this game with him, "Oh, I've already listened to you, and I'm pretty sure I've got the jist of things. You're an amoral under-the-table megacorporation who probably got in a bit over their heads with something and now you need a hero to fix your mess-ups. Except you're doing a really bad job of trying to manipulate me into doing it, so it'd be better for everyone involved if you just let it all drop and let me go. I already gave you my answer: I'm not interested".

Seriously. The sheer amount of gall this whole setup took. Luring Sid here after studying his entire personal history, then locking him in a room with friggin' McCrazypants until he agreed to fight for them, despite *knowing* full well that not only would he never put on the ranger uniform again, but knowing exactly *why* he wouldn't?

…Who even *does* that?! What kind of sick freak tries to strong-arm a random war vet into a private mercenary service? There were plenty of people willing to play hero in the universe. Choose some random wide-eyed adventurer to be your meat puppet. He had already seen way more—lost way more than he ever wanted to. Never again.

A sudden light rumble shook the room. Earthquake? No, too quick and clean. Sid's experience had taught him that abnormal ground shakings were usually bad ideas. His priorities suddenly shifted, "Uh…what was that?" he asked, now a little concerned.

"Company" Coros replied plainly, without even a hint of emotion.

Son of a…

* * *

She swore; it was like EVERYONE WAS OUT TO GET HER. The subway was out, the tram system was out, she couldn't get a hovercraft to stop…and this place didn't even have any sort of teleporter network. It was totally unfair!

"COME ON!" she shouted, kicking the elevator door. It was supposed to take them up several stories to the next level of the city, but they had been standing here for at least five minutes. *Seriously*, this was the worst system of public transportation she had ever—the door opened. *Finally*.

"'Bout friggin time" she exhaled in exasperation as she marched inside.

Trok, for his part, had just sort of tried to make himself invisible. As people made curious glances at Xolin's inane rantings at the inanimate elevator, Trok just kind of nervously chuckled, scratching the back of his head, and generally staying a few feet away from the screaming triforian. Maybe if he was lucky, they'd think he was an unrelated passenger. He sighed and boarded the elevator after his mentor.

It wasn't like he didn't like Xolin; far from it. She was smart and capable and beautiful and…man, she knew so many awesome things—like how she was always training him how to fight in new styles; it was like she never ran out of new tricks and tips. She was like the cool older sibling he had never had back home. …Er, rephrase. She was like the older sibling he had wished he never had back home. She was demanding; always expecting the very best and never accepting anything less from him—she pushed him to be the best he possibly could. But she was also kind and understanding, quickly coming to trust and even respect him, even though she was way more capable and trained. But at the same time…well, there was this.

She was still ranting about public transportation. Trok knew to just nod and smile while she did so. Sigh. Like an elder sibling, no matter how cool, she could be *really* embarrassing at times.

Still ranting. Now it was about how the city was inconveniencing her.

Sigh.

* * *

Sid felt another rumble. And another. And another. Each one was a bit stronger than the last, and each were evenly spaced apart.

"…Footsteps" he whispered, looking in the direction he thought they might be coming from. Whatever was coming, it was big…and probably not very nice.

Coros nodded, "I would assume that would be the 'hostile parties' I mentioned".

Sid glared at his imprisoner, bile rising up inside of him. This was all calculated. Coros *knew* he'd be needed convincing, so he had made sure there was no way Sid could resist, "…You set this up. You son of a—"

Coros's voice was even, controlled, yet filled with urgency. "I would take the morpher, Sid Drake of Mirinoi, of clan Ash'anta. If you wish to save not only yourself, but the girl as well, then take the morpher and do what you were trained to do. What you were born to do".

What a bunch of... 'What he was born to do'? Who even talked like that, outside of recruitment posters? Sid's fists bunched up. His eye twitched. He was about to punch the old man out…but the footsteps. The footsteps. Glancing over to the girl, he exhaled, anger leaving his body. Closing his eyes, the looked down for a moment, coming to a decision. God damn it. "…What's your purpose here?" he asked, looking Sel dead in the eyes, "Who are you?"

She looked away, "…I don't know" she said softly. Something about it…maybe it was the soft almost broken nature of it all, maybe it was aura of pitiful emptiness she exuded, but something got his attention. He sighed; she didn't deserve to die, regardless of anything else.

He hated mind games.

The once and again red ranger resigned himself, regretfully picking the morpher up off the desk. "Here's the deal" he said, strapping it to his wrist, "I'm going to save you and your princess over there. I'm going to kick some evil space alien butt, win the day, all that jazz. And then?" he slammed his palms onto the desk, leaning over and leering at his would-be commander, "And then we're going to have a nice, long chat about personal boundaries".

A small smirk formed on Coros's mouth. He had what he wanted, after all. Sid resisted the urge to punch him right into the fish tank, "I look forward to it" the old man grinned.

At that moment, the fish tank behind them…well, exploded. Glass and wall debris threw itself out into the room, water and aquatic life knocking Sid back as the entire aquarium emptied out, flooding into the middle of the room. Looking back at the point of detonation, Sid found an imposing sight; a large, eight foot tall tank monster. Two tread legs, two arms with guns galore, and a head folded down into the large, armored body, a large gun on top.

"Well, you're an ugly one, aren't you?" Sid asked, actually a little impressed. This wasn't your average run-of-the-mill monster. Noticing Coros now lying still under the ruins of his desk, Sid moved to guard Sel, placing himself in between her and the monster. Sid couldn't say he was really broken up about Coros; but he had bigger things to deal with right now anyway.

The tank looked at Sid, then at the girl, who was now out of her chair and backing up. At least she wasn't completely catatonic; some level of self-preservation by his appointed charges was always appreciated by Sid. "Scanning: Objective located. Beginning retrieval operation" its mechanical voice stated, with absolutely no hint of emotion.

Sid moved to activate his morpher, "Sorry sparky, this one's mine. But I'm sure you can get one just like it off the internet for che—"

Sid never got a chance to finish his sentence, instead finding his body being flung like a ragdoll through the window. He slammed into the side of one of the food stalls on the promenade below, crashing into the booth in a heap. Screams and shouts combined with the world spinning around him to provide him with a particularly unhelpful symphony of crazy. By the time he was starting to get his bearings again, an SPD officer was helping him to his feet and telling him to run, before charging into the fray himself, along with numerous other officers. The tank had dropped itself to the street level of the promenade, Sel in a heap behind it—Sid surmised it had incapacitated her somehow. Whoever wanted her, wanted her alive and intact. Good to know. The other thing he noticed was that all of the SPD officers were activating low-level E-class white armor over their bodies, but none were suiting up as rangers. And predictably, they were being blown apart by the tank.

"Where's your ranger team?!" he asked one of the guards who had just been thrown back by an indirect hit. Lucky for him he didn't seem that hurt, just a little dazed.

"Offworld. Won't be back until tomorrow" the guard grunted as Sid helped him up, "Thank you. Now get out of here, hurry!" he ran off, back to the chaos as Sid just stood there. He looked down at his morpher, brushing over it with his other hand. No rangers? This wasn't good. The guards weren't quitting, Sid had to give them that-but they just weren't up to the task. And many more innocents could get hurt.

Damnit all.

Suddenly, the tank began to shift and change, compartments opening up and…oh god. Sid's eyes widened in terror as he realized what it was about to do. Jumping over a busted counter and laying low, he barely missed the onslaught as the tank monster began to simply lay waste to anyone and everyone with a massive barrage of weapons fire, ranging from bullets and grenades to full on artillery fire. Within a second the promenade had turned into an apocalyptic hellstorm.

* * *

The outer ring of the spaceport was now just a few blocks away now, thank the Trinity. So predictably, that was when the side of one of the port towers decided to randomly explode.

"Huh. That…happened" Trok said dumbly, watching the smoke beginning to rise from the hole in the structure.

Xolin sighed, this day sucked. "Of course it happened. Why not? Everything else is in the gutter tonight. Bleh. Come on, we gotta hurry!" she said, breaking into a sprint. Trok quickly followed suit.

"Think it's related to Coros?" asked Trok, keeping back with Xolin. She nodded glumly.

"An explosion just happens to rip through part of Spaceport tower five, where we were supposed to meet him? Yeah, I don't do coincidences".

* * *

The tank surveyed the wreckage of what once been an indoor marketplace. The civilians had fled, and guards were all down. Situation was resolved.

…Except…

A plum of smoke vanished, replaced by a red ranger, a large double-sided axe in hand, having just used it to clear a path in the smoke.

"Okay" Sid said, brandishing his weapon at his opponent, "I think we got off on the wrong foot. Let's try this again. I'm Sid, and you're…?"

The tank turned its attention back on the red ranger, "Threat located. Preparing to terminate".

Sid snorted. Well, *he* was just a bundle of personality, "Sorry, the correct answer was 'I'm going to give up and OHSHI—" the red ranger barely dodged another projectile from the monster's primary cannon. This was bad; the tank was likely at least a class B on the monster scale, possibly class A-he seriously doubted one ranger had enough firepower to take this thing down, especially not his own power set which as far as he could tell was primarily built for melee. If only he had like, a power cannon or something. Or a zord.

…Did he have a zord? A quick mental scan revealed, nope, he was out of luck. Dang. Another blast drove Sid out of his hiding spot. He was now in a constant game of hide-and-seek, except it was more or less 'find cover and then watch it blow up'. All in all, not a game he had particularly missed.

"I can't even get close to him" Sid muttered to himself, just before launching himself to new cover yet again, "I need someone to keep it busy". Grabbing his pistol, he took a few shots, watching in annoyance as they were simply deflected by the strong armor of the creature. Sid rolled his eyes in disgust, "Because of course the side arm is useless. Why wouldn't it be?"

Sadly for Sid, that little dig cost him dearly; the monster had gotten a chance to finally lock on to him. At that moment, Sid discovered two things. One: it doesn't matter how many times you've faced your own mortality, your life will always flash right before your eyes just before the end. And two: man, taking the equivalent of a platoon assault to the face friggin' *hurt*.

* * *

All hostiles had been neutralized, the Objective was secure. The entity known as Artillar had draped the girl over its shoulder and was now making its way down one of the hallways. Since leaving the promenade it had encountered a handful more hostile targets; they had also been quickly neutralized. One mission objective remained; return to Capricorn's ship. It mapped out its route from its position, ensuring it wouldn't get lost.

Alert. Two more targets were incoming.

"…Wow. This place got *destroyed*"

Trok peered around the devastated corridor. The power here had gone out, leaving the debris-ridden hallway dim and eerily quiet, the only sounds being the crackling of electricity and the slow dripping of water as it pooled on the floor. …Well, that and the ever present thumping noise of something moving. Neither he nor Xolin had morphed yet; it was probably best not to get SPD on their tail if they could help it.

"Scanner says she's close" Xolin replied. She had shifted her morpher to holographic display mode, allowing her more control over its functions, as well as giving her an extremely helpful sensor system.

"Uh…"

Xolin looked up at Trok's sudden stopping in his tracks, "…What? I haven't—huh".

Ahead of both of them stood an eight foot tank robot.

"Found her" Trok said lamely, pointing at the unconscious female draped over its shoulder. Xolin sighed and shut off her holographic display, mildly annoyed.

The tank turned around, each step shaking the ground around them so it could meet its new opponents.

Trok backed away , "Uh…morph now?" he asked, fairly certain he knew where this was gonna go. And fairly eager to get to that part, because the tank was closing in on them really fast and this wasn't cool.

Gods, finally. Xolin grinned as she gripped her morpher, "Oh yeah. It's game time!"

Artillar opened fire with its two shoulder cannons, the two rangers rolling under the barrage as they transformed into the green and blue rangers, before jumping up and landing a double kick on the tank. Unfortunately for them however, it didn't even faze it.

"Tough hide" Xolin dodged the creature's massive left arm and swung around to the back, bringing out her lance and continuing her attack from the back "Try to blunt your way in" she ordered, noticing her lance wasn't doing much good. Up front, Trok gripped his hammer, hoping to bash through Artillar's main body cavity.

Bad move.

The front panels of the tank flipped open, and Trok got a face-full of missile swarm. The resulting explosion threw the green ranger through the wall, and he collapsed in a heap.

"TROK!" Xolin shouted in panic. For a brief moment she was half-convinced he had just been vaporized, until she saw his body fly through the wall. Her face twisted in rage; *nobody* hurt her protégé! She screamed in rage, hitting the robot with as much force as she could muster, her lance charging up with blue energy as she swung it back and then down.

The tank stumbled forward, a satisfied smirk forming under Xolin's helmet. Her moment of triumph however, was cut short as the monster once again turned around.

"…Uh oh" was the last thing Xolin managed to utter before the right arm punched her into another wall.

Targets neutralized.

"HEY, SIR SMASHINGTON!"

Artillar turned to see the red ranger standing a few feet down the hall, now somewhat haggard and breathing heavily, burn marks pockmarking his crimson suit, and a stray pole in his hand. The tank aimed its main gun.

"…Not this time" the red ranger grunted, grasping the pole in his hands and thrusting himself at the monster. Aiming his makeshift weapon, Sid leapt up and shoved it into the barrel of the main gun. "Check and mate" he said smugly as he dropped back down.

Boom. The monster's head shifted and shook, a muffled thump heralding a plume of smoke rising from the creature. A short moment of uneasy silence ensued, followed by the tank teetering and falling over on its back, completely lifeless.

Sid blinked. "…Huh. That…went easier than I expected". The red ranger moved around the dead creature-being careful in case it wasn't really offlined for good. He'd done this before; he knew how this kind of stuff worked. Rangers *never* won that easily. "Alright" he said, grabbing Sel, "Come on, we gotta…go somewhere. Hrm" he stopped as he settled her over his back. Where *was* he going? Sid supposed he could go back to see if Coros was still alive, get paid for all this bull at least. Then again, considering the whole situation, maybe it was better if he just cut and ran now, instead of trying to explain to the police why he was wielding unregistered ranger powers and fighting a giant tank monster over a probably-underage girl.

Hrn.

"Okay buddy. Put the girl down".

Sid glanced to his right, where the voice had come from. Another ranger, female, stood her lance at the ready. Another sound, to his left, indicated a second ranger, male, with a hammer. Because of course it had been too easy. Of COURSE it had been too easy. He inwardly cursed himself for a moment for his inattentiveness; this never would have happened before he…er, 'retired'. Stupid rusty reflexes. Sid wondered for a moment if the two newcomers represented the same faction as the tank. Probably not, honestly, which meant they were likely Hostile Faction Number Two.

"I don't suppose we could talk this out?" Sid asked, feigning diplomacy.

The female ranger took up a fighting stance, "Give us the girl, and sure. Why not?" Oh, belligerent sarcasm. Sid liked her.

He gave a dry single chuckle, "Sorry, no can do. I gotta get paid somehow. Raincheck?"

"Last. Warning" the female ranger said. Her tone of voice pretty much told Sid all he needed to know about how much she was bluffing; i.e. not at all. But then again, would she risk hurting the girl? Maybe this faction didn't care if the girl was intact for whatever reason, unlike whoever sent the tank. Or maybe she was just a foolhardy idiot. He could work with that. But what about the other one? Sid stole a glance at the male ranger.

"And what about you?"

"Er…" the male seemed taken aback. He wasn't used to being called on. The girl ranger called the shots, huh? He gathered they were a two man team; not a full one, and the girl was obviously the senior.

"Talk to me, not to him. Put the girl down" the girl repeated.

"And if I don't?"

"Then I cut you in two" the girl threatened.

A goofy smile formed under Sid's helmet, "And risk hurting the girl?" he asked, hoping to pump a bit more information out of them. To a small bit of surprise to Sid, the girl hesitated. Interesting; why did everyone want this girl in one piece? What had he gotten himself into? Hrm. "…What's she to you, anyway? Why is she important?"

"You don't know?" she asked, somewhat surprised herself, it sounded like.

Sid shrugged, "I'm just a mercenary. I do the thing, I get paid. Simple enough". Not…really, but for the purposes of this conversation, sure. But he made a mental note to interrogate Coros later for the whole story. Er…if the old man was still alive, that was.

"…It's classified"

"Oh, of course" Sid replied, with not a little sarcasm. He idly wondered if she really knew either.

"Uh…guys?" asked the guy ranger.

"Put. Her. Down" the girl shifted her stance.

"Guys?"

Sid cocked his head, "…Make me".

"Uh…"

"Don't tempt me!"

"Xolin?"

"Come at me, bro"

"GUYS!"

"WHAT?!" the two of them shouted turning on the other male ranger.

The guy ranger pointed, to which the other two looked over at the remains of the tank monster. Er, well, where the corpse had been. Now it was back up, standing on its two legs. Yep, it had been *way* too easy. Because of course.

"Oh" Sid said, "…Crud". This…this was not good.

Artillar turned and faced the rangers, guns all at the ready, and pointed up at the ceiling in multiple directions.

"…This is gonna suck" the girl sighed.

Sid inwardly agreed, "I hate everything" he muttered.

Boom.

* * *

She awoke to agony. Every inch of Xolin's body ached; areas she didn't even know *could* ache hurt. Every movement she made was pain.

"I hate *everything*" she managed to croak out.

"What…happened?" she heard Trok ask. Where was Trok anyway? Her eyes blinked open, finding herself in the middle of wreckage. Just…wreckage everywhere, obscuring the night sky beyond. …Oh, right, the tank. It must have brought down the entire ceiling on top of them—and likely the floors above as well. No wonder she hurt.

"…We got crushed" Xolin replied as she tried to sit up—'tried' being the operative term. She slumped back down, breathing heavily in heavy pain. She instead decided to let her ranger powers fix her up and flood her with the morphin' grid equivalent of painkillers first.

"I am afraid you three don't have the luxury of lying around right now"

Xolin struggled to turn and see the source of the new voice. There stood the elderly aquitian, her contact here. "…Coros! What…" Coros knelt down next to the blue ranger as she managed to sit up. She noticed Trok next to her, as well as the other ranger—red, huh? Looked like her and Trok's power set, but that would mean…uh oh. Oh no.

"Long story short" Coros said to all three of them, "the monster has the girl. We don't have much time before he reaches his ship. You *must* intercept them and win the day".

Red spoke up, "Look, no offense, I'm sure this is hugely important. But if they're yours" he waved at Xolin and Trok, "Then I'm out. You've already got mercenaries".

Mercenaries!? Xolin glared angrily, "Who are you calling a mercenary!? I'm—" her would-be rant died as Coros waved her off.

The aquitian replied calmly, "I told you. You were selected from hundreds of candidates. You weren't employed to be a random brute mercenary, Sid. You're supposed to lead this team"

What?! Xolin gaped at the two of them. No! She was leader! This…this wasn't fair! Not fair at all! She had been training Trok for *months*! They couldn't steal her right at leader away now, not on her first mission without Iota on the field. No no no no—

"No" Sid replied.

Yes!

The red ranger staggered to his feet, "I don't lead teams. Why won't you leave me alone?"

Xolin blinked. What was *that* supposed to mean?

Coros stood up as well, his hands sliding into his pockets, "Please Sid, reconsider. Believe it or not, this really is a mission of intergalactic importance. The fate of the known universe rests on you".

"Right. And why should I believe anything you say?" Sid asked, venom dripping from his tone, "You've done nothing but try to manipulate me from the moment you met me".

The aquitian sighed. He had hoped to do this later, but perhaps he had misjudged Sid, "Very well. I represent an organization known as the Peacekeepers. We are a ranger unit charged with defense of the member worlds of the Confederacy".

Sid snorted in contempt as he folded his arms, "Nice try. But we all know the Confederacy banned all ranger and rider projects after the War, when we split from the Alliance and SPD".

"Officially, yes. Unofficially, the Confederacy still recognizes the threat posed not only by SPD and the Alliance, but the other major local powers as well. The Vile Imperium, the Pirate Consortium…and our troubling reports of resurgence in activity in the Machine Empire, amongst others. The universe needs rangers, Sid. Heroes. Those who will fight and defend their homes when no one else can. We may not be…*officially* condoned by the Senate, but make no mistake, we *are* the good guys".

"So the reason a bunch of covert ops Confederacy types are prowling around in SPD-held territory…?"

"Classified for now, I'm afraid" Coros replied matter-of-factly, "We have many enemies. If you're not willing to join, then you're a potential security risk, and I've already told you far more than you're supposed to know"

Uh huh. Yeah, this totally sounded legit, and not in any way a practiced speech. "Right, okay. So, assuming for a moment that I believe a word you're saying—which I don't for the record, what's up with the girl?" Sid asked, curious.

"Let us just say she is a child of extraordinary importance and power, even if she doesn't look like much".

So basically, classified. Great, "Welp, thanks for the pep talk. I'm out".

"Sid, wait, please" Coros pleaded. For the first time, Sid thought he heard genuine concern coming out of his voice. Probably another trick but…why wait until now to pull out the acting chops? The aquitian continued when Sid did indeed pause, "I can't tell you why she's important, but I can tell you that she *is*. You were chosen for your experience and intelligence. While circumstances prevented you from rising very high in the ranks, your file puts you as one the most well-equipped people to handle this. The other two are green, they need you, if only just this once".

"Green!?" Xolin spoke up, incensed, "What do you mean green!?" She had been at this for *months*. She was a veteran!

Trok sat down on a pile of debris, a bit confused, "Yeah, I'm green. She's blue".

"…Not now, Trok" Xolin sighed in annoyance, before turning her attention back to the ingrate who just insulted her awesome skills, she didn't even care if it was her mission contact, "I'm Xolin of Triforia! I'm *awesome* and skilled and can handle anything you throw at me. I don't need some washed up quitter mercenary" she pointed at Sid, who seemed a little taken aback, "To hold my hand and make sure I'm okay, got it!?"

"Someone's touchy" Sid replied. Evidently that was the wrong thing to say, because even with her helmet on, Xolin looked like she was going to murder him. Thankfully, Coros intervened.

"You are still young, Xolin. And these orders come directly from Iota" he said. The anger seemed to somewhat subside from her body, replaced by disappointment as she turned her attention to the aquitian.

"Iota? But…why?!" she asked. Sid was quickly building a makeshift list of her psychology in his head; driven, high-strung, cocky but with a very delicate ego. She had skill, but was also fairly new at this, as Coros had said. She'd won some victories, but hadn't really had a bad defeat yet. As for the other one…he was really inexperienced. And if he was taking cues from Xolin…oh boy. These two were going to get slaughtered by the tank robot. Just like them.

Sigh.

He repressed memories as the others continued talking.

"Xolin, you have shown much promise, but you aren't ready for leadership yet. Your er…stunt upon arriving here is proof of that" Xolin moved to counter, but Coros cut her off before she even opened her mouth, "And don't bother lying about it, I saw the footage on your way here. You need to refine your skills, and Sid would have made a perfect mentor in that regard".

"Even now Iota doesn't trust me" Xolin muttered, her fists balling up, "Months of this stuff and he still thinks I'm just a kid".

"…It takes more than a few months to be an expert at this stuff" Sid finally spoke up quietly, but with an air of gravity that hadn't been there a second ago. He looked down at the rubble at his feet, "How much?"

"How much what?" asked Xolin, hands on her hips impatiently.

"…How much are you willing to pay me?" he clarified, his gaze turning to Coros.

"Fifty thousand credits" the old man replied, not missing a beat.

Dang. That was a lot of money, even he had to admit. They must have been desperate. Sid closed his eyes and exhaled. Damn it. "…Fine. You've got me for the rest of this mission. I'll make sure everyone gets home safe".

"And then?" asked Coros.

Sid returned to looking at the rubble, "…And then I take my fifty grand and go on vacation or something. I dunno. Just not here, and not with you".

Coros nodded, "Thank you".

"Thank me *after* I've saved the day" Sid replied, glumly. He looked at Xolin, "You guys coming?"

Xolin folded her arms, "Why should I take orders from you?" she sneered.

"Because I'm the best thing you've got" Sid replied, not entirely confidently, but still rather glumly.

"And because it's an order" Coros added, to which Xolin let her arms back down in a defeated snit. Sid could tell she was going to be a joy to work with. Oh well, better get this show on the road. The quicker he saved the princess or whatever, the quicker he could get the hell out of here. The red ranger looked over his morpher while the blue ranger and the aquitian talked. Hrm, it seemed that the tank was already near the closest launch pad.

"If we're gonna do this, we gotta do it now" Sid said, "Big guy's already almost to home base. Everyone, follow me" with that, Sid turned and headed down the hallway at a low run. Trok shrugged and followed, leaving an extremely grumpy Xolin behind.

She sighed, "I hate my life" the blue ranger said, before chasing after them.

Coros watched them vanish around a darkened pile of debris for a moment, before pulling a communicator out of his pocket. "Coros here. Big fish has swallowed the bait. He wasn't too happy though, you'll need to entice him further once the mission is complete".

_"Understood. Good work, Coros"._

"The girl wasn't too happy either. May want to settle her down before she does something reckless".

_"She'll live"_ said the voice, _"Xolin's impatient and headstrong. But she'll learn, sooner or later. The Megaship is enroute. Keep tabs on them until I arrive. Iota out"._

Coros snapped his communicator shut, shoved his hands back into his pockets, and strode off, hoping to get out of the warzone before more SPD troops arrived. The less questions, the better.

* * *

A new ranger! Holy crap! Trok was beside himself, this was a really awesome turn of events. Xolin didn't seem happy for some reason, but he didn't get why. Another ranger meant another friend, another comrade to the team. And Sid seemed pretty cool—and most of all, experienced.

"So, uh…my name's Trok!" he said to Sid, fairly clumsily. He mentally cursed himself. Don't be so needy! Let him breath. He didn't want the new leader to hate him already.

"Trok huh?" asked Sid as they ran, "….That's Horathean, isn't it?"

Trok beamed in gratitude, "Yes sir! Glad to meet you!"

Sid laughed and shook his head. They came to a stop at a pair of elevators, Xolin rounding the corner right behind them, "No formal ranks here, kid. I'm just your substitute teacher".

"Care to explain to me why we stopped at a pair of elevators when the power's out, oh glorious leader?" asked Xolin, again with not just a little sarcasm.

"You're going to be just peachy to work with, aren't you?" Sid grumbled. He didn't even bother to look in her direction, instead grasping at the space between the elevator doors. He pulled them open after giving a small grunt. They were a bit more stubborn than he had expected, even with his ranger powers.

"I'm just saying" Xolin retorted. He may have stolen her right as leader, but damned if she wasn't going to fight for it to her dying breath.

Sid said nothing in response, instead simply pulling off the control panel inside the elevator and going to work. He began pressing buttons on his morpher, activating the holo-display for a moment, before two ports opened up on the side, "Everyone better get inside. This thing is about to get supercharged with morphin' grid energy".

"What are you gonna do?" asked Trok, curious.

Sid smiled, "An old trick I learned at the academy. Watch". The red ranger connected his morpher to a couple of wires, and immediately, the elevator lit up and shut the doors.

"Awesome!" Trok said, clearly impressed. Xolin just watched in quiet annoyance; why was Trok suddenly such a big hero worshipper of this guy? He showed up literally out of nowhere.

"Next stop, top floor!" Sid pressed the button on the elevator wall, and the room shot up a three times the normal speed.

"Is this safe?!" asked Xolin worriedly, gripping tight to the railing as the entire room shook violently. As soon as she finished asking though, the entire group got swept off their feet and onto the ground as the shaking stopped and the elevator opened.

"Probably not" Sid replied gingerly, standing up and brushing himself off. He stepped out onto the launching pad, followed by the other two, "But it's quick". The place was quiet; most of the civilians had escaped during the earlier confrontation with the monster, when SPD evacuated the building. And if they hadn't then, they surely would have when part of the roof collapsed—as all three of them could attest to. And indeed, to their right, a large gaping hole lay where part of the tower had once been. Sid grimaced; he wondered just how stable the rest of this launch tower was.

There was no visual sign of the tank yet, but it was a big space port; numerous ships of varying sizes and shapes were littered about, empty and devoid of occupants. Not as many as when he had arrived here earlier; a number had evidently fled, but plenty still remained behind.

"So, what now, glorious leader?"

"Will you stop calling me that? My name is Sid" the red ranger called back to blue.

"What, trying to be humble, now?"

"…You are such a child" he said, as he started to become genuinely irritated with her. She huffed. "Oh, what?" he asked, "Are you really that thin skinned? Fun-fact, not everything is about you".

"And you would know?" she bit back.

He chuckled, "Well, I *am* better than you, so…"

"Excuse me?!" Xolin flared up in righteous indignation. They were never going to find his body; she would make sure of that.

"Guys!" Trok called, now over behind one of the vehicle and peering around the side. Sweet jeeze, could they be any louder? And here he had thought he was the kid in the group, "Not right now! Look!"

The other two rangers huddled over to Trok's position. Sure enough, there was the tank…and a bunch of other monsters and creatures. Because the tank hadn't been enough. Sigh.

Sid's mind raced with battle options. "Okay. So uh…plan. I distract the tank. Trok, keep the others occupied. Xolin, you grab the girl. Go!"

"Got it!" Trok said enthusiastically. Ranger battle!

"Wait!" Xolin said, but it was already too late; both Trok and Sid had raced out to meet the bad guys. Idiots! And why was Trok suddenly so star struck!? Ugh. Trok didn't have the skillset to fight off multiple opponents! Damnit. Xolin raced out behind them, hoping to somehow salvage what she assumed was going to be a very unpleasant affair.

* * *

Capricorn was having a very good night, all things considered. Artillar had taken out most of the SPD forces in the building, leaving the rest scattered and dazed. He had the girl, for which his employers would pay him handsomely for. And best of all, no muss, no fuss. The goat pirate lord was about to leave this two-bit world just after getting here, and he was going to be friggin' rich.

"Good work, Artillar" he said, highly impressed with his simple-minded thrall, "secure her in the hold. We have a rendezvous in the Randian sector to make".

At his command, the rest of his crew began to prepare for takeoff. Two of them, the two tengas Sid had seen harassing Coros earlier, got the girl off of Artillar. Sid also took note of a few others; a varox, that piranhatron from earlier, and a stag beetle monster.

Fun group.

"Nuh, uh, uh" the red ranger said, coming out from around a corner, soon flanked by green and blue, "Put the girl down".

Capricorn, almost to the door to his ship, turned and faced the rangers, "…and you would be…?" he drawled out, slightly amused by this turn of events.

"Power Rangers, duh" Sid said, brandishing his axe, "Now how about you do as I said?"

The goat chuckled, and then responded with joviality "I think not. Boys, show them what happens to interlopers"

The other two rangers brought out their weapons. Sid nodded. This was familiar. "Right, remember the plan. Xolin, girl. Trok, monsters. I got tankenstine over there. Go!"

"Wait…damnit!" Xolin called, again ignored as the other two broke rank. The blue ranger immediately noticed her target; Sel was being dragged into the ship by the two tenga. Okay, easy enough. She could take them out, then get the girl to safety. Then hopefully she could pull Trok out before he was crushed into the dirt. Stupid friggin' plan by the glorious leader, by the way. Sure, send the inexperienced member up against multiple opponents, including what looked to be the brains of the operation. Perfect. Why not.

She was going to throttle Iota when she saw him.

Charging up her weapon, she flew past the rest of the battlefield and cut into one of the tenga. He fell over in a flash of sparks as she quickly incapacitated the other, grabbing Sel by her right arm. "Okay, let's get you away…" she whispered, more for her own benefit than the unconscious girl. Then she heard a cry. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Trok collapsing after being cut through by the goat monster's sword.

"TROK!" she shouted, dropping Sel. Gripping her weapon, she flung herself into her teammate's opponent. The two traded a series of blows, a seeming match for each other. This wasn't so hard! Psh, 'green'. Right.

"XOLIN!" Sid called out, rolling out of the way of Artillar's arms, "What are you doing?! Get the girl!" Was she *trying* to spite him?

Xolin looked over where she had left Sel—the tengas had scurried inside the ship, and the varox was carrying the girl inside. "NO!" she shouted, but her moment of distraction cost her dearly; Capricorn's blade cut through her like butter, a shower of sparks erupting from the point of impact. Xolin collapsed to the ground next to Trok.

"NO!" Sid broke from his fight, making a direct beeline for Sel—and was immediately cut down by Artillar's guns as soon as he had a clear shot. Rookie mistake…

"…That's it?" asked Capricorn, in an earnest bit of confusion, "That was…easier than I expected. Heh. Pathetic" he kicked Xolin over as she struggled to get back up, then walked towards his ship.

"What should we do with them?" asked the varox.

Capricorn looked back at the three injured rangers, "…Destroy them. We don't need anyone fol—" the pirate trailed off as he began to hear something; a spaceship thundered in. Except it wasn't a regular transport it was… "…A Megaship. Defender class" he whispered to himself as the black and silver triangular warship soared in. It was sleek even with the undercarriage, almost invisible in the night air, and as he well knew, armed to the teeth. The rangers' cavalry had arrived. He spoke up to the rest of the crew, "Never mind! Leave the wounded, everyone get onboard. We're taking off, NOW!"

The remaining crew shuffled aboard, and a few seconds later it lifted off the ground. The Megaship attempted to shoot it down, but the pirate vessel quickly veered off into the distance. It was not pursued—the Megaship had other concerns to deal with.

* * *

Sid was getting really tired of waking up in an unfamiliar place after feeling like he had been trampled via stampede. "Ugh…my head".

"Welcome back to the world of the living"

Sid looked over as he sat up in a…medical bed. There in front of him stood an armored ranger-like figure, though very different in design than the rest of the team. More like a knight, almost.

"Ugh…and you are?" Sid asked, realizing he had shifted back to civilian form.

The figure bowed slightly, "I am Iota. Welcome aboard the Defender Megaship. I hope you enjoy your stay. You have of course met Xolin and Trok" he motioned to the triforian and horathean sitting up in the other beds next to his, where Coros was looking them over.

"Psh. Yeah, thanks for nothing, buddy" Xolin shot angrily, folding her arms in contempt even as Coros waved his medical scanner over her, "Your plan pretty much netted us zilch; the bad guys got away with Sel, and we got nothin' but a bunch of cuts and bruises for our troubles".

"Not my fault you can't follow orders" Sid bit back, "If you had done what I told you, you'd have the girl and everyone would have gone home happy".

"Y'know, except Trok" Xolin said, waving to the horathean, "I don't know what you learned at 'The Academy', but I don't do 'acceptable losses'. I take care of my team!"

Oh, she did NOT. Sid jumped off of the medical bed, his face contorted in pure rage, "How DARE Y—"

"Enough!" Iota cut in, "It wasn't the best plan, Xolin is right. But it is clear you need to learn the importance of teamwork and the chain of command" he said, directing his attention to the seething blue ranger. "You can reflect on it while we are en-route".

"En-route to where?" asked Trok, eager to steer the conversation away from the fighting. He hated the fighting.

Iota seemed a bit hesitant, "We are tracking the enemy ship. We believe…Capricorn, as we have identified him, is heading for Onyx. We are in pursuit".

Predictably, both Sid and Xolin's faces drained of color.

"You can't be serious" Sid said, "Onyx is a deathtrap".

"This is why subtlety is a virtue" Iota replied, once again eying Xolin. "Rest up; we'll be arriving in a few hours. And next time, I expect a better plan" he said, aiming at Sid this time.

"You abduct me, and then tell me I'm not performing up to standards?" Sid asked incredulously, "Who do you think you are?"

Iota looked Sid over, "…I am the man paying you a small fortune. And I am also the man who knows, as well as you do, that you are capable of so much more than the stunt you just pulled. You're already along for the ride, so you may as well make the best of it" with that, the knight figure left the medbay, Coros in tow. Sid was left with a slight headache—he wasn't sure if it was from getting hit in the head with missiles and entire buildings, or from the gall-ridden inanity that had become the last few hours of his life. He and Xolin looked at each other, viewing the other with nothing but contempt, before averting their eyes in disgust. Trok sighed; so much for teamwork.

* * *

Sel awoke to quiet; only creaking metal and the low rumbling of engines. Her cell was small and dirty, and the ship was dark and cramped.

"Good morning" said a voice. Sel looked over, seeing a large goat monster sitting in a chair just outside of her cage, "Glad to see you've finally decided to join us".

"…Who are you?" she asked quietly, trying hard not to show fear…she wasn't succeeding very well, "Where am I?"

The goat chuckled softly, "I am Capricorn, a pirate captain. We are on my ship, and you are my honored guest. As for where we're going well…does Onyx ring any bells?"

Sel swallowed, terrified, "…Why?"

Why? Why did they want her? Why did anyone, everyone want her? She couldn't even remember anything from more than a few months ago. Coros found her on Arkilla and…why did everyone want *her*?

Capricorn rubbed his chin thoughtfully, as if pondering himself, "That's where your er…buyers have elected to meet. I wouldn't get too comfortable here if I were you, it's not that long a trip at the speeds we're going" the goat bleated in laughter, leaving Sel alone in her room. She simply sat there, silent. Alone, with nothing but her thoughts and fears.

…Why her?

_TO BE CONTINUED…_


	2. 1x02: Less than Perfect, part 2

**1.02: LESS THAN PERFECT, part 2**

He wore a business suit, and carried with him a briefcase of which Capricorn, in all his dealings with the man, had never seen the inside of. To the unobservant, they saw a normal Caucasian human male, somewhere in his mid to late thirties; just a typical businessman-never mind that he was currently acting as an envoy for Capricorn's mysterious but-almost-certainly-illegal employers. He had been used by them since they had begun contacting Capricorn over a year ago. Every month or two he'd have another mission for the pirate crew; 'steal this item', or 'break into that research facility'. The targets, as far as Capricorn could tell, had no rhyme or reason or overarching plan. In that respect, 'kidnap a xybrian girl' fit right in.

But whatever, they paid handsomely enough. Who was Capricorn to complain?

"My employers will be very pleased you have the girl. And in such a timely manner, too" the man said, currently plastered across Capricorn's viewscreen on his bridge, while the goat monster sat slouched in his chair. He didn't actually know the man's name; when asked, the man had simply referred to himself as an 'Emissary'. How melodramatic. The man continued, "May I ask what your ETA to Onyx is expected to be?"

Capricorn smiled, "A matter of hours, I assure you. We are already en-route, but well…Alliance space is far from Onyx and the rest of the Pirate Consortium".

The man nodded, "Understandable. I look forward to your arrival".

With that, the contact link was severed, leaving the viewscreen with nothing on it but flying stars. Capricorn stood up, turning to Vl'nox, "Inform me when we arrive in orbit. I'll be in my quarters".

"Yes sir" Capricorn heard his varox officer reply, as he walked off the bridge.

Soon, very soon.

* * *

Sid had to give this organization credit; they certainly had the resources to deploy themselves some nice spaceships. Certainly, the Defender class of Megaship wasn't exactly *new* persay—they had been designed and built as a mass-production line before the war to work as a quick hit-and-run border guard against the Vile Imperium. But most of them within Confederate space had been mothballed or outright decommissioned when it shut down its own branches of SPD and (officially) outlawed ranger activity-but still, this ship was obviously well-furnished and maintained.

He shook his head in amusement. For all its assertions that they didn't need super soldiers to do their jobs for them, it would seem that the Confederacy did indeed still employ ranger teams—if only covertly. Sid wondered what the backlash would be if the beans were spilled. It would make sense that they'd not let Sid in on any more of their secrets without him committing—what they'd done was enough to incite a revolt as it was.

If they were legit, that was, which Sid wasn't *entirely* convinced of yet.

"…And in here is our work bay! We usually use this to…well, work on stuff. Repair equipment, work on personal projects, build stuff we need…"

Oh, right. The horathean was trying to give him the 'grand tour' of the ship, maybe he should be paying attention to that at all, if only to keep from hurting his feelings. From the second Sid had woken up on the ship, Trok had just zeroed in on him, instantly star struck for reasons Sid couldn't even fathom. Hadn't the kid almost just died because of his plan? And it was crazy; it was like he never got tired.

"…And over here's the synthatron, where we make our food…"

"Yeah, I know what a synthatron is" Sid replied with just a hint of bemusement.

Trok thought sheepishly for a moment, remembering why exactly Sid had been hired on, "Huh, yeah. I guess you would. Anyway, over here is where we put our skycycles when they need repairs. Er…or rather, we did, before we got them blown up. Anyway…" he continued, but Sid's train of thought was quickly leaving the station again.

At least one good thing was coming out of this—Xolin was in a fit of twitching rage since Trok had latched on to him so much. Her expression as Trok led the two of them away from the medbay had been priceless. In response, Sid had only looked back and winked with a smug grin—a response that had only further sent the blue ranger into conniptions. He was really beginning to love aggravating her. It was therapeutic.

"So why don't you want to stick around?"

Well, THAT question came out of nowhere. Sid glanced back at the young horathean. He could tell there was a bit of disappointment in the kid's face—he was pretty much the definition of 'wearing one's emotions on one's sleeve'. Aw.

Sid sighed, hands in his pockets, "It's nothing personal, really. I just…it's a long story. One you'd probably have to get me really drunk to tell. I just don't do ranger stuff anymore".

"Bad experience?" the horathean asked, as they continued walking again.

Sid nodded, chuckling, "Yeah. Yeah, you could say that"

"So there's no way at all to convince you to stay after this mission is over?"

Sid's eyebrow arched, "Why *do* you want me around so badly anyway?"

Trok rubbed his arm self-conciously as he looked away, "I dunno. I just think it'd be fun. You seem like a cool guy, and it'd be nice to have another member of the team. Xolin's awesome and all, but it's just the two of us. Well, and Iota. But he's not much of a 'team' person really. Just sort of…locks himself away in his room".

"Ah. I'm sure you'll find someone just as awesome" Sid replied, "There's plenty of people with skills out there".

"Yeah, but I already kinda like your skills"

"Give it a rest, Trok. No means no" Xolin stood at the corner of the hallway they had been walking down, leaning against the wall with her arms folded and one foot up against the bulkhead.

Trok's shoulders slumped. "Right, sorry. I didn't mean anything" he said, looking back at Sid.

Sid waved him off with a smile, "It's fine, really".

"We've arrived" Xolin cut in again, her voice remaining even, if not a little sullen, "Iota wants to see us in the launch hanger".

Trok nodded and hurried off. Sid followed more casually, passing Xolin who began to follow Trok as well. "…Thanks, I think" Sid said, not completely sure how to take this.

"We all got our reasons" she muttered, "But don't think this changes anything" she passed him up, hurrying after Trok, leaving Sid in the rear.

"Hrmph" he crossed his arms in, again, bemusement, "What a nice place".

* * *

The launch hanger was visibly similar to the work bay in size and shape; just replace the tables and benches with a large bulkhead door at the far end and dimmer lighting. Not that that was really surprising; most passenger-type Megaships were utilitarian and modular in design. After all, their main purpose was combat and quick deployment, not civilian comfort. Still, they were never too bad for a small crew.

Sid arrived after Trok and Xolin, finding Iota there waiting for him. The warrior nodded at Sid, "Glad you could finally make it". Sid gave a slightly incredulous look, but said nothing. Iota continued, "We've arrived at Onyx, making landfall in the northern wastes, about half a mile from the settlement of Nar'war; far enough to be out of sight, but close enough that it's not too bad of a walk".

Sid shrugged, "Um…teleportation?" he asked, with a hint of snark.

Iota shook his head, as if he hadn't even noticed the sarcasm, "No. Unauthorized teleportation would risk setting off orbital scanners, even on outlaw worlds like Onyx. We rarely use it. And thanks to the…prior mission, we no longer have the skycycles either. We'll need to requisition some more during our next resupply run". Xolin seemed moderately embarrassed, Sid noted. She was almost too easy to torment.

"You'll need cloaks to blend in; average human types aren't very welcome here. Or horatheans" Iota added, nodding to Trok. Pressing a button on a controller embedded in his wrist, three cloaks dropped down from above on hangers right in front of the rangers.

"…Are you serious" Sid muttered to himself about the theatrics, grabbing his. The doors to the ship slid open, flooding the hanger with harsh desert sunlight. Beyond lay the great wastes; most of Onyx were covered in them. Nothing but sand, dirt, and strange desert formations, occasionally broken up by salt flats and the rare oasis. It was really no wonder that all settlements on Onyx were incredibly small; if anything, it was a wonder there were any settlements at all.

As the three threw their cloaks on, Iota continued, "The settlement of Nar'war has just a small number of buildings; two major streets, that's it. So luckily, there's not too much to comb. There's probably at least one bar, as well as the resident shipyard; Capricorn could be in either place. Good luck".

Just after the rangers stepped out of the ship, they found the door abruptly shutting behind them.

"…That was just a bit rude" Sid said.

Xolin passed him, "That's Iota. Get used to it. Come on, the town is still a bit of a walk".

Trok quickly hurried after her, again leaving Sid in third place as he casually followed them into the barren desert.

* * *

Twenty-seven. This was world number twenty-seven Trok had set foot on. He had of course been to a number of worlds multiple times, but totally unique worlds? Twenty-seven. Amazing, considering that just a few months ago he had never left Horath in his life. And even now, he was always impressed with what he saw; every world was different. Arkilla had been a teeming metropolis in a glacial pit. Awuaron had been his first trip to an Aquitian colony. Veldkar? Steamy jungle with ancient ruins. And of course there had been KO-35, with its massive sprawling high-tech cities. Everywhere he went was unique and vast and just so awesome.

Onyx in contrast was…a bit of a letdown. There was sand. And rock. And more sand. And sun. It was as if he had never left Horath. And it's not like desert planets couldn't be cool; he'd been to Ioalus; he'd seen giant canyons with towns built into them, and impossible towering mesa formations. Onyx just underdelivered.

"Twenty-seven worlds, and this is the first one that didn't impress me" he muttered. Xolin's face broke into a wry grin. It was always good when he got her to smile or laugh; she was a tough room. Especially since Sid had come aboard.

Sid spoke up, "You'll find the interesting planets are the ones everyone likes to visit. They're on well-traveled routes. Barren, inhospitable worlds? Those are the backwoods. No one wants them, and they're a dime a dozen in any star system. Makes them the perfect place to set up shop if you're a crime syndicate or other malcontent".

Trok digested this for a moment, before asking, "So…what *is* Onyx anyway? Like, I always hear it mentioned, but I can't ever find a site with much information on it".

"You ever watch 'Star Wars'?" asked Sid. The horathean blinked, confused. Sid sighed and chuckled to himself, shaking his head as they continued to march through the empty wastes, "Nevermind. Onyx is…well, it's a haven for bandits, pirates, swindlers…" he listed off nouns like he had recited this particular line many, *many* times, "…crime lords, mercenaries, freelance adventurers, and pretty much anyone else that doesn't fit in to 'civilized' society. Rule of thumb: don't look anyone in the eye. Also don't buy anything. Or eat anything. Or talk to anyone" Sid thought for a moment, "Actually, best not to breath heavily either. Or—".

"So don't do anything and we'll be fine, then" Xolin waved back to him, cutting him off. Was he their travel agent or something?

Sid grinned, "I didn't say that".

As if to punctuate his words, a town became visible as they rounded the last sandy dune. It wasn't even remotely impressive; just a bunch of ramshackle huts lined up in a couple of rows, surrounding a dirt path. A number of residents could be seen going about their business, all of them either wrapped in cloaks, monstrous, or both.

"Welcome to Nar'war, scenic capital of the northern wastes. Please feel free to browse the gift shop, and don't forget to sign the guest book" Xolin said, stopping in her tracks to take a good long look at the place.

"Best to keep moving, no attention is good attention" Sid replied, prodding her along. She protested, but kept going anyway.

"So now what?" asked Trok, hoping to divert the other two away from yet another fight.

Sid glanced around, "…It's not that big of a place. Your boss was right about the saloon and the shipyard. If I had to figure, I'd guess that—" whatever Sid was about to say, no one ever got to hear it, as at that moment a particularly shifty-looking gentlemen with odd implants and a cloak hurried up to them.

"Welcome! Welcome!" the man said, enthusiastically shaking Xolin's hand with both of his. She pulled hers away with a disgusted expression on her face, "Welcome to Nar'war, fellow travelers!" Sid withdrew his hand before the man could shake it. Instead, he settled for Trok.

"Uh…thanks!" Trok said, oblivious to the reactions of the other two and more than a little overwhelmed by the strange, friendly man, "And you are?"

"I am just a traveler, like yourself" the man replied enthusiastically, "And I come with fantastic artifacts" he opened his cloak, revealing a number of odd objects inside. Trok's eyes were immediately drawn to a strange golden egg device with strange runes. They seemed almost familiar. The man caught on quickly, "Aaah, I see you eying the…Triforian egg of power" he pulled it out of his coat.

"Er…" Trok started to say, but the man continued unabated.

"It's a fascinating object, really. Incredibly rare. Very valuable, but I'd be willing to work in a discount. Legend holds that the first king of Triforia, when he was uniting the houses, fought a powerful morphin' master allied to a rival clan. He sealed the master away within his own artifact and—"

"No he didn't"

"I…pardon?" asked the man to Xolin. She stood there, annoyed and with her arms crossed. Trok also turned his attention to her, having been shaken out of the engrossing tale he man had been weaving.

Xolin continued, "The first king was Trialous the first, twenty-seven thousand years ago. The masters vanished millions of years ago. And there's no record of him fighting one, in legends or otherwise".

"…It's an obscure legend" the man replied, annoyed himself now, "As I was saying, the king—hey!"

Sid pulled the object right out of the man's hand, looking it over, "Huh. Didn't know morphin' masters built their ancient all-powerful artifacts out of plastic. Silly me".

"Give that back!" the man growled, grabbing for his stolen prize. Instead Xolin took it, looking it over herself.

"The runes aren't even anything. I think it's a gimmick font on my computer".

"…Oh. Yeah!" Trok said, suddenly realizing where he'd seen them before, and now a little embarrassed he had bought into the man's story at all. Ugh.

Xolin tossed the object back to the swindler, who barely caught it with his palms, "Go peddle your forgeries to someone who cares" she bit at him, "And next time, do some homework". The man growled and wrapped his cloak around himself, trotting off back into the town.

"…What did I say about making eye contact?" asked Sid, to Trok.

A slight twinge of embarrassment hit Trok, "Sorry. He was just so…yeah. Sorry". Man, his first attempt to impress Sid, and he'd already fouled it up. On the other hand…his eyes lit up as he looked up from the ground to Sid and Xolin, his voice full of wonder, "But still, that was *awesome*!"

"…What was?" asked Xolin, confused.

Trok pointed at both them enthusiastically. He *knew* they could work together, "That whole thing! The two of you! He was bein' all sneaky, and then you guys shut him down like it was nothing. Like tag teaming or something. That was great!"

Sid and Xolin looked at each other for a moment with bewildered glares. Then they looked back at Trok, and then at each other again. A series of expressions flooded through their faces; confusion, concern, annoyance, disgust, embarrassment…

"So!" Xolin said, clearing her throat and beginning to walk again, "The local bar then".

"Shipyard" Sid countered. Xolin bunched up her fists and she turned back around. Uh oh.

"Pardon?"

Sid pointed to the other end of town from where Xolin had been heading. A number of small ships could be seen parked at the edge of the settlement, "Shipyard. Bad guys 101: you leave your cargo in the ship while you go and have a drink or whatever. No use getting it stolen by a bunch of lowlifes"

Xolin eyed him, a suspicious expression on her face, "So…you want me to go to the shipyard".

"Yep".

"Saloon it is!" Xolin spun back around and headed towards the large building down the street. Sid sighed. "Come Trok!" Xolin shouted back at the horathean. Trok shrugged at Sid awkwardly and hurried after Xolin, leaving Sid behind.

Trok exasperatingly blew a puff of air through his lips. He hated this. The two of them were almost working together there for a second. Why wouldn't they just get along? Blah. Oh well, maybe by splitting up they could track down the girl faster.

* * *

Bah. Bunch of amateurs.

Sid sauntered his way over to the shipyard. Well…'shipyard' was generous, in that the location was only a 'shipyard' in the most literal sense: it was a large patch of flat dirt with a number of small craft parked on it. Hence, well, 'shipyard'. Most of the vessels were just as hodge-podge as the town itself; random bits and pieces hobbled together into some sort of makeshift craft. There were a few nicer ones; ships he could pick out as having once been Karovian, or Edenite, or…was that an Eltarian ship? Huh. Didn't see many of those on the black market, or outside Eltarian space at all. Someone must have gotten lucky.

It had always one of Sid's hobbies to point out ship designs to himself. He loved ship classes; how each one was different and served a different purpose; how two separate organizations could look at the same problem and come away with completely different solutions. Plus, y'know…spaceships were cool. Like, take the Eltarian one; sure at this point it was beaten up and parts had been replaced with makeshift repairs, but one could still see the elegance of pure Eltarian design underneath; the shiny silver surface, the smooth curves and elongated nose, and how it all fit together and gave off the appearance some highly advanced and ethereal culture.

Beyond a particularly ugly mess of metal with engines strapped to it, he saw a familiar one. Also fairly ugly and hodgepodge-y, but Sid recognized it as Capricorn's vessel. And right outside of it stood the varox from the fight on Arkilla, probably on guard duty.

Perfect.

"I'm here on business with your captain" Sid said, after first making sure his face was hidden by the cloak, "Where can I find him?" Rule one when bluffing: assume within reason.

The varox looked at him inquisitively, "…Are you here about the Arkilla job?" he asked, obviously bored, "Capricorn's with the rest your lot discussing prices back at the saloon".

Capricorn was out AND he had an in. Sid smiled to himself; this was going to be like taking candy from a baby.

"I was sent ahead to see the merchandise for myself" Sid replied, keeping his voice low and growl-like. "May I?"

Even though the varox's mask couldn't show expressions, Sid could almost feel the annoyance and incredulity radiating off him, "…The girl is with Capricorn. Are you always so inept about your job?"

Er…crap.

"Ah…my mistake. Bad er…directions. I'll be going, thank you for your time".

The varox snorted in derision, returning to his silent vigil as Sid slipped away. That was close—sometimes bluffing just did not go well. Sid mentally cursed himself for mis-estimating his situation. …Wait…the girl was with Capricorn? At the bar?

…That meant Xolin had been right.

Sonuva…

* * *

The first thing Trok noticed upon entering the saloon was that it was crowded. Also, that it was filthy. And loud. And chaotic. And…did that guy have a sword growing out the back of his head? Wow. He idly wondered if that was an actual thing with his species, or some sort of really bad accident. As Xolin led him in, he couldn't help but stare. She must have taken notice, because Xolin suddenly grabbed his hand and pulled him along.

"No eye contact" she hissed. Keep to yourself. Right. Silly him. Still, he stole himself a few more casual glances at the rest of the denizens; various mutants, monsters, and otherwise scary-looking bad guys.

…Was that a Cog?

"There" Xolin said, pointing to a table at the far corner of the building. True enough, Trok recognized the goat monster, who was sitting with a small group of others—the two Pirahnatrons and the tank monster, as well as two people hidden by cloaks. "Bingo" she said, a small smile forming.

Wait, something was off, "…Where's the girl?" Trok asked.

Xolin scanned the scene, her expression briefly faulting, before smiling again and pointing discreetly, "No, she's there. See? The cloaked figure on the left; they're bound by the Pirahnatrons. That's gotta be her".

Trok nodded, getting it now, "Ah! Right. Silly me".

The triforian looked over at the bar counter, and then motioned to Trok, "Come on. Let's get a seat at the bar for now".

"But what about the girl?" asked Trok, looking back at the meeting.

"Too many people here; we could start a scene. Best to wait until they're done, and then ambush them outside".

"…A stakeout!" Trok said happily, a little too loudly. Xolin gave him a withering glare, though thankfully it seemed that in the mania that was the saloon, no one had heard him. Trok chuckled nervously, "Uh…heh, sorry".

"Can't take you anywhere" Xolin sighed, pulling him towards the counter. He knew she didn't *really* mean that of course, it was just how Xolin was. Though, granted, that was a mistake just now that shouldn't have happened. Trok took the stool next to Xolin, making subtle attempts to peer out to the corner where Capricorn sat. Attempted subtlety, anyway.

"Don't worry about them. I've got my eye on the situation. Just keep your head down and quiet" Xolin said quietly; encouragingly, but firmly. Trok nodded and returned to a neutral sitting position.

"I don't believe I've seen you before" another voice said. Xolin glanced to her side; some mutant was now leaning on the counter next to her, his face inquisitive. Ugh, no.

"Get lost, worm" Xolin spat at him with all the disgust she could muster, "We're waiting for someone. Not you".

"Sorry" the bar patron said. He put his hands up and backed away, "See you around".

"…You're really good at this" Trok said, as soon as the man was out of earshot.

Xolin shrugged, "I lived from bar to bar after I left home, remember? I know how this works. Don't worry about it".

It was true, she had mentioned that—not much else though. Trok didn't know WHY she had left home, but the fact that she never talked about it spoke wonders. Sorta like how he never talked about his. He figured it was sort of a mutual understanding between them. Still; he was always curious.

Xolin, for her part, kept as low of a profile as she could. Every so often she'd make a casual glance at the meeting, but she'd also make sure to take stock of the rest of the place, so as to not arouse suspicion. When approached by the bartender, she continued with her grouchy persona, telling him that she wasn't in the mood for drinks since she was waiting for someone. The humanoid dinosaur bartender wisely left her alone.

And while Trok was impressed by this—he was always impressed by Xolin (well…usually, anyway)—man was he bored. How long did it take to have a meeting? What were they even meeting about? Wasn't there any way they could just lure Capricorn outside?

Finally, *finally*, Xolin noticed movement coming from Capricorn's table. They were getting ready to leave.

"Wait for it…" she whispered to Trok. He couldn't resist, and turned to look—a rash decision considering it cost the bar patron next to him his drink.

"Hey!" the mutant shouted, wiping the liquid off of his lap, "Watch it!"

Trok's eyes widened in embarrassment, "Oh, I am so sorry!" he said, "Let me just get a towel—"

"What do you think you're trying to do?!" the mutant roared, shooting to his feet. Trok stumbled off of his stool, backing into Xolin who had so far been ignoring them as she watched Capricorn prepare to leave.

"Trok, what are you—" Xolin noticed Trok's predicament almost immediately, "Back off!" she growled, slipping back into her bar persona.

This mutant wasn't so easy to dismiss however, "No, *you* back off! This lout just spilled my drink! He's gonna pay!"

"Last warning!" Xolin roared back. The mutant ignored her and pulled out a knife, clearly aiming for Trok. Xolin pushed him out of the way, grabbing the mutant's arm and tossing him into the nearest table. Almost immediately, Xolin knew she had made a terrible, terrible error, and that she was going to pay for this big time. The mutant began fighting with the other patrons from the table he had been smashed into, and soon that brawl grew like a runaway domino effect—within a minute or two the entire bar was in a free-for-all storm of chaotic fury.

"…Oops" Trok muttered sheepishly. Man, he just could not catch a break today.

"Forget it" Xolin pointed to Capricorn, "Get him!"

Finding it impossible to just waltz over thanks to the swarming mass of monsters and undesirables, Trok and Xolin nodded at each other in succinct agreement, before launching themselves into battle, knocking their opponents aside as they fought their way to the goat at the end of the room.

For his part, Capricorn found himself equally trapped by the sudden storm of chaos surrounding him. He sighed impatiently, "This is what I get for using Onyx as a meeting place". At that point, a patron was sent flying through the window next to Capricorn. The goat shrugged and climbed through, motioning to the rest of his group. The two pirahnatrons followed suit with one of the cloaked figures in tow. The other figure grabbed his briefcase off the table and trailed them.

…And then the tank burst through the wall where the window had been. Capricorn stared at Artillar's makeshift exit, then shrugged, "Come on, my ship is this way. We can finish our negotiations there".

The figure with the briefcase nodded, and followed Capricorn and his crew away from the saloon.

"STOP!" Xolin yelled as her quarry got away. She was still neck-deep in fighting low-class drunken beasts and couldn't get to Capricorn. Damn; if he got to his ship…wait. She brought her morpher up to her mouth as she kicked a bee monster aside, "Xolin to Iota. We're gonna need a favor…"

* * *

Sid grumbled to himself as he left the parking lot…and that was when he saw an explosion rip through the roof of the saloon at the other end of town, a plume of smoke rocketing into the cloudless sky.

"…Huh. Somebody must have ticked somebody else off".

There was a beat.

"…Oh, no" Sid sighed as he realized the implications. He rolled his eyes as he picked up his pace; "Because of course she would have…"

Sid didn't have far to run though, as he soon caught sight of a number of figures running towards him from the saloon—including a large tank monster.

"Oh no you don't!" Sid shouted, pulling his morpher out from under his cloak, "It's game time!"

In a flash of brilliant red light, Sid transformed into the red ranger as he closed in, being sure to avoid the tank's artillery shots. The hero leapt into the air, slamming his foot into one of the pirahnatrons, before landing and swinging back around to knock the other one out. He then ripped off the hood of the cloaked figure to find the green-haired xybrian underneath.

"Oh! Hello, again" Sid chirped happily, not noticing the other cloaked figure was now making a run for it, or that Capricorn was glaring at the traitor with disgust.

"Who…do I know you?" Sel asked untrustingly.

Sid blinked, then remembered she hadn't seen any of the ranger battle on Arkilla, "Oh, right. Yeah, long story. Don't worry, I'm with the good guys".

"Is that what you're going with?" asked Caricorn, pulling out twin swords and beckoning to Sid, "How much *did* they pay you?"

Sid shrugged, smiling under his helmet, "A lot, actually!" pulling his axe from out of nowhere, the red ranger charged the goat, the two combatants entering into an elaborate dance as their blades clashed again and again. While Sid forced Capricorn back, the goat managed to almost skewer the red ranger in his side. Sid dodged out of the way just in time, while also upholstering his sidearm and opening fire on his opponent, their blades still connecting. The red ranger followed up, even as Capricorn ducked from the laser fire, by slamming his boot into the sword holding his axe back, further followed up by a spin kick to the face. Capricorn stumbled back, just in time to see Sid's axe come right down into his chest. Capricorn's armor sparked and smoked as the goat monster fell down and rolled away from the ranger. He staggered to his feet.

"Artillar, NOW!"

Sid mentally cursed himself; he had neglected the tank, which had locked onto Sid's signature. While he had been in melee combat with Capricorn he had been safe, but now…

Explosions punched the air around Sid. The red ranger fell to the ground in a heap. Cackling madly, Capricorn grabbed Sel by her wrist binds and pulled her with him towards his ship.

Sid struggled to get up, all while the er…'townspeople' of Nar'war were watching him warily. A ranger? Here on Onyx? What WAS the universe coming to? Thankfully, none of them seemed like they wanted to tempt fate by taking him on. "Don't…mind me, folks. Just had a bit of a setback" Sid muttered, finally on his feet. He staggered off, towards Capricorn.

"Almost there…" Capricorn cackled madly. This whole mission had gone to hell, but at least he still had his prize. He'd just have to contact his associate again and meet on a different world. Maybe somewhere in the Aerolus belt. Or Gratha. Somewhere no one would expect-

Capricorn's hope died with his ship. For a moment he couldn't comprehend what was happening, as the rangers' megaship vaulted in, its frontal lasers laying into his undefended, powered down transport vessel. The ship almost seemed to implode at first, before reversing and erupting with furious vigor. Debris and fire rained down, as two rangers, one blue and one green, dropped down in between him and what had at one point been his ship.

"What…you…my ship!" Capricorn gasped. His voice became hard, vengeful, "You destroyed my ship!"

Xolin looked behind her as the burning maelstrom, "Yeah. Yeah, guess we did" she turned back to Capricorn, "What now, chuckles?"

"I…I will destroy you!" Capricorn tossed Sel aside, aiming his swords at the two rangers in rage, "I will make you beg for death!"

"Give it up, dude. Game's over" said another, familiar voice. Behind Capricorn stood the red ranger, now back in fighting shape. The goat looked at his own forces; all that remained was Artillar—everyone else was either dead or had bailed. His entire crew, gone. His ship, gone. His prize…almost out of reach.

No.

No!

NO!

Capricorn was seething with almost inarticulate rage. "Artillar, DESTROY *ALL* OF THEM! Leave no survivors! I want every child here wearing a primary or secondary color *dead*, do you understand?"

The tank's weapon systems primed.

"Take him!" Sid commanded, brandishing his axe, "Fast and hard! Don't let him lock his weapons!"

"No duh!" Xolin responded, as the three rangers rushed in from different angles. Sid came in from behind, leaping up and jamming his weapon behind the robot's neck, while the green and blue rangers swung at the front. Artillar swung its arm at them; Trok got knocked aside while Xolin jumped up onto it and began hacking at the limb—all while trying not to be thrown off.

Taking this as his cue to leave, Capricorn grabbed Sel by the arms, leading her away. He was going to have to find new transport off his barren chunk of rock, and he wasn't happy about that at *all*. He'd have to start over. All his hard work and toil, for nothing. At least the girl would help get his career back off the ground.

Jumping on the arm was proving to have been a bad idea; Xolin was quickly getting nauseous by all the spinning. "A little help here!" she shouted, desperately clinging to the machine's limb.

Sid dodged another swipe, hitting the dirt before having to roll away when the tank's chest batteries opened fire. Man, this was just not his day. Crouching up on his knees, he barely broke into a sprint before the next volley sent him flying into the side of a ship. Now free to deal with the other threat, Artillar wasted no time in crushing the blue ranger repeatedly against the hull of the nearest vessel.

Xolin grunted and fell to the ground in a heap.

By now Trok was back on his feet, hammer in hand. "Hey! No one hurts my friends!" Gripping his mallet, with a mighty roar the green ranger charged his weapon up, before swinging it into the ground with all his power. Cracks emanated from the point of impact as the terrain shook. The tank stumbled, giving Trok a chance to close the distance, slamming his weapon into the monster's chestplate. The sheer amount of energy put into the attack was enough to punch a hole through the tank's armor plating, revealing the more tender inner workings.

It wasn't enough for Trok however, as the tank's claws closed around him, and soon the green ranger felt himself being tossed through the air, hitting the top of a ship before rolling off and collapsing on the ground below.

"Trok!" Xolin grunted in pain, trying to get up. Sid also got to his feet, but was stopped from attacking by Iota, who put his hand on the red rangers' shoulder.

"Wait…when did you get here?" asked Sid, genuinely confused.

Iota shook his head, "Never mind. I'll handle things here. I have a different job for you".

Sid cocked his head, "Uh…"

* * *

New ship. He needed a new ship. Damn those rangers. Damn them all!

Capricorn paid no heed to Sel's obvious discomfort as he hurried them down a back alleyway; he was far too busy trying to formulate an escape plan. He figured his best option would be just to return to the saloon and throw money at the problem; right now he just needed to be transported off-world. He'd worry about everything else after.

As Capricorn exited the back alleyway, he found the red ranger standing just across the street from him.

"…Don't you EVER give up?!" the goat demanded in exasperation. Everywhere he turned; there were more rangers. Like cockroaches, every last one of them.

"I dunno" Sid grinned smugly, axe in hand, "Got any more stuff I can break?"

Capricorn snapped, tossing his prize aside and unsheathing his swords in absolute incoherent rage as he roared, charging the red ranger.

"Come and get some" Sid muttered, taking a fighting stance, letting Capricorn come to him. He dodged the first blow, and the second, parrying the third, and kicking back before the fourth, allowing him to twist one of the enemy swords with his axe, giving him a clear shot. The red ranger cut into Capricorn, ripping sparks out. The goat got clear, and then spun back in, his swords a furious whirlwind of death that Sid was unprepared for; one, two, three, four, five—the red ranger continued to be hit again and again. He dropped his axe, but rebounded the second Capricorn ran out of steam, blocking his attacks at the wrist. The red ranger followed up by a double kick to the chest, while also drawing his sidearm and opening fire the second he landed.

Sid converted his pistol into blade form and flung it at the monster, letting it distract him while he grabbed his axe. Remembering how Trok powered up his own weapon, Sid focused, letting the morphin' energies flood into the blade. The double-headed axe began to burn with crimson fire.

"Oh. Okay, that's cool" Sid nodded. Give credit where credit is due, after all. His appreciation almost cost him however—Capricorn was rushing at him. The swords came down—and Sid's axe went up.

The ends of Capricorn's swords went to the ground as burnt shards. Before Capricorn had even completely understood his situation, Sid followed up with another fire strike. And another. And another. His opponent completely collapsed under the offensive, slumping to the ground as sparks and smoke emanated off of his armor.

"Stay down" Sid hissed, before heading over to Sel. "You okay?" he asked.

"I…yes" she said, quietly, "…Thank you".

Sid pulled off his helmet, letting her see him—she quickly recognized him, "…You're the one from before" she said, a slight smile forming.

Sid chuckled, "Yeah. And I got a present for you, from uh…well, from a friend".

She looked at him inquisitively as the red ranger first broke her restraints with a hand chop and then pulled out a second morpher. She let him strap it to her wrist, before she felt it with her other hand, "But…I don't know how to fight" she said, again quietly. It was adorable, in an almost child-like way. It was clear to Sid she had never done much, if anything on her own.

…Well, birds needed to lean to fly sometime.

Sid smiled warmly, "It doesn't matter. It'll still keep you safe. And, if I'm not wrong, this power set has some instinctual interface built in". Noting her hesitation, he gently guided her hand to the 'morph' button. "Trust me" he said. She nodded hesitantly, and a second later and with a brilliant flash of light, the yellow ranger now stood before Sid. "…Huh, yellow. I was wondering when that one would show up".

"You…you ruined everything!"

Sid and Sel both turned to Capricorn. His armor was smoking and charred, his weapons broken and scattered. But still the monster staggered to his feet.

"I don't take kindly to human traffickers" Sid warned the goat, pointing at him, "You're beaten, and you know it. Get out of here. Now, while you still have legs".

Capricorn stuttered, rage still filling his every cell. But Sid was right; he was done. With one final roar of indignation, he stumbled away, fleeing back to the saloon. Sid turned to Sel.

"We gotta go help the others before they get squished; come on".

Sel nodded, again hesitantly, but with a bit more confidence in Sid now.

* * *

There was a hole in Artillar's abdomen, but no one could reach the weak spot. Xolin panted heavily; her body was starting to feel tired from all the dodging, and she was more than a little frustrated by their lack of progress.

"Man, this sucks" Trok said, echoing her feelings. She nodded in agreement, before having to split up as another barrage of lasers came flying their way.

Iota came in from the monster's rear, grabbing its head after leaping up the backside, "Now, rangers!" he commanded.

Xolin flew into action, charging up her lance with blue energy. While the tank was distracted, her weapon met its target, and much of the insides froze instantly, their pieces becoming brittle and cold as the energy was sucked out. Ripping her lance back out in satisfaction, she called to Trok, "We almost got 'im! Finish him!"

The green ranger went on the attack, but both rangers were soon cast aside by another swing of the arm, and Iota soon followed.

"This is stupid" Xolin complained. She punched the ground with her fist as she once again staggered back to her feet, "What's it going to take to beat him!?"

"Her".

Everyone turned their attention to Sid, who now stood side by side with a new yellow ranger. Iota nodded in approval. Sid turned to Sel, "I've been scanning your suit's systems. You're a long-range fighter; exactly what the rest of us are lacking. You see that hole?" he pointed at the wound on the tank's abdomen, "Aim for that, and we can all go home".

"I don't…" she looked at her hands, at her suit, "I…don't…"

Sid placed his hand on her shoulder, "You can. Trust me" he said gently.

"…How do you know?"

Sid glanced at Iota, "…Because the man who recruited you has an eye for talent. I don't believe he would have gone to all this trouble for you if you weren't worth it" his eyes narrowed under his helmet, though he kept his tone gentle for Sel's sake, "…This has all been calculated".

Artillar turned on Sid and Sel.

"Get ready!" Sid shouted, charging up his weapon once again with crimson flame.

Sel dug in as the monster unleashed another barrage. Her mind reached out into the suit, collecting and analyzing everything at an absurd rate—an ability she had never known she had. Sid was standing in front of her now, cutting the incoming attacks aside with his full power.

She knew what she had to do.

There was a lull in the attack. She summoned her weapon, an archery bow with laser string and blades attached to the outer curve. Summoning her powers, she created a laser arrow, aimed, took a deep breath…and fired.

The tank never stood a chance. Its insides were ripped apart by the energy of her attack; electricity and smoke spilling out as sparks erupted across its hull. A final, ear-shattering explosion tore the creature asunder as it toppled over, spelling the end for Artillar. And for a moment, there was quiet. Sid put his hand back on Sel's shoulder; reassuring her. Under her helmet, a slight smile formed.

"…We did it" Trok gasped, disbelieving, "We did it!" He pumped his fists in the air, and then he and the blue ranger exchanged high-fives—Xolin slightly reluctantly.

"Excellent work, rangers" Iota nodded approvingly, "Now, I suggest we get out of here before more trouble follows. Onyx is not known for its hospitality to heroes".

Right on cue, the Megaship flew in and shifted to a hovering position right above them, before descending to the ground.

* * *

Capricorn watched the Megaship take off. No, not like this. Not like this!

Refusing to surrender, he hobbled over to Artillar's corpse. He dropped to his knees and began to dig around in his charred remains, growing more and more frustrated, before finally he cackled in manic glee, having found what he was looking for—a small intact black box.

"Round two, rangers" he laughed, pressing the main button on the box. Almost immediately, the monster debris began to shift and shimmer, coalescing into a singular form.

And then it began to grow…

* * *

"Back already?" asked Coros as the team arrived on the bridge. It was the first time for Sid; but the setup didn't surprise him much; passenger megaship bridge design hadn't had much updating since the Astro class; so while it was more advanced than the older designs—holographic consoles and whatnot, the only real differences were cosmetic; lower lightning, and a more sleek 'angular' feel among the metal and plastic structure of the room. Other than that, everything was pretty much what he expected; a large viewscreen in front, two rows of battlestations, all encircled by more stations at the edges. All four rangers had taken their helmets off, and behind them Iota entered.

"Get us out of here, Coros. KO-35, hyperrush seven" he said urgently, taking a seat in the captain's chair. The aquitian nodded and got to work plotting their next course.

"So…now what?" asked Trok, removing his helmet, just as the others had.

"Now, we got to KO-35, and you let me out of your little circus" Sid replied. Trok was a little crestfallen, but said nothing. Xolin however, suddenly seemed a little perkier.

"Hold that thought" Coros said, "Scanners are picking up a ship closing in on us".

"How big?" asked Iota.

"Our size. And it's fast. In fact, it's going to—"

The ship shook violently.

"…Catch us" Coros finished lamely, just as another hit rocked the vessel, followed by a third. Coros slid into the tactical station, "We're approaching the Agate belt, I'll drop us out of hyperrush and try to lose it there".

With a burst of light, the Megaship shot into the asteroid field, its pursuer directly behind, unleashing a steady stream of fire on the Megaship. The Megaship attempted to maneuver itself in and around the asteroids, but the attacking ship was every bit as nimble and fast-footed.

"I don't recognize the ship configuration" Sid said, having moved over to the sensor station, "I don't…oh, duh" Sid gently slapped his forehead. He was an idiot, "It's the tank monster. Capricorn must have made him big".

The bridge shook again.

"Shields are at seventy percent and falling!" said Xolin, also having found a station to monitor.

Another hit.

"Everyone, to the cockpit, now!" Iota ordered urgently, as another hit nearly knocked him clear of his seat. Xolin nodded and headed off, waving everyone to follow her.

"Come on!" she shouted as she exited the bridge. Trok hurried after her, followed by Sid and finally Sel, the most unsure of the bunch, each putting their helmets back on.

* * *

The megazord cockpit was, again, fairly standard; just a collection of five seats in a terraced formation and numerous controls surrounding them, all behind a large windshield that covered the entire front wall. Sid, customarily, took the central seat; a move that incensed Xolin, who had been aiming for the same chair and just wasn't quick enough. Annoyed, she settled for the seat to his left and front, just one step down. Trok took the seat to her left, while Sel took the seat behind Sid and to his right, one level up.

Trok noted at the seat behind Xolin and Sid; it was empty. "…Five?" he asked.

"Standard military issue" Sid replied, "Makes it really tough for core teams with more than five members".

Trok laid back in his seat, "…It bugs me".

Sid smiled, "Oh don't worry. I'm sure you've got an extra ranger due to appear sometime".

"You think?!" Trok asked excitedly.

"Guys, focus!" Xolin interrupted. She pressed a button on her console, "Iota, we're ready. Initiate Megazord sequence".

* * *

Iota activated a number of controls at his station, "Megazord sequence initiated. Turning all ship controls over to you; good luck".

"…Why not just pilot from here?" asked Coros with a quizzical expression.

"Kids have to learn sometime" Iota replied, resting one foot on his other leg, his hands clasped together, "If things go south, I can resume control at any time".

* * *

The Megaship spun around on its axis, opening fire on its oppressor even as it continued to fly in reverse.

"Defender Megazord, online!" Sid commanded, pulling a holographic lever. The triangular ship underwent a radical transformation, its front and sides splitting apart and around into legs, while arms flipped around to the front. The head formed from part of the undercarriage and a chunk of the top of the ship flipping up onto the shoulders of the robot—now a black and silver humanoid behemoth. A sword appeared in its fist, as it struck at the offending vessel, still flying backwards. The enemy ship banked off, sparks coming off its hull from the impact. It transformed as well, returning to its former tank monster shape, now forty stories tall, before opening up with a full barrage of artillery fire.

"Approaching asteroid!" Trok said, his hands flailing over his controls.

"Got it" Sid replied. The Megazord's boot thrusters burned the asteroid's surface as the zord landed gracefully, before using the rock as a launching point, flinging itself back at the tank through the sea of enemy fire.

"Shield!" Sid commanded. Ah yes, he remembered this part; like riding a bike. For a brief moment, it was almost like the old days. With them.

The Megazord's left arm unfolded into a rectangular legionary-style wrist shield, deflecting the oncoming fire as it readied its blade.

"Spin kick!" Xolin ordered.

"Power sword!" Sid also ordered, simultaneously. Their eyes widened and they glared at each other in shock, but neither retracted their order. The Megazord flailed into Artillar, who bashed them aside into another rock. The cockpit shook and exploded with a shower of sparks.

"That…sucked" Trok whimpered, struggling to remain in his seat.

Sid sighed. This wasn't working; the team wasn't trained for group operations yet. Silly him. Guess it was all up to red after all, "Executive command, rerouting all controls to my station".

"What?!" Xolin spun in her seat, glaring at the red ranger, "You can't do that!"

"Just did. Hang on" Sid replied. He didn't have time for this.

Xolin futilely messed with her dead controls for a moment, before throwing up her arms in frustration. She folded her arms and leaned back in her seat, pouting. Eyeing Trok, hoping for some sort of tact agreement, he just shrugged. She grumbled incoherently back at him returning her vision to the windshield.

Sid meanwhile, had righted the Megazord's position, and launched it back at Artillar. Charging up the Megazord's sword, he plunged it into the monster's headplate, before letting go, spinning the Megazord over the beast and kicking it in the back. The Megazord spun away.

"Blaster!"

As the zord's front spun back to face the monster, it pulled out a large blaster cannon in its free hand, opening fire on Artillar with a furious storm of laser fire.

"…You lost the sword" Xolin grumbled.

"Wait for it" Sid grinned. The Megazord launched off of another asteroid, "Power punch!"

The zord's blaster vanished, replaced by a charged up fist and slammed it into the monster's chest. The shield arm grabbed the sword, pulling it out before kicking away again. Artillar fumbled wildly in the void of space.

"Endgame" said Sid, "Final strike!"

The Megazord spun around on its axis, becoming a whirlwind of white energy with its sword at the front, cutting clear through the enemy beast in a single quick motion. When it emerged out the other side, Artillar exploded once again in a blaze of glory and metal shards.

Sid leaned back in satisfaction, "And *that* is how you win a zord battle".

Xolin grunted, discontent with anything and everything, "Showoff".

Trok said nothing, not wishing to alienate Xolin, so instead settled for just kind of silently fanboy-ing out in his seat. That had been *awesome*.

* * *

"Not…exactly what I had in mind" Iota grumbled.

"You get what you pay for" Coros replied plainly, "You know Sid's record".

"Hrm". This was going to take a bit more work than he had imagined.

* * *

"So…I'm Trok".

Sel looked to her side as the group, now demorphed, made their way back towards the bridge, finding the hyperactive horathean walking next to her, a big grin on his face. She eyed him.

"Sel" she replied softly, returning her focus to the hallway ahead of her.

"So…you're one of us now, huh?" he asked, trying to draw her into a conversation. She however, wasn't biting.

"I suppose" was her fairly simple answer. She said nothing after that.

Trok grimaced, but wasn't about to give up just yet, "So…uh…where are you from?"

"I don't know".

Hrn. "…You don't know where you're from?"

"No"

"Why?"

"I don't know".

Dang. She was like talking to a wall. Trok tried another tack, "What do you like to do? I mean like, hobbies and stuff".

She was silent for a moment, before replying, her voice somehow even quieter than before "…I don't know". Her expression shifted from neutrality to subdued regret, though the sighing green ranger didn't notice. He slumped.

"Do you know *anything*?!" he asked, a bit exasperated now. The group turned a corner, nearing the bridge.

Sel gave Trok an annoyed glare, but said nothing and instead remained silent as the doors to the bridge opened for them. Xolin glanced back at the two of them as they did, having overheard the conversation. What kind of psychos was Iota recruiting!? First the egotist, now the empty vessel. She supposed the next ranger would be some sort of serial killer.

Speaking of the egotist…

"Well, that was fun" Sid unstrapped his morpher and tossed it at Iota, who caught it in his palms, "But a job's a job. No more detours, no more near-misses, no more hidden contract clauses, no more growing monsters, I'm done. I want paid and dropped off at KO-35".

Iota nodded, "As you wish. Your payment will be processed once we're back within Confederate space. We'll be making a b-line for the Karovian system immediately anyway; we need to stock up on supplies. A pity; you are exactly what I am looking for".

"Yeah well, I'm sure you'll find someone else. Best of luck" Sid mock-saluted, leaving the bridge in a hurry. Xolin barely contained her enthusiasm, skipping over to her station and dropping into her seat, doing a sort of half-spin in the chair.

"Aw" Trok murmured, back to being disappointed as Sid high-tailed it out of the room. This wasn't how he pictured the team coming together; he again eyed Sel who was busy standing awkwardly off to the side, not doing much of anything but watching the endless starfield—absolutely none of this was impacting her at all.

Man. This sucked.

* * *

Capricorn stumbled behind a back alley on Nar'war, utterly ruined. His armor was broken, his weapons were lost. His ship was destroyed, his crew scattered or dead…even his pride and joy, Artillar, was debris decorating space. And worst of all, he had nothing to show for it. Nothing at all. The monster slumped to the ground, leaning against the wall of a shack; his wounds finally beginning to cripple him. He was defeated in every conceivable way—defeated by *children*.

"I must say, this has been a stunning disappointment".

Capricorn looked to his left, where the voice had come from. The cloaked figure stood there, his briefcase in his hand. He pulled his hood down, allowing Capricorn to see the face of his assistant—the businessman.

"A fat lot of good you did" Capricorn sneered, wincing at a wound in his abdomen as his hand pressed up against it, "You bailed the second those rangers showed up".

The man adjusted the glasses on his face, "My job is not to fight. My job is that of a middle-man between you and my employers. If you cannot be trusted to be able to defend yourself or complete your missions with your own skill and means, then there is no reason for us to keep you on our payroll".

Capricorn snorted in derision, "Then go; leave me in peace". He had had enough of this; he'd rebuild his empire with more honest missions; some mercenary work here, some pillaging there…enough of this cloak-and-dagger nonsense from a group of people who never even showed themselves. Bad medicine all around.

"Fortunately, my employers are willing to give you another chance" the man said, as if Capricorn hadn't said anything at all.

The goat glared at the businessman, "Didn't hear me? I said I quit. Go find some other stooge to do your dirty work".

"I'm afraid you misunderstand me" the man said plainly, "We're not giving you a choice".

Haha, what? What kind of nonsense… "Oh, is that so?" Capricorn chuckled, "And pray tell, how do you intend to force me to do anything?"

The man said nothing. Instead, he simply kneeled in front of the goat monster and opened his briefcase. For the first time, Capricorn saw, and understood.

Capricorn screamed.

_To be continued…_


	3. 1x03: Something Worth Fighting For

**1.03: SOMETHING WORTH FIGHTING FOR**

The two sat opposite of one another in the small office onboard the megaship. Iota used it as his own personal study; his ready room, for lack of a better term. Across his desk from him sat his newest recruit, the xybrian girl he had had the rangers save from Capricorn's band of pirates. And so far, she had barely said a word to him.

"…So, I'd like to keep you here for the time being, for your own safety" he said, watching her somber, and somewhat empty expression intently. Her gaze was vaguely focused on some object on the floor to her right, visible only to her. "…Is that alright?" he asked, prodding her. She nodded.

"Sid gave you a morpher when he found you. I believe you could be of great asset to this team, if you are up to it. Are you interested?"

The girl shrugged absently, "I…guess". In truth though, she didn't think she was of any 'great asset', but whatever. A moment of silence passed; Iota knew she wasn't done just yet, so he waited patiently, letting her digest the situation. Finally, she spoke again, "…Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"…protecting me" she asked, her voice taking a definite quizzical nature.

Iota knew this question had been coming, "You don't remember much of anything before a few months ago, do you?"

She shook her head.

"What's the earliest thing you can remember?"

She thought for a moment. The earliest clear memories had been when Coros had found her wandering the streets of Arkilla. Before that…sometimes she'd get flashes. Scary flashes. Painful flashes. She didn't like them. "…The streets" she said at last, quietly, "and Coros".

Iota nodded, as if this was to be expected, "I'm afraid I don't have all the answers yet, but I do believe you are important. I've had Coros keep you safe for as long as he could, but Arkilla is no longer a safe place for you. I do believe you will fit in here, though. Welcome aboard".

Before the conversation had any chance to continue, the computer's voice sounded, "Arriving in orbit of KO-35. Dropping out of hyperrush".

"Ah!" Iota clasped his hands in appreciation, "We have arrived. Please, come, come" he beckoned to Sel as he got up and moved to the door. The girl reluctantly followed. Why not, right?

* * *

"You're installing the power regulator wrong".

Sid looked up from where he was sitting. The one-time red ranger had been fiddling with 'his' power ax, having had opened it up to take a look 'under the hood', so to speak. Bits and pieces now lay strewn about the table in the work bay; a chaotic mess to the untrained eye. Sid (mostly) knew what he was doing, but he had to admit he'd never seen this configuration before. It was part of why he had wanted to take a look at the weapon before he left the ship-his last power set had only included twin blasters. SPD equipment was often unimaginative and basic.

"Come again?" Sid asked, looking up at Trok, who had somehow walked into the room without him knowing. Man, he must have really been focused on his fiddling.

Trok sat down across from Sid, motioning to his former teammate. Sid gave up the piece he had been trying to fit back into the hilt of the weapon, allowing Trok to make his try with it. Almost effortlessly, and to the surprise of Sid, Trok snapped the small device easily into place. "You were connecting it wrong; see, these three connector points all have particular slots they fit into, each carrying a different charge. The regulator channels the energy of the power crystal up into the weapon and determines where the energy is going to go and what it's going to do—in this case, pyro elemental abilities".

Sid blinked.

"…Wait, you're *smart*?"

"Yeah, I gue—" Trok paused, the situation catching up with him, "Wait, why *wouldn't* I be smart?"

Sid shrugged awkwardly. Oops. That had kinda just…blurted itself out, "I…dunno, I just…you didn't seem the type. I guess".

Uuuuugh. Classy, Sid. Classy.

The look of quiet insecurity in Trok's eyes told Sid all he needed to know that he had messed up. Foot in mouth. Oops. Er…At least he wouldn't ever see these guys ever again?

"Trok's an engineer. Anything breaks, he can fix it" came Xolin's voice. She was leaning against the door when Sid and Trok looked over at her. The triforian swung a chair around to its backside next to Trok, plopping down and leaning forward on the back rest, "Saved our butts a bunch of times".

Trok shrugged sheepishly, "I've just…always had a thing for tech, I guess" he mumbled under his breath, "…Wouldn't call me an expert or anything though…" to which Xolin just put a comforting hand on his shoulder, while silently glaring daggers at Sid.

Yikes. This was awkward. And uncomfortable. Worse, this was uncomfortable moment number two: he had actually come down here to get away from a conversation with Xolin earlier, when he had made the mistake of asking about the tattoo around her eye. Instead of her customary snark or aggression, he had very obviously triggered some bad memory of something that she had no interest in talking about.

Today was just not his day. This place was like a minefield.

"_Attention all hands: meet me down in the loading bay two. We've arrived in the Karovian system and are about to dock at Skyport sixteen, in orbit"._

Oh thank god, saved by the bell. Er, announcement. Whatever.

"Welp, that's my cue!" Sid said as casually as possible, though still shooting out of his seat. He grabbed his bag and hurried out the door, not waiting for either of the others.

* * *

As Iota predicted, Sid was the first to arrive in loading bay two; one of the two main entrances to the ship via the two undercarriage arms of the megazord.. The kid had wanted nothing more than to be off his ship. How annoying. Still, Iota wasn't *quite* ready to give up just yet. Especially if that other ship signature he had detected before coming down here was what he thought it was.

Rule one when it came to planning: never try to strong-arm events to fit your schemes. Always let them happen organically, and then spin them to your advantage. Sid *would* take his rightful place as red ranger before he left this station. Iota was certain of that. Sid just hadn't realized his choice had already been made for him.

Sid gave Iota a mocking half-salute as he hurried out the bay door into the skyport's main hanger chamber. Iota said nothing, just giving a simple nod of acknowledgement. Attempting to change Sid's mind at this moment would be futile, and would just further damage his efforts.

"Good luck with uh…whatever it is you guys do" Sid said on his way out. It was clear he still didn't buy that they were an actual official military organization. But again, that didn't matter.

"Hm. Same to you" Iota said diplomatically. Sid just issued a brief smile and then turned to Sel, who was standing next to him, "Take care of yourself, okay?" he said, much more genuinely. She nodded hesitantly, before Sid continued on his merry way.

Soon after, the remaining two rangers appeared. "Gone, just like that, huh?" asked Trok, a bit dejectedly as he put his hands in his pockets. Sid was already lost in the crowd, though that didn't stop the horathean from searching the sea of people with his eyes.

A bit bewildered, Xolin asked, "…Why are you so down about that? He *just* insulted your intelligence!"

Trok shrugged halfheartedly, "…It's not like he meant it. Don't you say things all the time you don't mean?"

"I…" Xolin moved to counter, but quickly realized she had nothing, "…I still don't like him" she grumbled, folding her arms in abject annoyance…and not a small hint of shame.

Iota coughed, getting everyone's attention, "We'll only be staying here a few hours while we load up some supplies and hardware. If you were going to enjoy some shore leave, I'd suggest you'd better get to it".

Trok and Xolin's faces immediately brightened. Shore leave? Freedom? Hell yeah. Shore leave was kind of rare; while they regularly had missions to various worlds, they were always on-duty, even when off the clock. But here was a genuine chance to get off the ship for a bit.

Iota was quick to temper their enthusiasm, "Remember, it's just until we're stocked up. I wouldn't go leaving the station. I'll call you when it's time. Go, have fun".

The two rangers looked at each other with faces like they were kids on Christmas morning, then at the wide open hanger bay of the spaceport.

"Wanna come?" Trok asked Sel.

She rubbed her arm uncomfortably, "…I don't know…" she said quietly, but plainly.

Xolin looked at her like she was defective, but it was Trok who replied, "Um…why not?" he asked sheepishly, uncertain of how to go about explaining something so simple. He scratched the back of his head a bit awkwardly.

"Yeah, do you wanna go do things or not?" asked Xolin impatiently. She didn't have time for this; shore leave time was burning.

Sel for her part just seemed genuinely lost, "…things?"

Xolin's temper flared, "Things! I don't know, just…stuff. You know". Both Sel and, amusingly, Trok just looked at her confused.

Iota sighed inwardly. This was going to be a *fun* team to deal with; "Go with them, Sel. Getting to experience the world around you is a good thing. And it'll be a good chance to get to know your team better".

She looked at him uncertainly, with a twinge of worry, but nodded in compliance, and followed them off of the ship.

"Got your hands full, I see".

Iota turned to see Coros now coming down from the ship as well, an electronic pad in his hand. "I've got the requisition order. I'm going to go get everything straightened out with the depot so they can start loading supplies".

"You sure you can't stick around? I could use the help. Or at least someone who isn't crazed" Iota sighed, with a bit of uncharacteristic wryness.

Coros shook his head with a hint of a chuckle, "Sorry. The organization has other plans for me. Besides, I'm a bit too old for all this…gallivanting around the universe with a bunch of rowdy kids. I just want a nice office job and some peace and quiet".

"Be safe then" said Iota.

"I think that's my line" Coros replied, "You're the one headed back to the thick of things here shortly".

Iota gave a brief one-note chuckle, to which Coros nodded slightly before stepping off the ship and into the crowd. Alone with a group of maddened children. What *had* he been thinking when he picked them out?

* * *

He felt cold.

Not like the normal cold. This was a deep cold, a fundamental cold. A cold that wracked at his very core, one that no one else felt. It was as if the very warmth of his life force had been stolen away. And no matter what Capricorn did, he couldn't find a way to warm up.

How could he? How could anyone after seeing what he had witnessed?

He was a slave; he knew this now. He wasn't a contracted bounty hunter, or a paid associate, or whatever fiction had been constructed. He was a slave. He now existed solely to further the agenda of some unseen force, having been lured into their trap. Certainly, they would still pay him, they seemed civil enough. But he had no choice in this matter. To attempt defiance, to deny Them, whoever they were, was to invite an unpleasant end.

Or worse.

Capricorn shivered.

His newest recruit stood just down the walkway of this cramped vessel—a small transport vessel had had commandeered from a uh…'willing' donator—a private not-quite-legal spice mining operator, who had also been pressed into the goat's service.

"We're almost there" the pilot said, from his small cockpit just behind the wall Capricorn had been leaning on, "Dropping out of hyperrush speed shortly".

Capricorn eyed his new mercenary—a bug-like monster with thick but unbulky and form-fitting carapace armor—an almost samurai style about it, and sapphire blue in color, with leg-like ribs embroidering the suit. 'Trill' was her name, and she had a decent resume; having apparently having had a long successful run in Troobian employ, including, to his surprise, an apparently successful raid into Eltarian space.

She sat on a bench at the back of the walkway, idly leaning back in her seat.

"Are you ready?" asked Capricorn, walking over to her.

Trill snorted, "Of course I am. Get in, get the girl, get out. This is child's play" she said lazily, before sitting up, "I can't believe you hired *me* for such a common errand run".

Capricorn glared at her, his fist clenching, "Do not underestimate your opponents. They bested my entire crew in a single day. You *will* have your work cut out for you".

The insect monster stood up, laughing derisively, "Please. I've fought Eltaran Arch-wizards. I don't fear some loser's back-yard makeshift ranger team".

"We've dropped out of hyperrush" said the pilot, his voice strained and worn with worry. Hrm, maybe his use had just about come to an end.

Capricorn turned from the pilot back to Trill. She nodded, and faded from view, her body shimmering away under the protection of invisibility. Only a subtle shift in Capricorn's view of the bulkhead behind her could tell him that she was still there, and moving towards the launch bay.

He sighed. He hoped this would work. But then, even if it did, would he ever truly be free again?

Capricorn shivered.

* * *

Trok always felt so…*fancy* when visiting Karovian places. The crisp geometric designs, the clean edges, the windows…it was almost like being in some sort of retro sci-fi adventure.

…Never mind that they lived on a used spaceship.

The promenade they found themselves on was ringed with multiple levels, centered below a giant geometric dome with a stunning view of KO-35 above them. At the bottom of the promenade rested a garden of sorts, with pathways and many different architectural structures ranging from obelisks to arches and fountains. Even the rest of the shop levels contained many assorted structures, flowering plants, and trees, arranged in a pleasing fashion.

"They do love their feng shui" Xolin muttered, taking a moment to scan the shops nearby. She was hungry, and she wanted food.

"So, where should we eat?" asked Trok, taking his eyes off the large waterfall fountain that ran from the top level to the bottom just opposite of them.

"There's a nice Triforian place just down the hall" Xolin replied, pointing three stores down.

Trok made a face, "Blech. Your people put too many spices on their food".

"…It adds flavor!" Xolin shot back. They had had this argument many times, but while Xolin had been legitimately annoyed the first few times, now it was just standard banter between the two. He didn't like Triforian cuisine, she poked fun at his tribal customs. It was a give and take relationship.

"If by 'flavor' you mean 'burning', sure" said Trok, "Besides, you always make me order while you go hide" a beat as Trok realized the implications, "…Why don't you like your people?"

Xolin's eyes shot away with a pained expression on her face, "…Fine. We don't have to eat there" she said, a bit more quiet then before. Trok knew to leave well enough alone, whatever it was. He looked to Sel, now eager to change the subject and forget his misstep.

"What about you? What do you like to eat?"

Sel looked around uneasily, "Um…"

"…What? It's not that hard of a question" Xolin said, the fire in her voice returning, "What do you like to eat?"

"I…" she glanced around again, "…don't really know".

Xolin sighed, annoyed, "Why am I not surprised? What *do* you know? Anything?"

"I don't…"

Xolin raised her voice in frustration, "If you say you don't know, I'm gonna—"

"Xolin! Please" Trok cut in, getting in between Xolin and her prey. He and Xolin met glares, but Xolin quickly let it go, realizing she had probably gone a bit too far. Again, "Right, whatever" she grumbled, walking away, "Maybe she'll discover her undying love for Thessalian Aquitian. Come on" she said, taking complete control of the situation. To hell with figuring out what anyone wanted.

Trok motioned to Sel, and the two followed Xolin, Sel reluctantly so.

"Don't worry about Xolin" Trok said, seeing the down look in Sel's eyes, "She's just…hard to get to know. She doesn't mean it" he paused, then corrected himself, "…Usually".

Sel kept her view on the path in front of her, "…Why?"

"It's…just how she is".

"No, I mean…why do you…why am I here with you?"

Trok blinked, completely unprepared, "I…do you mean metaphorically? Because haha" he scratched the back of his head, "I'm…not really good at philosophy. I think Xolin might be though, she's pretty big on spiritualit—"

Sel cut him off, even with her quiet voice, "No I mean…why did you have me come along?"

"I don't understand" Trok replied, his expression becoming more concerned now.

Sel glanced at them, then back at Xolin before settling on the path ahead once more, "I don't…never mind" she said, her voice even quieter.

"But…I don't understand" Trok said, genuinely confused but willing to help. He hesitantly touched her shoulder, but she abruptly cast his hand aside.

"I said never mind!" she bit back with a hint of anger, a bit more forcefully than Trok knew she had in her. He caught her pained, frustrated expression as she passed him up, "Come. We need food".

Trok sighed, wounded inside. She was hurting, but he wasn't sure what he had done. Had he done anything? Could he *do* anything? He put his hands in his pockets and slide into last place in their little group, "…Why am I so bad at making friends?" he asked himself.

* * *

On his own again.

Really, Sid preferred it this way. Less attachments meant less people getting in his way. He could do what he wanted when he wanted, and never have to deal with other people—never have to deal with their wants and needs, or have them get in the way, or have to worry about them…

Sid quietly repressed an unpleasant memory as he walked down the hall towards the next terminal. His intent was just to find a cheap flight that still had room for him to jump on. It didn't really matter where too; as long as it was still in Confederate space, and as long as it was far away from Capn' Crunch and his merry band of misfits.

Yeah, suuuure they were employed by the government. Sure, why not. And he secretly moonlit as a street mime.

…Actually. Hm. Sid idly wondered how much street mimes might get in tips. He mentally filed it away under 'just in case' as he made his way over to the ticket desk. Thankfully, there was no line.

"One, please".

The man at the desk was human, presumably karovian, middle aged, and balding; a very apathetic expression on his face. He looked up at Sid, adjusting his glasses, "I'm sorry?"

"One" Sid said, a bit more slowly, "As in uno. Singular. For me".

The man's eyebrow arched as he drawled with a sigh, "…Sir, passengers normally book passage to their destination in advance" he adjusted his glasses again and looked back down at the spreadsheet on his desk, "Also, they normally have a destination in mind".

Sid leaned forward on the desk counter, "Well I'm not normal. Now, what you got?"

"…Excuse me?" came the annoyingly slow drawl of the reply.

"Destinations. Places to go. Flights. What. Do. You. Have?" Sid asked, quickly tiring of the exchange. It was like this every time. Did no one really fly just to explore new places anymore? Where was everyone's sense of adventure? Not everything needed to be planned out.

The man lazily looked at his spreadsheet, "…I have one flight in an hour to Gratha. There are six open seats. Would you like-"

"Yes. Please" Sid sighed, interrupting the man, who looked a bit miffed, but Sid took no notice. Just…please. Could he have his shuttle ticket. Thank you.

Sid paid the man and took his ticket. Gratha, huh. Sid had never been there, though he knew of it. Gratha was one of the oldest Aquitian colony worlds, established many, many millennia ago during their first branch out into space. At the time their lack of FTL prowess had left the number of worlds suitable to their needs within their grasp rather thin; thus many early colonists had decided to take refuge on the aforementioned Gratha, a largely swamp and marsh type world. While on the surface it wasn't the greatest option, the inhabitants had since made it their own.

He put the boarding pass in his pocket after reading its details in his pocket, heading off to his assigned terminal.

Finally, he could get away from the crazy.

* * *

"I hope we get a new set of conflux inserters. The old ones are getting worn and rickety. Could cause problems with the hyperrush engine down the line". The three rangers sat in the middle of the food court on the sixth level of the promenade, having settled on an aquitian stall for lunch; Trok and Xolin sat next to each other on one side, while Sel sat slightly separate from them on the other side of the table.

In all honesty, Xolin had absolutely no idea what Trok had just said, but she still knew the answer, "You know Iota. Unless it's an immediate issue, you're out of luck. We're on a budget".

Trok exhaled as he repeatedly poked his food, "You'd think working for the government would mean we'd be able to requisition whatever we needed. We're saving people, for crying out loud!"

Xolin chuckled. Sometimes her teammate's naivety was refreshingly quaint, "Government's not made of money, especially since we're not exactly public".

Trok grumbled, but then decided to switch topics, "…Think we'll get a new red ranger?"

Now that Iota had revealed he had one, and was apparently in a recruiting mode? Oh definitely, "Oh, I'm sure we'll see it again before too long. Unfortunately-and for crying out loud, it's a Skish. A mollusk. Eat it" Xolin groaned, annoyed as Trok needled the bizarre, squishy, disk-shaped and bite-sized object on his plate.

"Eugh. Sea food always weirds me out. Especially anything from Aquitar" he said, continuing to poke at the object with his fork.

"Why are you so picky?!" Xolin exclaimed. All she had wanted was some food that *wasn't* replicated by synthesizer. But seriously, every time this became an ordeal. If they went out for tengari steak, he'd be fiddling with the insect legs. When they had siriusian, he was always complaining about the color and texture. If it was edenoite, it…well, okay, no one much liked edenoite cuisine.

"Hello! Desert planet" Trok said, waving his hand in the air…and still picking at his food with the other one.

"Psh. I grew up in the desert too" Xolin countered, pulling his hand back down.

"Yeah, but Triforia has seas. Horath is just a giant sand orb".

"Uh…underground ocean, much?" Xolin said, "Don't lie to *me*, Trok. You're just a picky eater!"

Trok grumbled, "…Not my fault aliens have weird food—hey!" he protested, as Xolin grabbed the small sea creature and popped it into her mouth in one swift motion, "That was mine!"

"So you can poke at it some more?" she grinned, placing her hands under chin in a very self-satisfied expression, "Besides, you got like, six more. Eat up before I do" she added, with a mockingly predatory undertone.

"You wouldn't!"

"Law of the desert" she said, "Try me".

Trok pulled his plate away from Xolin, and in response she tried to grab another piece, resulting in a sort of tug of war between the two adult children.

For her part, Sel was just quietly eating opposite of them, having had chosen some sort of kelp dish. Even Xolin had to admit, it didn't really look that appealing. Sel found all the noise and activity in the food court…overwhelming, so instead she just focused on what was on her plate—though with the other two horsing around, she found her concentration wavering. So much activity. Too much activity.

Why had she come along, anyway? She didn't really like being here, and she was with a bunch of unfamiliar people she didn't know and didn't know her. They were distant to her, and strange, and she could be back in her room on the megaship, waiting in comfortable silence and left to her own devices until needed by Iota. She longed to be elsewhere.

There was too much noise.

Wait.

*Too* much noise.

Trok and Xolin had noticed it too; some sort of commotion was happening down the walkway. People were screaming, panicking. An explosion went off as people started running away, running towards and past the rangers.

"What the?" asked Trok, getting up out of his seat as people fled past the small group. Xolin was quicker, already on her way out of the food court and down the walkway.

Sure enough, she spotted her quarry—some sort of insectoid samurai monster. Female too, by the look of it. Trok met up with her momentarily, followed by Sel. And that was when the monster took notice of them.

"…Ah!" she said, taking a good look at their faces; they were indeed the rangers Capricorn was looking for; "I got your attention. Good!" she swung her sword into a pillar, cutting it clean in half and letting the top half fly through the air into a food stand. More people screamed and scattered.

"What do you want?!" Xolin demanded, assuming a fighting position. Trok fell in line behind her, always admiring –and slightly envious of— her ability to take charge.

The samurai laughed, before sending a lightning bolt of energy out from her sword to the other end of the promenade. Another explosion ripped through one of the floors, sending rubble and debris falling down the side of the walkways. "Isn't it obvious?!" she screeched, "I'm here for the girl. Give me the yellow ranger, and I *won't* be forced to kill everyone on this station".

Trok looked down at where the rubble had fallen, catching sight of bodies struggling to get out, other helping…and some not moving at all. He looked back at Xolin, hoping she had an answer, before anyone else got hurt.

"I've got a better proposal" Xolin said, a grin folding out from under her hardened expression, "How about I cave your face in instead, and we call it a day?"

The insect laughed again in combat-ridden glee, "A challenge! Excellent; I welcome it! Come then!"

A flash of blue light, and Xolin had been replaced by the blue peacekeeper ranger, flying through the air and landing a kick on the monster's face.

…Or rather, would have, had the samurai not blocked it with a second sword she had just pulled out, followed by the first sword knocking Xolin aside. The blue ranger's suit sparked as the tucked and rolled away, crashing into a group of chairs.

However, Trill didn't have long to savor her quick victory; a flash of green and the second ranger was upon her. He brought his side arm down on her, which she easily caught with her twin blades.

"Sel, what are you waiting for?!" Trok grunted, struggling under the monster's strength, "Transform and help!"

Sel seemed to hesitate for a moment, before nodding. They were fighting for her, after all, and for reasons she couldn't quite articulate, she felt obligated to join in. She would do as she was ordered.

A flash of yellow, and the third ranger entered the fray.

* * *

The terminal was quiet; mostly devoid of people. That was just fine for Sid; he'd mostly had his fill of people for a while. Being stuck on a small ship with a group of crazy people, after being used to being on his own so much, had been fairly taxing.

Because, man, they were crazy. Though…it had been kind of nice to be part of a team again.

No. No, stop that. Those were bad thoughts. Never again.

Never again.

He attempted to distract himself with some news report from one of the many TV screens hanging from the ceiling in each terminal subsection. The one closest to him was going on about something about the upcoming Confederate budget talks.

The Confederacy. Everyone knew it was a joke; even just a few years after the War, it was already fraying at the edges. It had first emerged as the anti-Alliance coalition that had led to the War; a collective reaction to SPD's increasingly totalitarian policies. After the fall of Earth, her former colonies, allies, and neighbors finally had their excuse. They blamed SPD for their seeming inaction—an organization supposedly built on mutual defense had become a racketeering scam that refused to help out its member worlds when the time came. Earth burned, and the Alliance played its fiddle.

And so many of the worlds of the local group united under a single banner. Triforia, Aquitar, Horath, New Edenoi, Mirinoi, KO-35, Xybria, and a handful of others told SPD to get out—supposedly their right as sovereign worlds. But the Alliance's M.O. had changed over a few centuries, and civil war resulted—even as numerous local SPD branches outright defected to the emerging Confederacy.

But one can't build a nation out of simple hate and anger towards another polity. The Confederacy wanted to be the anti-Alliance, and so they had banned large-scale mutual defense organizations like SPD, or mutual anything really. Even the supposed government was toothless; instead the real power was still held by the member worlds. And now slowly but surely, the organization was beginning to break down.

Sid looked out the large windows in front of him. They stretched around, encompassing the entire far wall of the terminal, bending around in the chamber's semi-circular design, giving him a glorious view of the endless sky. Part of KO-35 could be seen down the curve to his left, and elsewhere he could pick out nebulae of various colors; yellow, blue, green, red…

…Wait.

Crud. Stop thinking about them!

He laid back in his chair, shifting his bag aside. He'd been glad the red ranger suit had stored his belongings away during use; clearly they had been far more advanced in many regards than his old D-Squad issue.

…D-Squad…

Sid hunched over, putting his head in his hands, as finally, memories flooded in.

* * *

"_We didn't get it"_

_Sid slumped in next to Nikki, sprawling over the couch in their team's common room. It was a small room for their entire team; standard SPD issue for the lower-ranking squads. Though quietly they had all wondered how long they'd even remain SPD what with the war and all; they'd split from the Alliance, and SPD central command. Presuming they won the rebellion, they'd probably have to come up with a new organization. That is, if those disquieting rumors about being disbanded turned out to just be rumors. Sid didn't like to think about it._

"…_What?!" the redheaded girl exclaimed, putting down her book, "What do you mean?!"_

_Sid shrugged, dejected, "I had a talk with the Commander. Said we were too young and inexperienced. Bleh"._

"_But…we flew through all the tests!" Nikki said, scratching her head in frustration, "We should have been a shoe-in for C-Squad! I don't…what more did he want?"_

"_I don't know" Sid muttered, growing a bit more bitter now, "He never explains anything, just hands down orders. You know him"._

"_Sucks having your dad as your commander sometimes, huh?"_

_Sid let out a dry chuckle, "Yeah, you could say that. I'm never friggin' good enough for him". It was true too; his entire life had been about his dad pushing him harder and harder, but never giving him the respect he deserved. Hey dad, I got top of my class this semester—oh, that's well and good son, but in MY day…etc, etc. After a certain point Sid had learned to ignore it, but when it affected his ranger career it was different._

_Silence settled on the two of them for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts. This was so unfair._

"…_Do the others know yet?"_

_Sid absently shook his head, staring up at the ceiling, "Nah. Dunno how I'm gonna break it to them. Especially Matt. He was really banking on the promotion. This is just all so…augh" his hands grasped his face in abject frustration._

"_Maybe next year" Nikki sighed quietly, "We…we'll just try again next year. Harder than ever"._

_Sid shook his head, "It'll just be the same deal. You know that. Besides, I think he's bringing in New Oregon's D-Squad as the new C-Squad, since their branch got terminated"._

"_So we just show them up" Nikki replied, flashing a confident smile, "Competing against somebody is easier than trying to gain recognition alone"._

_Sid rolled his face over in her direction, a faint smile on his lips, "…I knew there was a reason I liked you"._

* * *

He was thrust from his memories by a sudden blaring alarm echoing throughout the entire terminal.

"Wha…?" Sid gasped, being violently cast back into the real world. Not that he was completely unthankful for it. He ran out into the main terminal wing hall, finding nothing in the mostly-empty hallway except for a few other concerned would-be passengers.

Something was wrong. Battle instincts raced through him as he continued to look around him for some sign, some clue. And that was when all the television screens hanging from the ceilings changed from whatever stations they had been on to a single unifying news broadcast.

"…_are unknown, but they seem to be opposing the assaulting monster. Station security forces are enroute and will secure the area shortly. All civilians are urged to report to the designated safe zones. Repeat, Code Orange. This is not a drill…"_

Sid watched the broadcast, presumably coming from the station itself for just such events. The camera was one of security's, placed on a ceiling just downwind of the fight that was brewing. Sid's immediately recognized three of the combatants—the blue, green, and yellow peacekeeper rangers. They seemed to be fighting some sort of samurai bug creature.

…And they seemed to be losing.

The monster knocked Trok away, just in time to catch both Xolin and Sel. A kick thrust Xolin back, followed up by a surprise slash from one of the monster's twin swords at Sel. Thrusting her other blade into the air, she charged it up with electrical energy, before swinging it around in a wide arc, catching all three rangers in a wave of power.

Sid watched with concerned effort, despite his best wishes. Of *course* they'd get into a fight before he managed to get the hell out. Ugh. Whatever, he just had to wait another half hour for the flight to take off…

Man, he wished he didn't care.

And that was when he felt a presence behind him. Sid turned around, and like some dark, Faustian contract-maker, there stood Iota.

"You" Sid hissed through clenched teeth. His fist balled up in anticipation of what he knew was coming.

Iota made no acknowledgement of Sid's opinion towards him, instead taking a gander at the TV screen behind Sid, "They need help, you know".

Sid's eyes darted briefly back to the television screen. Xolin went down again, protecting a downed Trok with her body. Sid looked back at Iota, "So go help them then. You're their leader".

Iota shook his head, "Not my place".

Sid scoffed, "What, afraid to get your hands dirty?"

"Are you?"

Sid glared at the figure. Was this guy friggin' serious? A brief moment of silence, punctuated only by another shout of pain from Trok, was broken when Sid began heading back to his seat, "If you won't protect your team, why should I? If they were smart, they'd get out, like me". He plopped back down in his seat, making sure to look at the starfield out the window, and *not* one of the TV screens.

"Appearing on Onyx was risky enough; you will just have to trust me on that. If I were…noticed by certain parties, the results could be—"

"Catastrophic?" Sid interjected cynically, "Yeah, you've already used that one. Get lost". He glared out at the stars, trying his very best to ignore Sel's grunt of pain as her suit absorbed another sword hit.

* * *

Xolin clutched at her right side as she got back up on her knees—that last hit was going to leave an ugly bruise, she knew that already. The blue ranger surveyed the battlefield; Trok was also down but in the process of getting back up and grabbing his hammer. His suit was smoking pretty bad; she must have hit him good.

At the moment the monster was pressing her assault on Sel. The poor girl just didn't have what it took, though to her credit she was better at dodging than Xolin figured she'd be. Yellow got off one shot with her blade bow, but was startled by Trill's counter-attack, and so the attack missed wildly, instead being fired off into the ceiling. Sel soon found herself disarmed, with her bow knocked aside under a table several feet away as Trill's sword blades cut into her suit again and again.

…That is, until Xolin's lance stopped them. Free of the assault, Sel dropped to the ground in pain, panting heavily as her suit worked to minimize the damage.

"You again?" scoffed the monster, "You just don't know when to quit!"

Xolin said nothing, instead pressing her advantage by pushing aside Trill's weapons and laying into the monster again and again with her own. Sparks erupted off the monster's hide with each impact as she staggered back. Xolin kept going, kept hitting.

She could win this. She WAS winning this! Red ranger? Hah! She could…

…Trill vanished as Xolin's weapon prepared for another blow.

"Wha-?!" was all Xolin could blurt out as her weapon passed through empty air. A second later, her backside exploded in a blaze of agony as Trill's weapons came down on the blue ranger. Xolin spun around, doing her attempt to block, but there was no countering Trill's sudden advantage. One more electrically-charged attack and blue was down again.

A hammer head attached to a head wrapped around Trill's abdomen from behind.

"What the…!?"

Trok pulled the hilt of his detached hammer back, "Stay away from her!" he warned, in the most menacing tone he could muster. Trill wasn't impressed.

"Didn't think this one out, did you?" she asked, deadpan.

Trok cocked his head, "What do you—" was all he managed to get out, before she gripped the chain, and electrical energy snaked up to the hilt of his weapon, frying the green ranger where he stood. Trok dropped to his knees in pain, struggling to keep upright at all.

Trill was now dodging a volley of shots fired off by Sel. The monster grunted; this was getting tedious, just facing off each of them one at a time in turn. They couldn't even function as a team, it was clear they were new at this. How was it that Capricorn found them so formidable? This wasn't even sporting; it was like kicking a couple of puppies around.

Trill charged, slamming into Sel and pinning her against the walkway railing. The yellow ranger struggled to keep the monster's swords at bay, just barely keeping them away. "So pathetic" Trill complained, "What is it Capricorn sees in you? You're just a stupid, boring little girl". Sel just continued to grunt in pain, which wasn't good enough for Trill, who continued to mock her, "Nothing to say for yourself?"

"Stop…" Sel managed to croak out.

The monster just took this as a nod to keep going, pressing against Sel even harder than before, "What's wrong, I thought you were supposed to be super important! Surely you've got something to say!"

"Stop…stop…" Sel's whining grunts became increasingly frantic and frustrated; why all the questions? She couldn't answer all the questions! She was too busy trying to hold her off and stay alive! Why was she here, fighting? Who was this person!? Why did everyone want her? She just wanted to be left alone! Too much…too much…TOO MUCH. Tears formed in her eyes as her struggle became more and more pronounced, until it escalated into a raging howl.

"STOP!"

Trill felt the air around her quicken, as a faint aura began to build around her opponent. Realizing the tide was about to change, Trill powered her blades back up and sent them back down on the yellow ranger. The impact blew Sel through the railing, sending her tumbling down to the fountain below. Upon hitting the wet rocks at the bottom and rolling over once before becoming still, her unconscious body transformed back into her civilian form in a flash of yellow light, even as debris and rubble rained down around her.

Trill panted, realizing just how close she had come to being completely fried, "…Not so boring after all, huh? Interesting" she muttered, before turning her attention back towards the other two rangers.

* * *

"One down, two to go" Iota sighed, "I can only hope Xolin can pull a victory out of this".

Sid said nothing, keeping his attention focused away from Iota. He took this as a challenge. "Did you know Xolin's psychological profile closely matches that of your own? Independent, headstrong, intelligent but not much of one for authority. Lacking in your experience though".

Still nothing.

"She's reckless. Again, a similarity".

Sid visibly tensed this time. Iota pressed on.

"…Would you really allow your team to die again?"

"Not my team" Sid finally bit back, his head shooting back to where Iota was standing, "Stop trying to manipulate me". His face was contorted in pure anger. How *dare* he use his memories against him! How *DARE* he! "I don't get involved anymore. Not after that time. Your lackeys will just have to take care of themselves".

"Are you really so afraid of losing more people, that you'd let them die without trying anyway?" asked Iota.

Sid shot up out of his seat, his face one of utter rage, "Shut *up*! For once just…shut up! Who the hell are you to tell me what to do?! You show up out of friggin' nowhere and begin hounding me to do something I *do not* want to do, and somehow you're trying to place me as the bad guy?! Bad things happen; I can't help that. But none of this is my fight. *None* of it! I don't know your team, and I don't much care to know".

"Yet you care for them already. Don't bother trying to deny it, I see it in your actions, your body language" Iota replied plainly, stepping towards Sid.

Sid inwardly cursed. This entire setup had been manufactured from the beginning. Another cry of pain came from Trok, instinctively causing Sid to break his viewing fast and once again glance at the TV. The green ranger rolled away as blue charged in again.

"They aren't working as a team" Iota observed, watching the two remaining rangers attack one at a time in turn, "You could change that".

"No". The tone was defiant, resolute. He checked the time. Twenty-two more minutes.

Iota looked at him, his empty helmet gaze somehow packed with a million pounds of smarmy self-pleased bullcrap, "Then I guess we get to watch them die. Just like last time".

Just like last time. Sid could almost taste the ash in his mouth, could almost hear the screams and alarms, almost see the burning flames…

* * *

_Smoke clouded his vision, filled his lungs. Alarms blared in his ears. He could see the fire, dimly behind the curtain is black that obscured everything. It had all happened so fast, so quickly, he didn't…where did…  
_

"_Nikki?!" Sid coughed, "Nikki! Akire! Matt!" he brushed the cloud from his face, in a futile attempt to see, "Sarah!"_

_Only the alarms answered. A moment ago his team had been about to split up to search the base. Matt and Akire had gone in to one of the rooms to extract the data they needed, and then…everything exploded. Booby trap? Proximity mines? Likely, but…how would they have known they were coming?_

_For a brief second, Sid's instincts were to call for help; but that would be pointless. They came here without backup; without even authorization. It had been a simple idea of Matt's. What better way to get approval from the brass than to show them what they were capable of? A little raid on an Alliance outpost, mine some data about fleet movements and such, take out some guards, disable the station and make a call to the nearest flotilla. Easy enough, right? The brass might be a little ticked that they had gone off by themselves, but who were they to argue with results?_

_Oh god, what had they done. What had *he* done?_

_As he staggered through the wreckage, his mind still addled by the blast, he almost tripped over a body. No, not just any body. The blue ranger._

_Matt._

_Oh god._

"_Matt!" he shouted, kneeling and shaking his friend, "Matt, come on man, we gotta go!"_

_But his helmet's reading were already giving off what Sid feared most._

_Matt wasn't there anymore._

_There were more bodies. Black, and yellow, and…white._

_Nikki. Oh god._

"_No…" Sid whimpered, "No…" She was gone. They were all gone. A bloodcurdling scream echoed through the burning, abandoned outpost as Sid's mind snapped like a twig._

* * *

Iota pressed on, "I've read the reports. The whole place had been a trap; there was no one else onboard except for some automated drones to put up the appearance of a security force. They found you there, some hours later after trailing your ship. Not the best impression on the boss, I take it".

"Dishonorably discharged. Slated for life in prison" Sid muttered quietly, looking back out the window, "…But you already knew that" he sneered.

Iota made a small grunt of acknowledgement, "So you fled. Not just physically, but emotionally. You can't hurt anyone if you aren't around".

No response. Iota decided on a different tactic.

"…Have you ever heard of the Trolley Dilemma?"

More silence.

"…It's a thought experiment" Iota continued, unabated, "You're on an out-of-control vehicle on a track. You can't stop it, but you can direct its path, and ahead is a fork in the road—on the path you're on is a stalled vehicle with a family. On the other, is a bus full of kids".

Sid shrugged passive-aggressively, "Sounds like a fun choice. And?"

"The choice is simple. Do you let the train continue on its current course, thereby technically keeping your hands clean, or do you make a conscious decision to save that family—at the cost of others? In your case, can you really live with yourself if they die, and you did nothing when you could have? Are your hands really clean?"

Iota saw Sid close his eyes in thought. It was clear he had had this argument with himself many times over, and still hadn't reached a true consensus.

"Can you really argue that running away and leaving innocents to die is an acceptable move?"

Sid's hands clenched.

"Or do you try your best to save them, with the idea that they *might* not make it, instead of that they *definitely* won't make it?"

"…So what about you?" asked Sid, his voice low and quiet. His fists were bunched up in frustrated aggravation, "Are you willing to risk them dying if it means you get to keep your 'low profile'?"

Iota let out a slight chuckle, "My mission trumps any personal or moral feelings I may have. I cannot afford to coddle the team; if they cannot succeed on their own, then it means I have misjudged them, and will simply have to try again".

Sid's eyes widened a bit as he shot a stunned look at the other figure, not quite able to believe what he was hearing. Every single person on that team, on any team Iota recruited, was expendable for his 'mission' How could…how could this guy even think of playing the morality card? Soon enough, Sid's hateful glare returned, "So, the ends justify the means, huh? Someone doesn't perform up to your standards, and suddenly they're cannon fodder? And yet you expect me to trust you?"

"Trust isn't what's expected" said Iota, "What I expect is for you to save your team and take your place as their leader".

Sid grimaced at his employer's callousness towards other people. He really was just using all of them. Sid hated being used-that was almost enough for Sid to just walk out right now. But the most damning part of all this was that Iota was completely right; if he walked out now, even if the others didn't die, they'd still be subject to Iota's machinations, and to the machinations of whoever commanded him. And he was also right in that Sid couldn't just sit by and let people die, as much as he wished he could.

And the implications did not go over Sid's head. He knew full well he was essentially being blackmailed; protect that team, or they wouldn't be so lucky the next time Iota decided to throw them into mortal peril with no regard for their lives.

Sickening.

On the TV screen, Sid watched in grim horror as the green ranger was sent flying over the railing, landing on the floor of the market lobby in a heap and demorphing in a flash of green light. Only one ranger remained standing.

Iota had him completely where he wanted him. Damnit. "So the ends justify the means, huh?" he asked coolly.

"Essentially, yes"

Sid sighed in frustration, "…And how could you possibly think I'm a good leader?" he asked, changing tracks, "Just last mission I nearly got Trok incinerated".

"You weren't trying" Iota replied plainly, "You were still acting as if you were a solo fighter, and just playing through the motions of teamwork—just as you were during the zord battle. You need to allow yourself to feel for the team. Despite everything, I believe you have what I am looking for. All you need is…suitable stakes".

Right. The sociopathic chessmaster believed in him. Sure. Why not. That by itself would be giving Sid nightmares.

Xolin let out a cry of pain, once again drawing Sid back to the gravity of the situation. 'Suitable stakes' indeed.

"Time is ticking" Iota said, revealing the red morpher in his hand.

Sid let out a frustrated growl, before looking Iota directly in the faceplate, hatred etched on his face, "…'And a prince should guard himself, above all things, against being despised and hated'".

Iota chuckled again, "Machiavelli. Quaint. Are we done?"

Another cry of pain came from the blue ranger. Sid could feel the flames, hear the alarms. He could taste the smoke, see the readouts on his helmet telling him his worst nightmare had come true. Each blow Xolin suffered caused another flash in his mind. Blue. Black. Yellow. White. Sid gingerly snatched the morpher out of Iota's hand, strapping it to his wrist, "This isn't over, for the record".

"Naturally"

"And you owe me for that transport ticket".

"Of course" Iota nodded as Sid morphed into the red ranger once more and broke into a sprint, running past, "Oh, and one more thing".

The red ranger stopped several feet away, but didn't turn around.

Iota continued, "We've given the local security force standing orders from the top not to jump in just yet; not that they know why, so you won't have to worry too much about them getting in your way. That said I wouldn't wait around too long just in case they get antsy about being stonewalled by command without reason during an incident. And if you get caught, it's all on you. We technically don't exist as an organization, so you won't have any support from us".

Iota mused, "Oh, and another thing. If they do come after you, you are allowed to defend yourself. But if you kill them, well…again, we won't have any choice but to let them take you. Rules of the road, I'm afraid".

Sid remained silent, but nodded before resuming his run. Iota lingered for a bit longer, eying the TV, before finally turning and heading back towards the megaship, confident in his victory.

* * *

Her body felt like it was on fire; she had just been tossed from the railing into the fountain below, and her powers were barely keeping her conscious now, instead of absorbing her battle injuries. Xolin somehow struggled to her feet, using her lance as a cane to hold herself up.

Trill gracefully dropped to the bottom floor, directly opposite of Xolin. To each side of her Xolin saw the bodies of her downed comrades—she really hoped they were alright.

"You're persistent, I'll give you that" Trill scoffed at the blue ranger.

"I…don't quit" Xolin panted, "Afraid you've met your match".

Trill laughed, "Please. You're a child playing grown-ups. I've been analyzing you while you were fighting me. You've got some skill in fighting styles, but none of them have been trained exceptionally well. You're clumsy, arrogant, self-assured. And your teamwork" she laughed again as Xolin's anger built up, "Well, that's just non-existent. You might have actually posed a threat if you had bothered at all to work with your friends, but I guess in the end Capricorn was just an old softy after all".

Enraged, Xolin took a battle stance in an effort to seem imposing. Trill wasn't fooled, especially by Xolin's near-stumble from her injuries, "Oh please. Look at you; you can barely stand. How about you just sit this round out? I'll take the girl and be on my way".

Wrong move. Xolin roared in pure rage, forcing her body to charge at Trill, "NO!"

Trill responded with a blast of electrical energy from one of her swords. To her surprise, Xolin dodged it and kept coming. She dodged a second one too, and leapt into the air. However, Trill's sudden being taken aback quickly reversed itself, as the samurai bug evaporated just before Xolin's lance came down on her position. Knowing this trick, Xolin spun around, wildly swinging her weapon around. She hit her mark however, a very surprised –and very annoyed– Trill reappeared, gripping the end of Xolin's lance in her blistered palm.

"You-!" she struggled to say, holding Xolin's attack at bay with all her might, "How…"

"Not b-bad for…a ch-child, huh!" Xolin exclaimed, pressing harder.

Trill's calm demeanor returned as she regained control of the situation, "No, not bad. But too little, too late" she grasped the weapon, shoving Xolin full of electrical power. The blue ranger sparked and exploded, collapsing onto the ground in a heap. She ordered her body to get back up, but nothing would respond; she could barely move.

Trill laughed to herself as she tossed aside Xolin's weapon, before kicking Xolin back. The blue ranger slid a short distance across the floor, rolling into a pile of debris.

"Good night, little girl" Trill powered up her swords, filling them with bright electricity as she brought them to bare over her head, with the intent of one, final executioner blow. Xolin kept struggling to move, to the very end, though she knew it was likely futile. She cursed herself for not being good enough.

Several laser shots soared through the air, impacting Trill on her backside. Her energy attack dissipated as she lost her balance and stumbled back, turning around in fury, "Who dares?!"

Xolin's eyes widened as she looked up at her savior. There stood the red ranger, blaster in hand, "Me. I dare. Problem?"

"…Y-you came back" the blue ranger managed to croak out.

Sid waved to her enthusiastically, "The hero always arrives just in the nick of time, right?"

"So there *was* a red ranger" Trill noted, powering up her swords, "Interesting!" she flung twin blasts at the red ranger, who simply jumped out of the way, landing a double-kick on his opponent, forcing her back as he hurried over to Xolin, helping her up.

"W-why are you here?" she asked, stunned. She wasn't *entirely* happy to see him, but who was she to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Been asking myself the same question" Sid mumbled, less jovial than a second ago, "Can you stand?"

She wasn't even close to one hundred percent by any means, but that brief respite had at least given her nominal motor control again, "Y-yeah. I think so" she said.

Sid nodded and let her go once she was upright once more, and just in time as his blade suddenly clashed with Trill's. He glanced back at Xolin as he held the monster at bay, "Get the others. I'll keep her busy". Normally Xolin would have argued; she'd be the one keeping the monster busy. But she knew that in her current state, it just wasn't going to happen. She staggered off to where Trok was laying, as Sid turned his attention back to his opponent.

"So, what's your name?" he asked cordially.

"Trill, mercenary extraordinaire" the samurai replied in kind.

Sid nodded, "Nice to meet you, Trill" he said, as the two broke from their mutual grip and began a dance of swords. Unfortunately for Sid, he wasn't quite up to par in his swordsman skills; he was soon on the defensive, and barely holding Trill's assault at bay. But it didn't matter; he just had to hold on for a minute or two.

He hoped.

Suddenly Trill vanished from his sights. A confusing second later, he found his side being impacted by a pair of swords. Sid rolled away in pain, getting back up after a fair distance. "I…see you've got some tricks" he wheezed, putting his sidearm away. A moment later he had pulled out his power axe.

Trill said nothing, but snorted in derision. Charging up her blades, she flung crescent waves of electricity at Sid, who knocked the first two aside with his axe. The third however, hit him before he could rebound. The area around the red ranger exploded, sending him hurdling into another set of chairs.

"And yet, just as incapable as the rest" Trill muttered disappointingly as she approached Sid, who was in the process of getting back up, "A pity. I was so hoping for a bit of a challenge".

* * *

Xolin staggered over to Trok as fast as she could. She was lucky; he was already beginning to stir. Thank the trinity; it was good to know he was alright.

"You okay?" she asked, crouching beside him as he began to pick himself up. She helped him stand back on his feet. He nodded.

"Well…I'm not dead. I think".

Xolin gave a slight chuckle of approval, then noted that Sid was being tossed around like a ragdoll, "…Get Sel" she said, her voice becoming serious, nodding to the still form of their teammate, "I need to help glorious leader".

"…Wait—he came back?" Trok gasped, watching in wonder as Sid blocked another attack, but fell prey to the second blade, "He came back".

Eugh. Disgusting. "Yeah, keep the hero worship under control for now, will you? You need to get Sel if we have any hope of surviving this" Xolin chastised him, shaking her teammate out of his sense of amazement.

"Er…right. Good luck" he said, stumbling off towards Sel.

Xolin sighed, looking back at the battle as she summoned her lance in her hands, "Yeah, right". This was going to hurt.

* * *

Sid tumbled over a table and over onto the ground behind it. Damn. She was just too good at melee combat for him. And every time he'd managed to gain an upper hand, she'd just vanish and sneak-attack him from behind. This was totally unfair.

"Any last words before I remove your head from your neck?" the monster asked gleefully.

Sid nodded, now on his knees, "Yeah. I call hax".

Trill stopped, cocking her head in confusion, "….What?"

Hah. Excellent. Sid grinned under his helmet; now was his chance, "Xolin! NOW!"

"Wha-!?" the monster spun around in surprise and confusion, but it was already too late. The blue ranger came down on the samurai with her lance in hand, cutting a wide swath down the front of her armor. Sid followed up with a second strike from his axe as he charged past, cutting through the side of the monster's abdomen. Sparks exploded everywhere, the monster writhing in pain.

"Blasters up!" Sid grasped his sidearm, followed by Xolin. The two unleashed a volley of red and blue laser fire on Trill, sending the monster soaring into the side of an escalator. She dropped to the ground in a heap.

"Holy crap" Xolin muttered, not quite believing what had just happened. She looked over her gun, then at the monster. Had they really just…won?

"Teamwork. It's a thing" Sid said, glancing at his…well, his teammate, he guessed. Teammate. Hmm. It did feel oddly good to use that term again. Like…coming home. Xolin noticed he was looking at her, and responded with a hesitant nod in turn. The green and yellow rangers hurried over to them, with green also kind of amazed at what he had just seen.

A groan from the monster transformed into a cry of rage as she stood back up, brushing the dirt off of her armor, "You…you will pay for that, whelps!" she roared, vanishing into thin air.

But Sid was already on the ball, his eyes tracking the faint shimmer of her appearance as it closed in on them, "Sel, blade bow! Fire…there!" he pointed at the barely-visible figure.

Hesitating for half a second, Sel grabbed her weapon, aimed, and fired at where she saw the shimmer. Two more shots followed up the first, and the samurai arthropod staggered back, completely visible and her chestplate a smoking ruin.

"You…you…" she raged, clutching at her wound. But Sid wasn't about to give her any room.

"Trok, bind her!"

"But—" Trok began to protest; last time he did that, he'd received several thousand volts of electricity. Not his smartest move.

But Sid cut him off, "Don't worry. There's a plan".

Trok nodded after a moment of hesitation. The head of his hammer shot off the hilt like a mace, wrapping itself around Trill, binding her.

"We've already played this game!" the monster crowed, moving to electrify the chain, "Spoiler: you lose!"

"Xolin, now!" Sid cried, leaping into the air. He and the blue ranger came down on the monster, weapons in hand, each charged with elemental energy; Sid's axe ablaze with fire, and Xolin's lance crystalized with ice as her weapon absorbed all energy that came in contact with it.

"Hyiah!" the two rangers shouted in unison as their attacks met with the monster's hide. Trill screamed in agony as both weapons struck right through her. She fell back and dropped to her knees as the four rangers regrouped, each brandishing their chosen weapon. Trill gasped, pained, and understanding now, far too late, why Capricorn had considered them to be so much of a threat.

Where had it all gone wrong? A minute ago she had been winning. Now she was about to die. How…how…?

Sid looked over his axe, "…I wonder" he put his hand on Trok's shoulder, "Mind if I borrow that?" he asked, pointing at his hammer.

"Er…" Trok blinked in confusion, "…I guess? Why?" he asked, handing over the device to the red ranger. Immediately Sid began looking it over, before trying to rub it and the axe together.

"Seeing if these combine" came Sid's curt reply.

"Uh…" Xolin awkwardly watched as Sid fumbled with the two weapons, until he paused.

"Wait a second!" he exclaimed, a sudden burst of inspiration coming to him. Putting the axe down, he grabbed the hammer by both hands and twisted the head down and out so that it was parallel with the hilt.

"Is…it supposed to do that?" asked Trok, as he and Xolin circled around him. Sid ignored them however, as he slide the axe on top, on the side of the hilt facing away from the hammer's head. The end of the hammer facing out opened up, like a cannon barrel. Seeing what he was doing now, Xolin began looking for places to put her lance.

"Split it apart" Sid said, pointing to two connector pieces on top of his axe.

"It…doesn't split apart" she said, annoyed that he would consider breaking her weapon in two.

"Yes it does, look" he said, pulling the lance from her hand. She protested, but didn't try to grab it back as he unhooked the two halves of the device, "See?" he then placed them on top of his axe, ends pointing out like blaster tips.

"…oh…" was all she managed to get out, a little stunned. And a little embarrassed really, that she had never figured out her weapon could do that. Huh. Go figure.

Trill watched with infuriated contempt as they ignored her, evidently considering her to be beneath their attention in comparison to whatever had suddenly drawn their interest. Well, that would be their loss. Time for them to all die; to hell with Capricorn's bounty. She lunged at the group, screaming in raging fury.

"…Tab A into Slot B, not Slot A into Tab B…Sel, if you would, please?" Sid asked absently, now way more engrossed in his project than some ugly interloper. Sel nodded, and unloaded a volley on the monster, knocking her back again.

"Thanks" said Sid, sliding the last half of the lance into place, "Now, can I see that?" he asked, pointing at Sel's blade bow. She gingerly handed her weapon over.

"Where do you think it goes?" asked Trok, scouring the cannon with his eyes.

Xolin shrugged, "It's a blaster, right? So, up front somewhere".

"No, no. Look" Sid pointed at the blades of the bow, "These fold out here" he pulled out handles from the sides of the bow, just below the blades, "I think…" he grabbed the bow and folded the blades together, forcing the blaster part outward. He then slid it in through the back of the cannon, between the axe and hammer hilt. The blaster end of the bow connected right inside, "…It's a power source. Of course. Duh" he chuckled to himself.

"…A power cannon" Trok marveled, "This is *awesome*!"

"TIME TO DIE, RANGERS!" Trill raged, charging once again, "NO GUNS TO SAVE YOU THIS—wuah…" she stopped in her tracks as she saw the rangers fold out around the newly assembled cannon. Sel rested on her knees, holding the front of the cannon up with her shoulder, while Xolin and Trok took the handles on the left and right sides. Sid brought up the rear, holding the gun from behind.

"Defender Cannon!" Sid shouted.

"…Defender?" asked Xolin, as she and Trok looked at him quizzically.

Sid shrugged, "You have a better name?" The other two shrugged, noncommittal. "Alright then!" he shouted with glee, all the good memories now flooding back to him. He *loved* this part!

"Defender Cannon!" the rangers called out in unison, "Aim!"

"Wait. Wait no" Trill pleaded, dumbfounded, but knowing full well what was coming and being utterly powerless to stop it.

"FIRE!"

Trill was instantly vaporized by the maelstrom of sheer morphin' energy that surged through her.

"YES!" Trok shouted triumphantly, pumping his fist through the air as Trill's form exploded in a brilliant flash of light and smoke, "WOOO!"

Sid nodded quietly. The taste of ash was a little less noticeable now.

* * *

Capricorn sighed in disgust as he watched his mercenary get annihilated by the rangers on the viewscreen onboard the small transport. "So much arrogance, so little to show for it" he said, shaking his head in annoyance.

Well, so much for *that*. Capricorn knew now that just throwing mercenaries at the problem wasn't going to solve anything. His next attempt would have to be a bit more…subtle. Oh well. Time to make his getaway. He pulled a small scroll out of his armor.

"Scroll of Empowerment, descend" the goat commanded, as the scroll vanished from his hands. He figured a giant version of Trill would be enough to distract everyone from his escape, "…That will keep them busy. Driver. Get us out of here".

The pilot whimpered, "But…you said…"

"Now, pilot" Capricorn growled, "Or else I find your use at an end".

The pilot sighed as he reluctantly plotted a course away from KO-35. So close to freedom, yet so far.

* * *

"So…now what?" asked Trok, as the rangers dematerialized the cannon, back to its hammerspace.

"Now we get out of here before security arrives" Sid replied, surveying the damage, "I don't know about you guys, but I don't feel like explaining everything to the cops much".

Just then, the entire promenade shook. "RANGERS!" came Trill's bellowing voice. The four heroes looked up at the windowed ceiling, where instead of a star field or KO-35, they saw the samurai's ugly –and very enlarged— facemask looking down at them.

"Oh, right" Sid groaned, "*This* part". Sigh. Why couldn't monsters just ever stay dead?

"…The Megaship, come on!" Xolin waved at the others, before breaking into a solid run back to the ship. The others quickly followed her lead.

* * *

Sid's seat pulled up, fitting the Megazord's central controls around his lap as he entered the cockpit, soon followed by the blue, green, and yellow rangers, each flanking him from a different direction.

"Defender Megazord, online!" Sid shouted, activating Megazord mode. As the ship left the docking hanger, it immediately began to twist and change form until its triangular shape had been replaced with that of a giant robot. The Megazord slammed its feet down on 'top' of the giant space station, just opposite of Trill, and taking a battle pose, sword and shield in hand.

"Let's do this!" Trok shouted with glee, as the Megazord charged in.

But Trill was ready. She was giant, but no less nimble as the rangers soon discovered, her own swordplay quickly outmatching the clumsy four-minded robot. The cockpit shuddered under the consecutive hits the Megazord was receiving.

"You rangers will pay for humiliating me!" the monster roared, bringing her swords down again. The Megazord sparked and shook. Electrical energy surged through the robot, causing it to stagger back, toppling over onto its side, its sword and shield scattered across the hull of the station.

"The zord can't keep taking this kind of beating!" Xolin said as her hands raced over the controls, doing her best to keep systems online and working as another impact sent sparks everywhere. The Megazord was down on its back and Trill was hammering down with all her might on the undefended titan. Things were not good.

"…Guess we still don't quite have the whole 'teamwork' thing down yet when it comes to giant robots" Sid muttered, as another blow struck the robot. He fired a laser beam from the eyes of the robot at Trill. She cried in pain as she backed off, giving the Megazord a moment to get back on its feet.

"_I believe I may have a solution to your problem, rangers"_ Iota's voice came over the intercom.

"…Meaning?" asked Sid, bracing himself against another sword strike.

"_Meaning we picked up some new toys when we resupplied at the station. Hang on"._

The rangers looked at each other, confused for a moment, until Trok saw it. "Look!" he said, pointing at a red light that shot out from the Megazord's chest. It flew around, growing larger and larger, until with a flash of red, the light vanished, replaced by a new red and silver spaceship, somewhat smaller than the Megaship. It unleashed a volley of laser fire that caused Trill to back off, before beginning to unfold around the Defender Megazord.

It formed armor over the chestplate, arms, and legs, as well as formed a new helmet. But most importantly, twin axe blades had appeared over the Megazord's fists.

"Nice!" Trok said, getting out of his seat to get a better look at the arms.

"_Meet the Red Guardian zord. The first of a new set we just picked up. I think this'll even the odds nicely"._

"…Already?" Sid asked. Wasn't it a little early? Well, whatever. Something, something, gifthorse, after all.

Trill seethed with fury as she brandished her electrical blades, "No matter how many toys you bring out, I will not lose to the likes of you!"

"Afraid you already have" Sid said grimly, gripping the controls, "Defender Megazord, Warrior Mode online!"

The Megazord resumed its battle stance as Trill charged in, full bore. Four blades clashed again and again; the monster still with an upper hand, but at least now the Megazord was able to match her blow for blow. One crucial hit however, and the zord staggered back.

"I've got an idea" Trok said, going over the new zord's data. Pressing a couple controls, he marveled as the Megazord's blades detached from its arms, still connected via chain. "….Oh. YES" he said, grinning.

Under his helmet, Sid grinned as well, "*Now* we're cooking!" He swung the Megazord's arms around, flinging the blades down and across the monster. She blocked the first few attacks, but soon the Megazord's left chain had wrapped itself around Trill's right wrist. She was thrust forward, throwing her out of her defensive position, and giving the other blade time to cut into her. The left blade followed up by de-tangling from her arm and issuing a follow-up attack. She roared in pain, sparks erupting from her hide.

"Let's finish this!" Sid ordered. The Megazord brought up its two whip axe blades, cutting them parallel to each other. Trill's swords snapped in two, leaving her with empty hilts as the now-useless blades fell to the ground.

"No! NO!" she screamed, throwing the base of her weapons to the ground in a fit of anger, "NO!" she charged the Megazord in a suicide rage, firing bolts of lightning at the opposing titan as its axe blades retracted back up into its arms.

"I got just the thing!" Xolin said with a satisfied smile on her face, bringing up a new attack schematic, "Dervish Spin!"

The Defender Megazord raised his arms to eye level, and the entire upper body began to spin rapidly in a full three hundred and sixty degree motion; so quickly that they became a blur. Sid blinked; the Defender class wasn't capable of *this*. It gave a little bit more credence to Iota; it was becoming clear that this team *was* being backed by somebody in power, if they could mod a megaship like this and then build more custom-made auxiliary zords for it.

…Interesting.

The Megazord ran at Trill, who was still coming in closer, firing electrical attacks at it. The spinning arms deflected the lightning harmlessly into space, until finally the two titans met.

…And Trill was sliced apart by the rapidly moving axes. The Megazord stopped in its tracks a few steps away, as sparks erupted off of Trill's armor, the monster howling in rage as she fell over and exploded in a blaze of glory.

"YEAH!" Xolin and Trok met with an enthusiastic high-five in their seats, while Sid leaned back and sighed with relief…and stress as he knew what he was getting himself into. But…no use running from the past, he guessed. Besides, these kids needed him; needed somebody who *wasn't* Iota looking out for them. He glanced back at Sel, somewhat behind him. She hesitantly nodded back at him, not saying a word.

…It was a weird team.

* * *

Sid's hand slid over his new skycycle. He had to admit; it was friggin' beautiful. Back in SPD, he'd been stuck with a basic street motorbike. But this…man, flying through the sky? He couldn't wait to try it out—which was weird, considering how a few hours ago he wanted nothing to do with any of this. Weird how things work out.

The currently demorphed red ranger was hanging out in the launch bay, where they'd…well, launch off with their skycycles. The big sealed security door that encompassed the entire far wall was a big giveaway in that regard. Besides his own, the room also currently housed the other three skycycles as well; blue, green, and yellow. There wasn't much else besides that; not much room for anything. It really was just a launch point.

"So I guess thanks are in order".

Sid looked up from his train of thought, out towards the door to the ship hallway. There in the doorway stood Xolin, leaning on the wall. "Hrm?" he asked, shaking the last thoughts from earlier out of his mind.

She shrugged, "You saved us. That counts for something. Guess that means you can't be *all* bad. So thanks".

Sid smirked, looking back down at his skycycle as his hands brushed across the top of it, "…It was a team effort. None of us could have taken her down alone".

"Still. You came back for us. That's not something that'll be forgotten".

Sid looked back at her. The two locked gazes for just a moment, before both glanced away again, "It's nothing, really".

Silence.

"…So why *did* you come back, after all that?" Xolin asked, her voice a bit less haughty and demanding than usual. A bit more…sincere.

Sid pondered how to respond. Uncomfortable silence reigned again for a brief moment, "…We've all got our reasons" he said quietly, harkening back to their earlier conversation, just before Onyx.

She nodded, understanding that this wasn't a topic to be visited right now, if ever. She completely understood that.

Another presence made itself known behind Xolin, "Trok's looking for you. Something about accidentally inverting the power couplers down in engineering" Iota said.

Xolin's eyes widened slightly as she cursed in Triforian under her breath, "That boy's going to end up killing himself" she muttered, dashing off towards engineering. Sid and Iota locked their gazes on one another; Sid's full of distain and willpower; Iota's masked by his ever-present helmet. Then Iota walked away, leaving Sid to his thoughts.

Sid sighed. This was going to be a long trip.

_To be continued…_


	4. 1x04: Sacrilege

**1.04: SACRILEGE**

Candles flickered faintly around her small quarters, the spice they burned puffing up into the air, creating a mildly irritating sensation to those not acquainted with the material. For her though, it was relaxing. She sat cross-legged on her bed, eyes closed, taking another deep breath of the material, the flames the only sources of light currently emanating from the room.

Xolin did this every morning; daily meditation was an essential ingredient of balancing oneself. It was no coincidence that every single Triforian religion involved heavy amounts of meditation, since being a person of three distinct parts made for a crowded mind.

Not like that. Not like…actual multiple personalities all talking in your brain; not unless something had forced the triforian in question to split apart into actual physically separate people. Xolin found it difficult to explain this as; well, she'd always been triforian. How do you explain color to a blind person, or vice-versa? But no, it was more like…well, balancing multiple facets of who you were. Keeping all of your aspects in-tune with the rest. Making sure the Id didn't just curbstomp over the Superego. You know, that kind of stuff.

The three aspects were always somewhat different for every triforian, but there were always three. And every triforian religion centered on that—well, for that matter, most of triforian culture revolved around that. Three was the sacred, lucky number. Nine was even better. Even the number system was based on multiples of three. Everything revolved around the Trinity. The gods themselves were of nine—a trinity of trinities; one absolute truth, distilled into three deities, which in turn were comprised of three each. Everything in creation could be seen in this way; an illusionary concept of separation, but in truth united.

Hers were Courage, Mind, and Spirit.

It wasn't like meditation was *mandatory* for her people, there were plenty of non-practicing people back home. But well, it helped her find balance. Not that she would admit it to anyone else…even herself, but she was a volatile mess.

Especially today, of all days.

She sighed, trying once again in vain to center her being. *Especially* today.

* * *

"Woosh! Pew pew!"

Trok made sound effects with his mouth as he moved the two objects in his hands about in exaggerated motions, weaving them in and around themselves. Not just any objects either; but the miniaturized versions of two of the new auxiliary zords—his and Sid's. His, larger and more clunky than Sid's, was currently winning. He had marveled over how each of the zords were very intentionally designed for a different purpose. Sid's was, from what he had seen, the 'warrior', a jack-of-all-trades in spaceship mode, and built for close-quarters combat effectiveness in megazord mode. His own was bigger—very square and blocky. There wasn't too many weapons on it though, so as far as he could tell, it was some sort of armored tank; built for defensive purposes. Likely the megazord would be slow, but invulnerable. Sel's was the opposite; the yellow zord was slightly smaller than his own, but was clearly just an artillery platform; he guessed it would be the megazord's glass cannon mode.

That just left Xolin's. Hers was notably more aero-dynamic, much like Sid's, but with long sleek wings pulling up the back. But nothing about it really stuck out as any particular strategy; 'wings' didn't suffice when your entire zord set consisted of spaceships. Hrm.

In truth, his entire reason for being down here in the workbay this morning was so he could run some tests on the zords, figure them out. Thank the spirits for miniaturization technology; it made this so much easier. And I mean really, could you imagine having to lug around an entire armada of zords everywhere you went?

But the tests had sort of…gone awry. Oops.

"Poosh!" his mouth sounded, as his zord struck an imaginary direct hit on the red zord.

"Uh…what are you doing?"

Trok stopped right in mid-motion, frozen in place as he looked over and saw Sid standing in the door. He was clearly only half awake, his eyes half-open and his hair a mess. Not that Sid had ever claimed he was a morning person.

"Uh…nothing!" Trok quickly tried to cover up his actions, hastily making it look like he was er…inspecting the toys. Models. Er, zords…whatever. Unfortunately, he was also fairly clumsy, and the zords hit the floor.

Sid sighed, shaking his head as he lazily made his way to the synthatron, "…You know, I'm sure Iota would skin you alive if he caught you playing with those. I'm sure they're worth a small fortune".

"Uh…hehe" Trok laughed timidly, scratching his head in embarrassment, "I uh…well, you see…"

"Besides, everyone knows my ship would wipe the floor with yours" Sid continued with a grin, unabated as he pulled out a cup of coffee from the food machine.

Trok frowned with indignation, standing up, "Excuse me? Who's got enough armor to fly into the local sun? Oh right, me".

Sid snorted with laughter, "Please. That just means it takes longer to kill. That much armor makes you a flying brick; nothing more. I could fly circles around it".

"…Yeah, well…" Trok mumbled, looking around for an out. He picked up Sel's, "Sel's could take you. One shot and you're down. She's a cannon".

Sid eyebrow arched as he took a sip of his drink, taking a seat at the counter near Trok's work station, "…So, what? You're letting someone else fight for you? Not very sportsman-like! If your ship can't take mine out on its own, then you really shouldn't be telling me about how awesome it is, hm?"

Their argument was interrupted however, as Xolin's evidently grumpy form marched through the room, past her two comrades, straight to the synthatron.

"Uh…mornin', sunshine" Sid chirped, now beginning to feel a little more awake. He received no response; instead Xolin's back remained facing them as she worked the controls and then waited a few seconds for her meal. It was something Triforian; Sid could tell that much simply by the smell. Secretly he wondered if triforians just didn't have many taste buds or something, and that was why they insisted on such insanely spicy foods.

"Um…so, which auxillary zord do you think would win in a fight?" asked Sid. Xolin just grumbled to herself as she took a bite of her food, apparently finding it wanting if her facial expression was anything to go by. She muttered something about lousy synthatron food, before beginning her march back out of the room.

"Uh, hi!" Sid waved as she walked by, "Remember us? Teammembers? Guys who live here? Hello? Be social? Maybe?"

She glared at him, "No" was her simple, and cold, reply.

Sid seemed kind of taken aback; sure, they'd been harsh to each other before, but in the week or so since he'd joined the crew, he'd thought their relationship had sort of progressed to that of 'aggressive banter'. One person would poke at the other one until an argument erupted, mostly because it was fun to catch the other off-guard. Well okay, mostly it was Sid doing the poking, but he was pretty sure she was starting to catch on. But this…this seemed serious. Her gaze was deadly; cold. It wasn't the red-hot annoyance and rage he had come to know; it was something deeper. Had he said something wrong?

At any rate, a moment later, Xolin turned and left, back to her room.

Sid blinked, "I…that wasn't just my imagination, right? What'd I do?" he asked, turning to Trok. He shrugged, concerned.

A moment passed. Trok spoke up, "…Question. Why don't we have synthatrons in our rooms? Why do we have to come all the way down to the work bay to get breakfast?" It was a bit out of a blue sure, but it was something that had been bugging him for a while now. And if Xolin wasn't feeling good, a synthatron in her room would have meant she wouldn't have had to come all the way down here.

"It's a megaship, remember?" Sid grinned, "It's built for ranger teams. Now what good is a team if they're not interacting with each other and building team spirit and all that other nonsense?"

Trok nodded in understanding as he began looking over Xolin's zord once again, "Ah-hah. Fair enough, I guess". No more words were spoken as Sid finished his coffee, but quietly the red ranger wondered about blue.

* * *

Xolin mumbled a discontented sigh as her door slid shut behind her, once again leaving her in the dimly-lit confines of her room. She set her dish down on her bedside table and once again sat down cross-legged on the bed. Before she could get comfortable though, she noticed a blinking light on her work desk.

She had a message. Though…she already knew exactly what it was, and she wasn't in any way excited to get it. Sighing, she stood back up and moved over to her computer, dropping into her seat and pressing the 'play' button. On the holographic screen that popped up, an email sat in the middle. It was the same as usual for the message that would come out this time of year; how she was a disappointment to the House, about how there was hope back home that she would eventually return and admit to her transgressions. Beg for forgiveness, basically. And there was not a small amount of guilt-tripping from name-dropping family members in there. Disgusting. Her fist clenched in quiet fury; as far as she was concerned, it was a much healthier emotion than anything that involved tears. With rage…she could direct rage. She was in control with rage. Rage meant she was on the offensive. Not so much with…well, tears. Tears meant she was a victim.

She would never be a victim. She was a predator.

She skimmed over the letter with abject disgust. Xolin would get at least one letter a year; always on the anniversary that she had left, never to return.

Sometimes she could still feel the warm, desert breeze. Hear the sounds of the chime bells ringing in the streets. See the lantern lights at nightfall; especially during a festival. Sometimes she almost missed-

No. No, she could never miss it. She hated it; hated all of it. Hated everything about it. She was Xolin; she didn't need to be tied down to a place like that. Her life was way better now, way more important.

Speaking of.

"_All rangers report to the briefing room in thirty minutes. Mission time" _Iota's voice spilled over the comm.

"…No, not today" Xolin groaned, planting her face directly onto the table. Damnit, she was *not* in the mood for this.

* * *

By the time Xolin opened the door to the briefing room, the session was already in-progress, with the other three rangers sitting around the central round table, the holographic displays in front of their seats activated and in-use. At the other 'end' of the small circular room stood Iota, going over a number of readings on the various wall displays that encircled the chamber.

"…Ah, glad you finally decided to join us" Iota nodded, his voice diplomatic, but with a hint of annoyed ire. Oh well, too bad for him.

"Meh" Xolin grunted in depressed apathy, slumping into her own seat. She pressed a few buttons on the console in front of her, allowing her own holographic setup to appear, "Let's just get this one over with".

Sid's face was quizzical, "Is…there a problem?"

"No" she said bluntly, "Just get on with it".

Sid stared at her for a moment longer, though she didn't make eye contact with him, instead very intently staring at the wall. He let the matter drop, but very reluctantly. But…he *was* starting to think this wasn't his doing.

Iota regarded her for a moment himself, then continued, "Right. Anyway, we were just going over your next mission" he turned and pressed a holographic control, letting the outline of a planet appear in the center of the table. "This is Rideon, a triforian colony world on the edge of Confederate territory".

Xolin's eyes snapped open at the name, her attention suddenly more direct.

Iota continued, unaware of her change in demeanor, "It's a mostly unremarkable border world; a population of a few million, scattered about in mostly small towns and villages across the north-western continent. The settlers there are from the Akhenai houses—one of the less…orthodox groups. Not one of the most welcoming sects of triforian culture, but you won't be in any trouble".

"So what's the actual mission then?" asked Sid, leaning forward in his seat with his arms folded, "You're not just sending us out there to make nice with grumpy townsfolk, are you?"

Another press of a button, and several new readouts appeared, hovering in the air. Iota continued, "There have been several unexplained incidents over the past few weeks in the capital town of Tanis. At least twelve people have had their energy stolen, each of them while alone, and no one's managed to catch a view of the one responsible".

"…Vampires?" asked Trok, a little nervous now. His fingers fidgeted as he looked around at the others. Sel, as usual, betrayed no emotion on her face, just her normal slightly somber expression. Xolin was clearly only half-listening, busy with her own thoughts, whatever those were. Trok turned to Sid, sitting next to him—but the red ranger was in full business mode right now…or rather, as close to business as Sid got, but still, not an inch of fear. But then, Sid was a veteran, wasn't he?

Man, Trok wished he could be so cool under fire like that. Saving everyone in the nick of time, spouting off awesome one-liners…sigh.

Iota gave a small shrug, "Unknown. That's why you're going in; we need you to investigate and put an end to these incidents, once and for all".

Sid blinked, a little uncertain himself now, "Um…I don't know if you're aware of this, but you didn't hire me for my detective abilities. Which are nil, in case you were wondering".

"Yeah, I'm not good either" Trok added, "Like, I've never even been able to win at Clue".

Iota eyed them both, his tone remaining business-oriented without even a bit of humor, "I believe you will find your skills up to the task".

Sid's eyes narrowed, "…I hate it when you do that".

Iota gave an amused sound, nodding in approval, "Good. Any questions?"

"Yeah, actually" Sid replied, his hand up in a half-raise, "What do you mean by 'unorthodox'?"

Xolin's eyes darted briefly to Sid before returning their gaze to the holographic world at the center of the table, though only Trok caught it.

"The Akhenai houses are one of the many outlier groups of Triforian society, among those that left during the Great Exodus following when their world was united under the monarchy. While they are still under the authority of the king, they tend to keep to themselves, and don't much involve themselves in house politics with the other major players back on the homeworld" Iota leaned forward against the table, gazing at the world representation, "When I mean 'unorthodox', I refer to their social and religious customs. You'll be dealing with an older subsect of Triforian culture, not like the more cosmopolitan cities elsewhere".

"Right, okay…" Trok nodded thoughtfully, "And what are houses?"

Sid stifled a chuckle, "You know your horathean clans? Sort of like that. They're family establishments that pretty much run everything on Triforia".

Iota nodded, "The difference is that Houses are small in comparison, consisting only of, at most, a few hundred individuals. They group together and ally themselves with other houses, forming large network alliances that dominate Triforian politics. House politics are a very serious deal, incredibly complicated, and often deadly".

"Lovely" Sid said sarcastically. He turned to Xolin, still hoping to drag her into one of their banter wars, "Your people know how to have fun, huh?" There was no response except for her eyes narrowing slightly, her attention still focused on the world in front of her. "Okay, seriously" Sid asked, now becoming a tad irritated by the silent treatment, "What's with you today? Because you're really starting to weird me out".

Xolin glared at Sid for a brief second, then turned to Iota, sighing in annoyance, "…Are we done?" she asked bluntly. He nodded, and Xolin got up, quickly leaving the room without another word.

The suited figure resumed his attention on the other three, "Get down to the loading bay. We'll be landing shortly" he paused, "…Oh, and be sure to remain discreet. You are here as myth investigators, nothing more. I doubt the civilians would take kindly to a heavily-armed ranger team bursting in and wrecking everything".

The remaining rangers each looked at each other, then got up and headed for the loading bay. Silently, Iota gazed at the holographic globe, and thought of Xolin. He expected things to get worse before they got better…a pity, but necessary.

* * *

The first one off the ship, Trok took a deep breath of fresh desert air; it almost felt like home. Granted, it was a bit more vibrant than most of the region his clan had adopted; the only life from the wastes came from the occasional oasis…well, and predatory desert beasts. Here though, he could see colorful desert plants pockmarking the desert stone everywhere; any more flora, and he would have been hard-pressed to call it a desert. The view wasn't bad either; to the left was the coast of a sea or ocean or something, downhill from where they were, and the rest of the horizon was broken up by numerous sandstone desert formations; arches, mesas, spires, you name it. And of course, right in front of him was the town. Tanis wasn't a huge settlement, but even from here Trok could tell it had at least a few hundred thousand people strong. Not *too* bad for a remote colony world capital.

Behind him, Sid exited the ship, taking a moment to enjoy the view himself, "Always been one of my favorite parts of traveling".

"Hm?" Trok asked, curious.

Sid shrugged, waving at the skyline, "Just…this. The view. Every place I visit is always so different". He closed his eyes, allowing the warm breeze to pass by them.

Trok admired the man for a moment; he must have been so many places, done so many things. Trok was still so new at this, but even after all he had done in the last few months, he hungered for more. There was still so much to see, and do. "You've been a lot of places, huh?"

Sid grinned, "Comes with the territory. For a while I was afraid that eventually I'd visit so many places everything would just start to run together but…it never does".

Their conversation was stopped short by a dark figure exiting the ship next to them, covered head to toe in a long, black hooded cloak. Every inch of the figure was covered.

"Er…" Sid's words died in his throat. The hell?

"…Xolin?" asked Trok, equally confused, "Um…"

"Are we going or not?" the figure asked, with Xolin's voice, "The sooner we do this, the sooner we can leave".

The two male rangers looked at each other, then at Sel—who had left the ship just after Xolin but otherwise seemed to have no interest in the matter at all—then back at Xolin. "Uh…yeah, sure. Okay" Sid shrugged, pointing towards the town as he began to walk, "Let's do this, team!" he shouted triumphantly.

The town was…well, imagine you could step back in time, to Earth's ancient Middle East. It was almost a combination of Babylonian and Egyptian styles, blended together with a bit of an alien flare. Though the town was only middle-sized at best, one could easily discern Triforian architectural styles from it. The buildings were blocky yet curved, with outdoor staircases that winded around their corners to upper levels. Towards the center of the town, the rangers could see a number of pyramidal structures, including a step one with staircases going up against the sides, with a large building on top—possibly the administrative capitol.

The buildings were mostly the color of the desert itself; a lively brown and white mix, though numerous other bright colors had been painted all over the place. Ornate lanterns hung from lines above the narrow streets, carpets lined the entrances of homes, and even here on the outskirts they could see vendors peddling their goods. It was really almost like stepping back in time.

…Y'know, except for the giant screens adorning several buildings, the high-tech toys the kids were playing with, the numerous single-person vehicles zipping above the town from one end to the other, the friendly holographic terminals…

Y'know, except for all *that*, it was like stepping back through time. Almost.

Okay, not really. But still.

For Xolin, it was like coming home. She hated coming home. Yet, it was still oddly nostalgic. Could you be nostalgic for something that you didn't like?

…Not that it had all been bad back then. Just…bleh. She didn't know. It was all so confusing. She wasn't good at this kind of stuff; why couldn't she just be wailing on some monster with her lance? She totally got violence; it was easy and direct. Conflicting emotions about childhood angst…not so much.

Sigh.

"So…what do we do?" asked Trok. The horathean began wandering around a bit, taking in his immediate surroundings.

Sid folded his arms, deep in thought. He wasn't used to this kind of thing; back when he was the leader of D-Squad, they had mostly gotten saddled with clean-up duties; flushing out remaining bad guys, clearing out megazord debris, etc. Even the actual combat missions had been mostly straightforward; smash that villain, save those kids, all that jazz. The actual investigative crime stuff had been mostly handled by the resident A and B squads—and even then, during the war there just hadn't been much time for civilian police duties—they had mostly left that to the E-Squad battalions; the grunts.

"Hrm…" Sid pondered, "I guess we should split up. One group goes and questions people about the energy-draining incidents, the other goes to Your Local Library and starts looking up stuff about anything that might be able to do this".

"You're thinking a monster, huh?" asked Trok.

Sid eyed his friend, not entirely sure if he was being a smartass or not, "I'm not ruling anything out, but yes. That's…usually how these things work…likely from one of three places. Option A: it's the latest monster from the local bad guy. Considering this world is usually peaceful, I'm crossing that one off the list. Option B: mercenary or otherwise random visitor. Possible. Option C: Local mythological creature given form".

"…How likely is the last one?" Trok gulped. Vampires. Friggin' vampires.

Sid shrugged, "It's been known to happen. Universe is a big place, and things that shouldn't be forgotten tend to fall through the cracks". He paused, as if to think over the plan for himself, "…Alright. Trok, you take Sel and go take a peek at the local database. Xolin and I will go interrogate the townsfolk" he glanced at the cloaked figure, "…If you're up for that" he added, in a bit more of a comforting tone.

"Whichever" she mumbled.

Sid sighed inwardly. Okay, forget annoyance, he was actually a little disappointed now. He had really thought they had started to bury the hatchet after the fight together on KO-35. They had had that brief conversation in the launch bay, and then things had settled down a bit, but now…

Bleh. Whatever. He didn't have time for her issues.

"…W-wait, you want us to go…alone?" Trok asked worriedly, "What about er…house politics?"

"…The what?" asked Sid.

Trok seemed reluctant to elaborate, almost embarrassed by his own concern, "What Iota was saying. About house politics being deadly".

Oh! Hah. Sid laughed, "No, no. Unless you're running for office or playing backroom deals or something, I wouldn't worry. Especially not here; we're way out on the fringe, and only the Akhenai Houses live here. Just rural townsfolk here, I'd figure. Besides, you run into trouble, you can just call us. Or morph. Whichever".

That seemed to settle Trok a bit, thankfully. "Right. Team, move out!" Sid pointed further into the town. Trok took Sel and headed off towards a computer terminal, while Sid led Xolin further down the street.

* * *

The first thing Trok noticed about the tavern was that it was very…quaint. Small, dimly lit, quiet, but full of vibrant colors by way of rugs and tapestries. Why a tavern? Well, that was how most people got information to start their quests while playing games, right? Rumors and all that. Sure, they COULD have started searching the planetary database, but without knowing *what* they were looking for they'd be going at it forever. So, Trok had figured that some good old-fashioned rumor milling was in order. He motioned to Sel to come in. She did so, silently. As usual. Trok still couldn't figure out how she worked, to his disappointment.

But, as Trok had noted to himself, the tavern's atmosphere was filling its role nicely. He kept his giddiness under control; but it was still *totally awesome* that his first real mission with the full team was off to such a great start. Man, this was gonna be an awesome quest.

"Hi!" he said cheerfully, waving to the bartender at the far end of the room. The middle-aged male triforian, lazily cleaning the counter, looked at him with a slight interest.

"Well now, we don't see aliens around here very often" the bartender said, as the two rangers took up seats at the bar, "What brings you all the way out here?"

Trok's mind wheeled about; couldn't just up and tell the guy that they were rangers, that would be stupid, "We're uh…sort of adventure seekers" he said, oh-so-pleased with himself, "We've heard you guys have had some problems with er…vampires or something like that".

The few patrons eyed Trok, their expressions a mixture of concern, mild interest, and wariness. Momentarily, the quietness of the room somehow increased. Well…that was unsettling. Trok cleared his throat, awkwardness seeping in. Oh boy.

The bartender regarded Trok and Sel coolly, not entirely sure what to make of them, but not finding them entirely welcome. "You mean the energy-draining incidents?" he asked cautiously, "That's a…sensitive topic here. And a couple of kids like you are bound to get yourselves in trouble if you go looking for it".

Trok replied crossly, "Is that supposed to be some kind of threat?"

"What? No!" the bartender leered at them, his voice sharp and annoyed, "I'm telling you for your own benefit. The last thing anyone needs is some damn fool tourist getting his lifeforce sucked out of him. Murder cases aren't a game, kid".

"I'm not a kid!" Trok shot back, "And I came with a larger group. We're…we deal with these kinds of things. We can handle ourselves".

It was clear the bartender didn't believe him. He looked at the girl, "…Right…so, what? This is some sort of snake oil scheme? You show up with your novice group from trinity knows where…and offer to 'slay the monster' for a sum of cash?"

"No charge" Trok replied, "We're just here to take care of the situation and be on our way".

"And why would you do that?"

Trok glanced down at his feet for a moment, unsure as to how he should answer. But then it came to him, and it was so mind-bogglingly simple. He looked the bartender right in the eyes, a determined expression on his face.

"…Because it's the right thing to do".

The bartender was clearly unconvinced but for whatever reason relented, "…Fine, whatever. You wanna get yourselves killed, it's not my problem. You can use the computer terminal over there" he pointed to his left at the holographic display on the table in the corner.

"Er…I was hoping for something more direct" Trok muttered, grimacing that they could have just used the console Sid had pointed to if this was going to be the end result anyway.

"Computer terminal's connected to the main database. You want information, you use that. Otherwise, I got nothin' to say, because I don't want your blood on my hands".

Damnit, back to square one. All that work with no payoff. Trok sighed in resignation and slumped over to the computer terminal. "…Fine. Come on Sel, we should—huh?" Trok looked around where Sel had been, but there was nobody-oh. She had already started working on the computer. Hrn.

Well. This was embarrassing.

* * *

Well. This was embarrassing.

The 'mysterious cloaked figure' persona may have fit right at home on Onyx, but Sid was starting to get a little unsettled by all the whispered stares he and Xolin were getting as they made their way through the town marketplace. Because there was nothing awkward about a heavily shrouded person wandering around a civilian market; nope, no way. Nothing suspicious here.

Sigh.

"You know, if you took off the cloak, I'm sure they'd stop staring at us" Sid muttered to her. When no response came he continued, "You have *got* to be dying under that thing". Still nothing.

*Sigh*.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked in earnest, stopping in his tracks as she kept moving forward. She paused for a moment, as if to ponder a response. As she resumed her walk she replied with a low irritated tone.

"Just drop it, Sid".

But Sid was really beginning to take this personally, and wasn't about to let it go. "No, I'm not" he countered as he caught up with her, "You've been needlessly grouchy all day. And seriously, what is *with* the cloak? If you're trying to blend in, it's not working".

"I said drop it".

But the gears in Sid's head were already spinning, "…this is your hometown, isn't it?" he asked, his voice more understanding now, "Bad memories?"

"You, shopkeep!" Xolin commanded to the nearest street vendor, a young man selling rugs. She planted her hands on his stall and leaned forward; making a point to completely ignore Sid, "Tell us what you know about the lifeforce draining incidents around here".

"I…what?!" the vendor sputtered out, equal parts confused and afraid.

"…Yeah, this isn't suspicious at all" Sid deadpanned, folding his arms in annoyance as the girl continued to ignore him, "Maybe next time you can just threaten him with a knife". He took note of the reactions from the other townsfolk; they weren't great. Inwardly Sid cringed; what if they decided Xolin was the one responsible? Made sense; intimidating mysterious figure demanding to know about her victims in a very badly acted attempt to throw them off the trail. Man, didn't Iota tell them not to make a scene?

A sudden scream interrupted the scene, and Sid's attention was suddenly drawn to a nearby alleyway. He charged in, quickly followed by Xolin—and there, around the corner, they saw it in the shadows. A bat-like monster with two giant wings on his back stood before them, with the body of a triforian woman laying limp on the ground in front of him.

"…Huh, vampire monster. Trok was right; go figure" Sid muttered, "And what are the odds its next victim would be right where we were?" He wasn't *completely* surprised it was a literal vampire monster—that just seemed like a normal thing to happen. But the odds it was having lunch just down the street from where they happened to be? Yeah, that was a bit surprising. It'd be suspicious, if this kind of thing didn't happen all the time anyway. Like that time on Colaris III, when-

The beast roared, charging at the two rangers, knocking Sid out of his internal monologue. They dodged out of the way, just as a number of civilians began filling in to see what all the ruckus was about. Damn, that meant morphing was out for now—on top of the fact that they now had civilians in a combat zone. Fantastic. A number of gasps from the group went up.

"An Areitai!"

"The Areitai!"

Well, *that* was interesting. Sid made a mental note to ask about it as soon as he was done trying to Not Die. The monster knocked him aside, sending him tumbling into a small collection of barrels, as Xolin charged in. With a single quick movement and a war cry, she leapt up and slammed her foot right into the monster's face. In response, it grabbed her by the tail of her cloak, flinging her about like a ragdoll until she was just thrown clear out of it, flying over the group of civilians and landing in a heap just outside in the main street.

She gritted her teeth in determination as she wobbled to her feet. Part of her couldn't even believe it; a mythological Triforian creature was right here, right now. She supposed she shouldn't really be surprised, after all she had seen. Even if it wasn't strictly speaking an Areitai, anyone could have easily made a monster that looked and worked just like one.

The crowd parted, running and screaming as the monster charged out of the alleyway, right at Xolin.

"You want some?" she asked, assuming a battle stance. The creature roared, then began to twist and distort. Xolin's eyes widened as she realized what was happening. With one final screeching howl, the one monster became three. Either it was a really good forgery and someone had done their homework, or it *was* an Areitai. Great. This day was just…great.

Xolin moved to counter, but the beasts were too fast, quickly outflanking her and knocking her about. She soon found herself restrained by the claws of one of the monsters, and being approached by the other two. Xolin struggled, trying to free herself, but it was to no avail. The second Areitai shoved its claws into her chest, but instead of disemboweling her, instead it passed right through her as if she wasn't there.

And then the pain began.

Slow at first, but soon Xolin felt her own life-force ebbing away, her own energy being sucked up through the monster's claws.

No. No. NO! Get out! She wasn't going to die here, to some monster on this godsforsaken hunk of rock! Not today, not here, NOT NOW!

*OUT*!

Xolin screamed in battle-fueled rage, grabbing the monster's claw…and a moment later, was joined by two other groups of hands. The three Xolins pushed the claws from her chest, and then delivered a trio of synchronized kicks to the second beast. It tumbled back, being caught by the third, and a moment later the three monsters rejoined as one once again after the first one was knocked aside by the two flanking Xolins.

Sid, having dragged himself away from the wreckage he had been dumped into, leaned against the corner of the building as the battle unfolded. It took him a moment to really understand what he was seeing. He knew triforians biologically consisted of three distinct persons, that wasn't exactly a secret. But triforians couldn't command a split at will; a division between the three forms was always an involuntary last-ditch defense mechanism by the body itself; and it was even harder for them to re-unite into a single body. But he had just seen Xolin split her form under her own power.

*That* was interesting. What was also interesting was that usually for a triforian, the three divided forms were weaker and helpless in battle. But here…Xolin was actually taking on the monster and winning.

Indeed, almost like an expert dance team, the three Xolins gracefully spun around the monster in a synchronized movement, easily outflanking it just as it had her moments before. The creature seemed like it was in pain—which made sense to Xolin, if the legends were anything to go by—Areitai were weak against sustained sunlight, and this one had been out of its hiding hole in the back alley for a minute or two now. Its hide seemed to sizzle as it howled in agony, before it simply dived into another alleyway and vanished from view. Xolin almost went after it, but her own trio soon found themselves surrounded by very cross townsfolk, even as her multiple forms evaporated back into each other. She had made a critical error, and she knew it.

Damn it. She instinctively took a step back as the crowd began to move in. Cries went up.

"Shel'tol!"

"Defiler!"

Xolin gritted her teeth in anger, her eyes darting from one angry townsfolk to another, many of them wielding makeshift weapons from whatever they had on hand. A small rock whizzed right past her cheek.

"Woah, woah!" Sid dropped himself right in between Xolin and the growing crowd, his arms out in a symbolic protective gesture. He wasn't sure *why* things had taken this turn, but he knew a dangerous situation when he saw one, "What is going on here? She's not the monster. She's trying to help you".

"Sid, don't" Xolin cut in with a warning.

One of the civilians-an old lady-spoke up, "We don't need help from a defiler!" she screeched with distain.

Sid blinked in confusion, "…Defiler? What…"

The woman shook her head in baffled disgust, "Do you really not know? She is of House Sais! She defiles her temple like only they know how! She is not welcome here, or anywhere! Not now, not ever!"

What? Sid glanced back at Xolin, hoping for answers, "Xolin, what—" but all he saw was his teammate backing up, her front quickly collapsing before she finally simply turned and ran. On her face, he could see rage and pain and… "Xolin, wait!" he called after her, but she did not stop. He glanced back at the angry mob one last time before breaking into a sprint after her. She had already turned the corner and vanished, but Sid knew there was only one place she would be running to, and he intended to meet her there.

* * *

'Areitai'.

That had been the name Sid had just called and given Trok and Sel to search with. For Trok it was a breath of relief; up till now he'd been flying blind, forced to scour news reports and rumors in the comment sections. And as anyone could tell you, reading internet comments was *never* a fun job.

Man, he was just so *bad* at this. Ugh. He guessed he could cross 'detective' off his possible career options.

But holy shit, Sel. Even as he had been struggling, she had been quietly but persistently following leads. Her own holographic display was filled to the brim with windows, but instead of having her search collapse into a chaotic mess, she had organized everything and had been methodically going through option after option like a well-oiled machine.

"…You're good at this" Trok mumbled, watching her work with a bit of amazement.

She paused briefly, not entirely sure how to take it. She had just been trying to do this as efficiently as she could; was that really that big a deal?

Meh.

"Areitai. A legendary Triforian monster, usually referred to in children's stories" Sel began reciting off the page she had found, "Much like similar vampiric creatures in other cultures, the Areitai is a parasitic organism. However, instead of blood, it instead drains the lifeforce from its victims; at best leaving them in a comatose state, and at worst outright killing them. As with most vampiric creatures, it cannot stand direct sunlight".

Trok sighed, "Great, so vampires then. That's just great…" his brow bunched in a sudden fit of inspiration, "…So how do we track it?" he asked, his complaining tone vanishing in the face of curiosity.

Sel thought for a brief second, then tossed aside two of the windows, leaving her with the information she wanted, "It says here that Areitais are drawn to triforians with a high caliber of life energy. It could be anything from a strong willpower, to a deep spiritual nature, to simple genetics, or some combination".

Trok pondered this, "…So we need to somehow find out who's got the highest lifeforce around here" he thought out-loud, leaning back in his chair. Then, he realized something-this was the most she had said in like…ever.

"…What?" she asked. Trok realized he had been looking at her, and quickly averted his gaze, focusing back on the computer with more than a hint of embarrassment.

"Nothing, nothing" he said, though she eyed him suspiciously. Before the conversation could continue any further however, a loud crash from somewhere in the back room interrupted everything. The other patrons all broke out of whatever they had been doing as everyone wondered what had just happened.

"Nobody worry" the bartender reassured them as he got up from his spot at the counter, "Probably just some pots". He grumbled, heading into the kitchen to check it out for himself. A few short seconds later, his scream emanated through the tavern; Sel and Trok knowingly looked at one another, and then in unspoken agreement, headed into the kitchen, followed by a couple of the other patrons.

There, they saw it.

"…An Areitai?!" one of the customers gasped, upon seeing the large bat-like monster, with the bartender's limp body on the ground in front of it.

"Go, get everyone out!" Trok called to the other patrons, his voice suddenly serious, "We'll hold it off!"

The other two patrons nodded in agreement, still somewhat slack-jawed, but they complied and headed back out to the front. Trok nodded at Sel, "Ready?"

Sel said nothing, but grabbed her morpher. With a flash of twin green and yellow lights, the two rangers charged the monster. Unfortunately, in a kitchen there wasn't much room for maneuverability, so the fight quickly resulted in Sel being tossed over the central stove, pots and pans flying everywhere. Trok managed a good hit, knocking the beast back towards the back door.

Seeing a chance, Sel brought out her blade bow and aimed. The resulting explosion sent both the door and the monster flying out into the back alleyway. The two rangers followed, but by the time they had made it outside, the bat was already escaping around the corner.

"After it!" Trok shouted, as he and Sel both raced off towards the monster.

* * *

Hopefully Trok and Sel could come up with *something* online, or in the database or…somewhere. Sid slowed outside of the town gate, panting slightly; the city was bigger than it looked. Ahead of him however, was his target. Xolin was evidently more worn out than him, now simply walking towards the Megaship's entry door.

"Xolin!" he called as he increased his pace once again, "Wait up!"

She briefly paused to look back at him, before continuing her trek, even as he closed in, "Go away, Sid. Just…don't" she said in a hushed tone. She stood at the doorway separating her from the ship, Sid standing just behind her. Xolin didn't look at him, instead simply keeping her head straight ahead and lowered.

"Xolin…" Sid repeated, trying to be as friendly as possible about this. She made no reply.

Awkward silence. Sid cleared his throat, "…Half that town wanted to butcher you. I think I deserve to know—"

She cut him off; "Do you remember what I said?" she asked plainly, "Back when Trok was bugging you about your past?"

Sid nodded, understanding, "…We've all got our reasons".

She nodded in return, slowly, and still looking straight ahead, "Just…go. This isn't my day". Her voice was tired, somber. Exhausted. "You don't need me for this one. I'm not *fit* for this one".

*That* didn't sound like Xolin at all. The rage-fueled firebrand who nearly skinned him for taking her perceived spot as leader just a week ago was now telling him she wasn't needed? Yeah, Sid knew this wasn't right at all…and he wasn't going to let it rest, "When events start interfering with your job *and* your safety, then as leader it becomes my need to know why. Why did they attack you back there?"

She whipped around angrily, mustering as strong of a death glare as she could, "Who the hell are you to demand answers about my life?" The truth however, was that she wasn't even feeling it right now. She didn't want a fight; she just wanted to curl up somewhere and let it all pass away.

Sid could have bit back. Every nerve in his body was telling him to; it would have been just like every other argument they had had, where one would say something just to piss the other off, and then…well, nothing would get done. Sid swallowed his initial reaction, "…I'm your leader" he said, quietly, yet firmly.

She snorted in derision, heading up the ramp into the ship. Maybe she had been right in her initial assessment after all; Sid was just there so he could abuse his power. Good thing to see she had been right all along; she'd been willing to give him the benefit of the doubt by letting him keep his secrets to himself, and she had *almost* believed him after he had come back to save them, but when the shoe was on the other foot he was just like every other hypocrite.

"You want to know what my reason was?" he asked her, realizing he'd likely not have another shot at this. She paused, despite herself. Another moment of silence passed before Sid spoke again, his voice hesitant, "…A long time ago, I made a mistake. A big one, and it cost me my team".

Well, that suddenly made a lot of sense. Too much sense, actually. "Sucks for you. Tell me again why Iota hired you?" she muttered back, once again climbing up the ramp.

"It haunts me every night. I can…I can still feel it. It's like I'm there, in the smoke and alarms and…"

Xolin paused again, hearing Sid's voice break a little. Why was he telling her this?

Sid took a deep breath, collecting himself, "My point is…I couldn't let that happen again. That's why I came back. Because…I watched you fight. I saw you and the others, while I waited. And I just couldn't…" he trailed off, unable to figure out what he wanted to say next. His voice was almost pleading. Xolin closed her eyes. He sighed, "…I don't want to be your enemy, Xolin".

Another moment of silence fell over them. He cared, she could tell; his voice was earnest. He really, really cared. *Why*, she couldn't figure out, but he did. Steeling herself, Xolin's whispering voice cut through the quiet breeze, "…I made mistakes too. And because of that, well, let's just say my family and I don't get along". Why was she telling him this? She didn't know; her mind was just a swirling maelstrom of emotion…and maybe, just maybe she was tired.

"The townsfolk here?" Sid asked, venturing a guess.

She shook her head, "I've never been here before".

Sid was perplexed, "Then why-"

"House politics" she replied, anticipating his question, "It's complicated. But my house isn't very well-liked among many of the other houses…especially super-traditionally religious ones like on this planet. So I'm just sort of out of luck".

Ahhh. Now things were beginning to click in Sid's mind. But he still had a major missing piece here; "…They called you a defiler".

Xolin inhaled, calming herself from her initial reaction to snap at him for pestering her. She had gotten this far, might as well see it through; "Our bodies are temples, reflections of the universe and its constituent parts. They are sacred. And I…" she looked down at her hand, balling it up into a fist, "…People of my House have certain skills, and certain beliefs that other houses don't share. Like you saw earlier".

Sid's eyes widened; that was *it*! When Xolin had been able to manually trigger her split, and then re-combine with absolutely no difficulty. Temple…sacred. Most triforians saw that as a violation of their spirituality. It was starting to make sense to Sid, "…I'm sorry" he said, not really sure what else to say.

She shrugged, "That's pretty much it. You told me something, I tell you something. Equal exchange, that's how that works, right?" Whatever to help her sleep at night.

"Xolin…"

"I'm not angry at you, Sid" she said, cutting him off again, "Not this time. But please, just…leave me alone today. It's an anniversary of sorts, and I just…"

"You think that's how friendship works?" he asked with a slight chuckle, counter-cutting her off just as she had begun to trail off, "Like a business contract?"

Silence. She began to continue her trek into the ship.

"You have friends, Xolin. At least one; if you'd ask him. And the rest of us are still your team. Something I've learned as of late; you don't have to be alone".

"Why do you care so much?" she asked quietly.

He was silent for a moment, contemplating his answer, "…I dunno. I guess I just don't like to see people in pain. And I think…I think I understand you a bit better now" he replied, as heartfelt as possible.

She didn't reply, instead allowing the large door behind her shut after she had entered, leaving Sid alone outside. He sighed, brushing his hand through his hair in frustration. Then his morpher beeped.

Trok and Sel were in trouble.

* * *

A swipe from the claw and Sel was flung into the wall of the alleyway. The yellow ranger dropped into the open dumpster, vanishing from Trok's view. This was bad; he was already nursing a wound on his side as he struggled back to his feet. And here he had thought the hard part was going to be cornering the monster; he had been fairly slippery, but they had finally managed to trap him back here in a dead-end section. While he was certain the monster could fly, it wouldn't risk it during the daytime.

So like a dork he thought that if they could catch it, that'd be it, job done.

Instead, it was now swatting them aside like flies. He hated vampires.

Gripping his hammer, the green ranger charged back in, slamming his weapon into the ground. The earth rocked, causing the Areitai to stumble and fall frontwards. As Trok swung in, the beast's wings unfurled, knocking the ranger back as it got back up, before swinging around and slashing its claws into Trok's suit. The green ranger, now on his back, dragged himself backwards toward the wall, backing into the corner as the monster closed in.

And then the monster exploded.

Well, not *exploded* exactly, but for a half a second it was what Trok thought happened. A second explosion, and Trok's eyes shot up above, and a smile spread across his face as he saw a red and silver object dropping like a rock from the sky.

Sid's skycycle opened a third laser barrage just before dropping into the alleyway, barely missing the ground as he made an almost impossible ninety degree turn. The cycle flew past the monster, Sid's axe cutting into its hide as he rode past. The machine spun around, skidding against the wall of the building before coming to a complete stop a few feet away. Sid disembarked, brandishing his axe at the monster.

Trok got back up, looking back and forth between Sid and where he had first seen him coming down. "How-you-what-" he gasped, not quite entirely certain how to process the stunt he had just witnessed. I mean, he was *pretty* sure it had been awesome, but….

Sid shrugged, "I'm a quick learner when it comes to vehicles". In truth, he hadn't actually been sure he'd be able to land correctly or…well, not crash, but there was no need for anyone else to know he had panicked at the last moment or that he had actually pulled up waaaay later than he had wanted. He gave himself a mental note to turn earlier next time. "You okay, princess?" he asked, looking over at the trash bin, where the yellow ranger had poked her head out.

"…I believe so" she muttered, pulling herself out.

"Alright! Three on one!" Trok grabbed his hammer off the ground, "Let's do this!"

The bat monster screeched, and then its body began to shift and writhe. A moment later, it had transformed into three independent and identical monsters.

"So much for those odds" Sid sighed.

Trok's jaw dropped, "That's…that's totally unfair!" he exclaimed in annoyance.

"…Or exactly fair, depending on how you look at it" Sid mumbled. He spoke up in his 'mission' voice, "Alright, battle plan. Focus all attacks on the central monster. We give him a good beating, take him down. With any luck it'll cause the other two to also go boom. If not, well, then we just rinse and repeat on victim number two. If we're going by normal triforian physics, each are only a third as strong as before". He nodded at the other two flanking him, "Ready? Go!"

The three rangers sped in, avoiding the short-range melee attacks of the two flanking monsters as they zoomed in on the central one. "Trok, fast and hard!" Sid shouted, as he and the green ranger powered up their respective weapons. Two quick hits later and the two rangers leapt out of the way. "Sel, now!"

The yellow ranger, which had used this time to aim and charge her blade bow, fired her fully-powered weapon at the center monster. The laser arrow cut right through the Areitai, causing it to screech in pain as it doubled over and exploded.

"One down, two to go!" Sid shouted triumphantly as he and Trok landed a few feet away from the already-dying flames. "Alright, rinse and repeat team, lets—" Sid's words died in his throat as he watched purple energy emanate from the remaining two monsters, absorbing into the ruins of their fallen comrade. Within seconds, the mixture reformed into a new third beast.

Sid nodded, understanding, "Right, okay. *That's* unfair".

"Told you" Trok muttered.

Sid sighed, picking his axe back up, "Alright kids, new plan. Everyone take a dance partner".

"But how do we *beat* them?" Sel asked as the monsters moved in for the counter-attack.

Sid grimaced as he prepared to defend, "…I'll let you know when I figure that out".

* * *

With a soft 'swish', the door to the observation deck slid open, and Xolin stepped in. It wasn't used too often; its 'official' purpose was for diplomatic affairs and assemblies—but since they were a black ops group of questionable legal sanction, they really had no reason for that. Instead, it had just sort of become like the dining room of your house, where you keep meaning to use it but never seem to get around to it because the kitchen is just so much more practical and you just never have that big dinner party you always wanted to host. Trok had thought about using it as the team breakroom now that they had a full group, but so far no one had bothered to migrate from the workbay.

Again, practicality. Kitchen trumps fancy dining room-and boy was this place fancy. Not like, legit high class or expansive (it couldn't be, not with space being a premium commodity on a megaship), but it was notably more 'public' than most of the rest of the ship. The entire far wall was one big window looking outside with a small number of tables and chairs filling the center of the room, alternating with a couple random couches. The near wall on the other hand contained a small bar; not that there was anything in there.

Too bad; she could have just downed an entire bottle of just about anything right now. Anything to make herself feel less completely awful…maybe just black out for a few hours. Xolin swept into the room, plopping down on the couch nearest the window, giving her a beautiful panoramic view of the desert town. Part of her loved the view; the rest of her hated it. Hated it, hated it, *hated* it. And she hated that part of her loved it. Yet she couldn't bother herself to get up and go mope someplace less…direct.

"I remember when I first found you, wandering the streets of New Melbourne".

Xolin's ears perked up at Iota's voice, coming from somewhere behind her. She hadn't heard him come in…had he been here before her, in anticipation? While a little unnerved, she wasn't too surprised by it; Iota seemed to have a weird ability to be exactly where he would be most annoying. She snapped back at him quietly, "I'm *really* not in the mood for a peptalk right now".

But Iota continued on as if she hadn't said anything. He picked himself off from the wall he had been leaning against, strolling over to where Xolin was half-laying and half-sitting. "It's hard to believe it was just a few months ago now. You were so angry then. So full of rage and hate".

"…Thanks for noticing" she muttered in a deadpan, not bothering to look at the armored figure. Gods, he was in a 'mentor' mood. UGH. That meant that he was going to press on regardless of anything anyone said. He was like the water torture of advice. UUUUUUUUGH. And it wasn't like he was even a particularly good mentor.

"You know your friends are fighting now" he said. Xolin knew of course; her morpher had gone off just after entering the ship. And she knew he know she knew; he was just baiting her.

"They can handle it" she muttered. She really had no interest in this conversation; why couldn't just leave her be? Really, she *knew* the others would be fine. Sid would come up with some amazing plan, and the day would be saved, and they just wouldn't need her.

"You know, it's funny. One of the reasons you were picked was your incredible sense of self-confidence and bullheaded determination. So why now? What's changed?"

Oh no. No, he did *not*. She spun on him, standing up and wheeling around in a single graceful motion, a look of hatred in her eyes. Fine. He wanted to do this? They'd do this, right here. "You wanna know what my problem is?!" she seethed, "You won't *shut up*, and neither will anyone else! What is *with* you people?! I'm having a *bad day*, why can't I just have some space where people will leave me alone for a while!?"

"Because your job determines whether people live or die—including your teammates. You don't get sick days just because you 'don't feel like it'" Iota replied plainly, "It's not just about you. But more than that, it's because they care about you".

A slight surprise came over Xolin's bloodlust face. She didn't quite know how to counter that. Iota continued, "Sid told you as much, didn't he? And you rejected him. You use so much effort keeping people out because they might hurt you; so much effort keeping your façade up so you can pretend you're something you're not—that eventually your well runs dry".

"You…wow…just who do you think you are?!" she demanded, her fists balling up in fury. Where was this even *coming* from? This is why she was starting to hate her boss; he'd just come out of nowhere and pull shit like this.

…Was he why Sid had really come back? Suddenly Xolin wondered.

But Iota didn't miss a beat, instead prodding her further. If one approach didn't work, he'd just attempt another one and another one until one stuck. Eventually he'd hit gold, or at the very least the cumulative efforts would bring her down, "So your family and you had a falling out. Are you *really* going to allow them to dictate your actions for the rest of your life? Are you really that much of a puppet?"

That did it. Those were the magic words. Xolin lunged over the couch at the armored figure, her fist aiming right for his helmet. But Iota simply stepped aside, knocking her aside as she fumbled past. She landed in a heap on the ground, but scrambled for the next assault.

"Your combat style today is clumsy; unfocused—much like yourself. I found you a drifter, but you haven't yet been able to move beyond that. You're just running in place, hiding in fear of yourself".

Holy CRAP, he just could not shut up today! She roared as she threw herself at her mentor again. But Iota had had quite enough, and simply knocked her aside, over the bar counter as she got close. A flash of blue emanated from just out of view, and a second later the blue ranger stood back up.

"You're going to fight me?" Iota chuckled darkly, "So you are still just a child, after all".

Xolin paused. She was battle-raged, sure, but she also had just enough mind to know that if she *did* go after him, he'd be completely right.

Damn it.

"If you have any ounce of self-respect and dignity, you will help your friends" Iota said, "Unless you just want to wallow in self-pity for the rest of your life; cowering in the shadow of your home life". With that, Iota stepped out of the room, making sure he wasn't present when Xolin's fist put a dent in the wall. Another job well done, by his counting.

* * *

This was bad. Each ranger had pared off against one of the bat monsters, but even though each were only a third as powerful as the single monster was originally, the fact that they were basically immortal meant that it was only a matter of time until they wore the rangers down. Already, their accumulated injuries were starting to slow them down. Sel had fared the worst; she had little to no melee combat training and just wasn't a very physically strong person to begin with—and in such cramped quarters her ranged attacks just weren't cutting it. Sid made a mental note to start her on some training exercises if they ever got out of this.

Trok was holding his own a bit better, but it was clear to Sid that even he needed more practice. Trok just wasn't a very skilled player yet.

And as for Sid, well…he'd managed to take down his own dance partner at least twice now, but it had managed to edge in a few critical blows. Sid chocked it up to being out of practice.

Yeah. He definitely needed to start training his team.

A grunt of pain as the yellow ranger hit the wall next to him, and Sid knew she was almost down for the count. Another grunt of pain, and Trok joined them on Sid's other flank, rolling in.

"Well, this is just great" Sid mumbled to himself, his axe in a defensive position. Not that it mattered against three opponents. They had to get out of here. The red ranger glanced at the exit—he knew what he had to do; "Trok, Sel. Listen to me; head back for the ship. I'll buy you a few minutes to get out of here".

Trok swung his attention at Sid, his jaw dropping at the implication, "What? But—"

"No arguments" Sid said, "I think I can hold it off until it runs out of energy. You guys can't. Regroup back at the ship for a new plan. I'll join you as soon as I can".

"You're not committing suicide" Trok protested.

Sid grinned under his helmet, and flashed Trok a thumbs up, "Don't worry. I've been through worse than this. Now go!"

Trok was just about to grab Sel's hand and do as he was told when he heard a voice. Her voice.

"Don't bother".

All three rangers turned to see Xolin standing at the exit. Her appearance was haggard, her face bitter and tired. With a shaky breath, she pressed her morpher, and in an instant the blue ranger appeared before the others. The monsters took notice of this…no, notice of *her*, and shifted their attention accordingly.

Trok was quick on the uptake, "…Wait. Triforian…oh!"

Xolin paid him no heed as she tossed Sid her lance, "Hold on to that. Get the cannon ready on my signal".

"What are you going to do?" he asked as she stepped in between them and the monsters.

"What I'm supposed to do" she said with a quiet sigh. She increased her voice, addressing the monsters next as she pulled out her sidearm blade, "Legend goes that you guys hunt triforians with deep lifeforce reserves. Spiritual energy and all that".

The Areitai trio seemed to agree with her words, becoming agitated; they sensed her power. Under her helmet, she made a grim smile, "That's why we found you as easily as we did, isn't it? You were tracking me the second I entered town. Because I'm not *just* a font of spiritual energy. No, I can do things like this".

Trok's eyes bulged in surprise as Xolin split herself into three separate rangers, each holding a saber. Even Sid was taken slightly aback; she'd managed to duplicate morphing energy as well. Powerful…and dangerous. Sid knew duplicating powers for any real length of time was…well, not good. Curious.

The three Xolins took up a united combat stance. "Get ready" she said to Sid, before turning her attention back to the monsters. And in a single united movement, the three blue rangers leapt into action.

It was beautiful, actually, almost like a dance as the three Xolins moved around the battlefield in absolute unison. The blue ranger swung around, under the claws, coming up the backside with her sword. With a single sweeping motion, she swung around and struck upward along the backside and followed up with a second diagonal slash. And a third. And a fourth.

Screeching in pain, the beasts turned, their claws coming down on their targets. But Xolin was ready; flipping herself up, her leg knocked the claw aside, giving her sword a clean shot to cut right through the arm. As she landed, she transformed her sword into its blaster mode, aimed at the Areitai's head, and fired repeatedly.

Taking the monster took synchronous shots—anything less meant that the monster could regroup and recreate its fallen forms. She knew that; she'd read up on the creature during her priestess studies. She knew how they worked; and she was ready. Together, she shifted her weapon back to its melee form, rushing in at the monster's open forms. She shouted, power coursing through her as the charged up blade struck true, impaling the monster.

Another battle cry sounded as she pushed off the monster into the air with a kick, taking her sword with her. The blue ranger flipped around in the air, passing her other forms as they exchanged dance partners. Xolin came back down, blue energy exploding around her boot as she landed a kick on the Areitai's face. Using it as another launching point, she swung around, landing a few feet away in a runner's position and charged again, her blade now fully charged with energy. In her vision all she saw was an obstacle. Kill it, and she could go back home and let the day just pass away-and she could just go back to ignoring her past and all its problems.

One final strike as she passed the beast by did it; the Areitai sparked and smoked, its three forms rescinding once more into one. She couldn't ever lose to such a base creature.

"Now!" Xolin commanded, "Before it escapes!"

Sid nodded, he and the others leveling their combined weapon at the creature, "Defender Cannon!"

"FIRE!" the three rangers shouted. A torrent of firepower zoomed in on the monster, and it exploded in a blaze of glory, leaving only a pile of smoldering debris behind.

"That…how…how did you *do* that?" Trok asked, now that his attention was no longer on 'not dying'. He jumped over to Xolin, looking over her figure, but there was no trace of the other two Xolins.

"I…" she stammered, but didn't quite know how to take it.

The green ranger laughed, "That was amazing! You were like, woosh! And then, slash! And…wow!"

"You uh…liked it?" she asked hesitantly. It was strange hearing those words; she'd become very accustomed to hiding her powers from other people after leaving home. Other triforians found it an abomination, and as for everyone else, well…

Sid nodded, "Yeah. That was pretty great" he said approvingly, though not nearly as hyperactive as the green ranger. "Welcome back, by the way".

"…Y-yeah…" she muttered, a little bit of gloom seeping back in. She wasn't exactly sure how to take this—part of her desperately wanted in. To just take their friendships and run with it. But part of her just wanted to run screaming in the other direction. She was afraid, and she hated that.

Sid put his hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "Let's go home, hmm?" he asked. She nodded, faintly smiling in forced gratitude.

That, of course, was when the monster decided to reassemble itself and grow forty stories.

"…I don't suppose that's in the mythology" Sid said, stepping back as he glared at the beast.

Xolin's eyes narrowed in suspicion, "No. No, it isn't".

Sid sighed. Great. That meant they were still being hunted; someone had *brought* the monster here knowing it would attract them, and knowing it would go after Xolin. So much for being free. He brought his morpher to his faceplate, "Right. Iota, it's zord time".

"_Understood"._

* * *

By the time the Areitai realized it wasn't alone (by giant monster standards), it was too late. A flying kick from the Defender Megazord sent the monster out of the city, landing in the desert between it and the lowland sea just a few miles away.

"So much for keeping a low profile" Sid mused, activating the Megazord's sword from his seat in the cockpit. The two titans clashed, the Megazord's saber blocking the monster's claws, before going on the offensive and getting a good shot in.

…Unfortunately, the rangers hadn't counted on another ability of the Areitai; its wings began to flap, generating powerful winds that slammed into the Megazord's hull. Sparks flew, and the Megazord toppled over, allowing the monster to jump on top of it and begin pummeling it. The cockpit shook and shuttered as the zord took a beating.

"Shields are dropping fast! We need to get back up!" Trok said as his console sparked. Sid gritted his teeth.

Taking action, Xolin brought up the Megazord's blaster weapon, and a stream of steady laser fire punched into the bat. It staggered back in pain, smoke emanating from its chest as the Megazord got back to its feet, following up with another volley from its gun.

"Nice!" Sid applauded, "You feel up to an auxillary zord?"

Xolin nodded, knowing where this was going, "Do it".

A moment later, a blue light shot out of the Megazord's chest, growing larger and larger until it evaporated, replaced by a blue and silver spaceship with black trim, large wings taking up its backside. The vehicle spun around the monster, opening fire as it weaved around gracefully, easily remaining out of range of reprisal.

"Defender Megazord, Lightning Mode!" Xolin commanded. The blue Guardianzord split apart, its components forming around the Megazord as chest armor, gauntlets, a new helmet, and a pair of large wings—and two large guns now holstered to its sides.

Before the monster could even rebound, the Megazord was already on the offensive, kicking off into the air as it grabbed its new weapons and opened fire in midair, vaulting over the creature.

"Oooooh, *speed* mode! Duh!" Trok said, slapping himself. Xolin's zord had been the only one he couldn't figure out the purpose of. But duh, it made sense considering it was the only archtype unaccounted for.

The monster howled as the lasers hit their mark. Another launch into the air, and the Megazord's foot impacted against the Areitai's side. The zord landed, and followed up with a second kick. And a third. It dodged a swipe from the claws, bringing its guns up and planting them right up against the monster's hide.

"Game over" Xolin said, as explosions ripped through the creature. "And now to finish this. Azure Sniper!" The Megazord combined the two guns into a single rifle and aimed. Even as the monster charged, it was too late. The resulting shot cut right through the beast. It toppled over, exploding once again, and leaving the Megazord triumphant.

* * *

Sid grimaced as he stood in front of the doors to the simudeck. Trok had said she was in there, but…well, he wasn't sure if he should disturb her. He had almost opened the door, but hesitated at the last second. What if he messed it up worse?

Taking a deep breath, he resolved himself, and pressed the control button. The door swished open, and he cautiously stepped inside.

The room was *definitely* Triforian in appearance; large sandstone columns held the rectangular ceiling up, with numerous pyramidal lanterns hanging 'upside down' at each interval to cast a quiet yellow light on the desert rock of the interior—though there were enough open ornately grated windows up above to allow natural sunlight in. (Well…'natural' anyway, considering it was all a hologram). At each end of the room, waterfall fountains pooled, flanked by exotic desert plant life in pots, and populated by the occasional songbird bathing itself. Behind the pillars on the long wall he could also see two small fire pits, and all around the edges he could see numerous weapons and armor laying about haphazardly. And in the center sat a raised section of the floor, rectangular in design, and obviously designed for some sort of sparring ritual. Xolin sat cross-legged in the center, in some sort of meditative trance.

A breeze filtered through the windows. A few chimes rang in the distance, pressured by the wind.

Sid hesitantly stepped inside, taking in the illusion Xolin had created.

"I was…feeling nostalgic, I guess. Pretty stupid thing to feel" she said with her eyes still closed, her voice barely above a whisper. She hated herself for that. For both things, actually. Being nostalgic for home…nonsense. Utter nonsense. And yet, here she was.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude" Sid replied, turning, "I'll come back later".

"No" she said suddenly, then relaxed, "…No. I mean…you're not. I just…" she took a deep breath. This was hard. The words just weren't coming out right. Damn it.

"Bad day?"

She laughed. Actually *laughed*. "…Yeah. Yeah, it's been a pretty crappy day. Come on, sit down". She motioned to the floor opposite of her. Sid hesitated, but sat down on the ledge regardless.

"I meant what I said" Sid said, his voice also quiet, "I don't want to be your enemy".

She nodded solemnly, "I know. I just…I know I'm not the easiest person to get along with".

"Join the club".

Another small chuckle; one he shared in with her. The laughter settled into a brief silence.

"Tril'nai".

"…Pardon?" Sid asked, perplexed.

A small smile crossed her lips as she explained, "My ability. It's a skill my House taught me when I was a kid. Back home, I mean. It's…" she paused, considering her words, "Triforian culture and religion is…weird. There's a lot of nuances. But basically, we believe our bodies are sacred temples, abstract representations of the universe. We have multiple facets, just like the universe. Everything is just a fragment of a larger whole. And, well…some houses don't take kindly to other houses teaching certain arts. They believe that by willfully splitting our souls, we are making a mockery of existence, and diluting our essences. We defile our temples".

Sid was quick on the uptake, "But not according to your people".

She shook her head, "Some houses, like mine, believe that Tril'nai is a celebration of life, of the universe and all its facets. We don't see defilement; we see an expression of harmony and life".

"…So why did you leave home?"

Xolin sighed, knowing this was coming. But she'd had enough time to think now, and was a bit more prepared. "It…my parents and I didn't agree on a lot of things. Like what I wanted to be when I grew up. Or…well, anything really".

"What did you want to be?"

"A member of the priest order of our House collective". She laughed at Sid's perplexed reaction, then sobered up, "...I was part of the upper class though, and my parents didn't want me to 'waste away' in such 'esoteric nonsense'. They wanted me in an arranged marriage-a business transaction with another House in our alliance. It was good for the family and our status. I disagreed and…things got bad" she got quiet for a moment, "…Not that I would have done any better in the order anyway. I'm way too independent. I'd have been rewriting ancient texts and committing heresies within a month of graduation". She chuckled darkly.

"I'm sorry" Sid said, not sure where else to go from here.

"Yeah, so am I" Xolin flopped down on her back, mildly stretching. Silence once again filled the room.

"…I'm tired of hating" she finally said a moment later, her voice quiet and weary and…exhausted. She stared up at the ceiling in contemplation, "But every time I think about…anything, it just boils inside of me, and everything tightens up and it just…comes out. And I don't know what to do". Why was she telling him all this? Or even admitting it to herself? She hadn't even told Trok any of this. She didn't know, but it felt…it felt okay. Trok, as close as they had gotten, was like a kid brother she figured. Sid was more like a…a peer? A friend?

Hmm.

Sid had absolutely no idea how to respond to this; he had absolutely no experience with this kind of stuff, he wasn't…ugh. The red ranger was so used to simply being out on his own, only having to deal with himself that he was just out of his depth. Silently he cursed himself for thinking he could just come in here and make things right so easily.

"Don't worry" she said, eyeing him, reading his expression, "I know there's not really anything you can say. It's my problem to deal with".

"You know you're not alone though, right?" he asked.

She nodded, sitting up. She really *was* grateful for that, "Yeah. And thanks".

More silence.

"…So why the cloak?" he asked, genuinely curious.

She snickered as she stood up, pointing to the tattoo around her left eye, "Symbol of my House. Many Houses do it. It's just sort of an old tradition, especially among the higher class ones. Though, I guess it's not really 'my' House anymore". She walked over to the edge of the small arena and began stretching her arms, "Wanna spar?" she asked casually.

Sid was a little bit surprised by that request, "I…weren't you meditating?"

A wry grin crossed her face, this one not so easily removed, "Combat can be a form of meditation too".

Sid chuckled and stood up, taking his place at the opposite end of the arena.

"I don't want to be your enemy either, Sid" she said earnestly, now moving on to her legs. She finished and took up a fighting stance. Her smile widened into a cocky expression, "But fight me, and we'll see if you're friend material".

Sid returned the grin, assuming a fighting stance himself, "May the best man win".

She shook her head in amused disbelief, "I'll make you eat those words" she said, just before the two swung into each other.

* * *

Two other figures, holographic and obscured, stood inside Iota's office, alongside the aforementioned warrior. For his part, Iota stood in front of his window, his arms crossed behind him as he watched the stars fly by.

"Reckless. Very reckless" the first figure, male, said. His tone was disapproving—not that Iota particularly cared. "Your little zord battle was seen by the entire city. And there have been similar reports on KO-35, Onyx, and most troublingly—Arkilla. If the Alliance ever tracks the incident on Arkilla back to the Confederacy, the consequences would be disastrous".

Iota snorted, "And how would you recommend we cover up zord battles?"

"I don't *know*, Iota. That's your job as a field agent to figure out. None of the other teams have this problem; they've been able to keep things from escalating that far in populated areas. And we don't want attention drawn to us, least of all your team". The male figure sighed.

"Your concerns have been noted" Iota said.

"Things are progressing well then, I take it" the male figure asked, changing the conversation. Iota knew he would; he didn't do well with walls. And Iota was excellent at wall-building.

Iota nodded, "Though there have been a few minor setbacks, we remain mostly on schedule".

The other figure, female, spoke up now, "When can we begin phase two, then?"

"Not for a while" Iota sighed, moving back to his chair, "The team situation is still new and fragile. I haven't yet been able to mold them to how they need to be. They are progressing, as I said, but…they are at a delicate stage. The slightest misstep could shatter the team. We need them as a functional unit before moving on to stage two of the operation".

"Agreed" the male said, "It would be unfortunate if anything were to happen".

"It should be noted that we *are* on a definite deadline" the female said, "If we wait too long, we may miss our window of opportunity".

Iota nodded, his hand on his chair, "I know that, but to move rashly is to invite disaster. Our enemies will not be forgiving".

The female relented, "Very well. Keep us informed of your progress. And…good luck".

Iota nodded just before the two forms vanished, "And to you". Now alone, he sat down and brought up multiple windows; each containing his psychological reports on his team. Sid, Xolin, Trok, Sel…they were all there. The pieces were all there, they just hadn't been made to all fit right just yet.

"Soon" he reassured himself, "Soon".

* * *

_TO BE CONTINUED…_


	5. 1x05: Body Snatching

**1.05: BODY SNATCHING**

Trok was bored.

The green ranger had spent the last ten minutes crouching under a bush waiting just in case the prey came his way. Ugh. They could have at least let him push the monster into the trap; Sid always got all the fun parts. Leader's prerogative, he guessed. Bleh.

The plan had actually been kind of complex; lure the shape-changing monster into an area where they had set up beacons to neutralize his abilities, and then position themselves at the edge until it was time to move in. It had merit; it was similar to how his people would hunt for food back home—large desert creatures needed to be outflanked and taken down through teamwork. But that didn't mean he wasn't still *bored*.

Though, Trok was actually pretty proud of himself this time. Those beacon devices that neutralized shapeshifting? Those were all his. While Sid had come up with the plan, the devices themselves were Trok's handiwork. Not bad, for such a rushed, jury-rigged solution.

The planet that they were on couldn't have been less like home if it tried. The entire time they had been here, Trok had only seen marshes and swamps. Even now, he was crouching knee-deep in watery muck…eugh. What he wouldn't give to be on dry land. Not that the atmosphere wasn't beautiful; it really was. Giant trees towered above him, connecting to each other through their branches like one gigantic organism. They were spaced out on the ground, interspaced with smaller independent alien plant life; large organisms with blue, purple, or orange bioluminescent parts. And in the early mist-filled hours at the edge of dawn, their glow made the forest almost magical, like something out of a storybook.

Focus, Trok.

The green ranger glanced at his morpher. Numerous life-signs appeared on the small holographic map, and it seemed that everything was almost in place. Sure enough, Xolin's voice soon came over the communicator, _"Target in sight. Everyone get ready to move in"._

He couldn't see anyone else out in the swamp, but that was because of just how wide the trap had been sent, and just how dense the murky jungle was. When it had first been mentioned they were visiting an aquitian colony world, Trok had been expecting the usual; large oceanic expanses with pod cities on the sea floor. Instead, here aquitian settlements rose out of the low wetlands like bizarre fungal growths, peeking above the waterline in large collectives.

A rustle in the leaves near Trok caught his attention. The monster couldn't be here already, he'd have gotten an update from Xolin if that were the case. So why… Trok risked a glance over the bush he was stationed behind. To his surprise, a familiar fat blob-like white figure was lurking around not more than a few yards away. The monster! But how…didn't matter. Trok gripped his hammer as he prepared to strike.

"I've located the monster" he spoke into his morpher, "Everyone converge on my position!"

"…_What? Trok, no, the monster's over this way! Trok!"_

The green ranger paid no heed to the warning as he charged in, swinging his hammer at the monster's backside. It had been a particularly annoying foe; being able to change its appearance and mimic anyone and everyone. They'd had a hell of a time trying to flush him out of the aquitian colony, and even now it seemed he was a slippery one, having somehow evaded the other rangers. But that just meant it was all up to Trok.

The hammer came down on the monster's face, just as it turned around to see its attacker a smidge too late. Trok followed up with a second swing, and a third. A grin broke across his face as he laid into the monster. He was winning! *Winning*! At this rate he'd take out the monster before the others showed up. He'd be the hero for today! Wouldn't the others be so proud of him.

Seemingly realizing it was outmatched, the monster turned tail and ran. No! Trok knew that if it got away, the trap would have failed. He wouldn't let it end this way; not yet not when they were so close. The others had put too much effort into it for it to fail like this. Trok gave chase, even as he spoke into his morpher, "Monster is attempting to escape. Following in pursuit".

"_Trok? Trok! Stop! You're out of formation!"_

But the green range was too into the chase to hear the pleas for him to turn back. Deeper and deeper into the forest he ran. His hammer mace almost caught the monster at one point, but instead wrapped itself around an old tree log, which shattered when he pulled his weapon back. Unfortunately, that split second delay was all that the monster needed to up and vanish.

"No!" Trok panted, slowing to a halt. His fist hit the tree he was leaning next to in frustration. He had been so close.

"_Trok! Come in, where are you?!"_ his morpher chirped with Sid's voice, _"The monster's closing in on Sel's position! She can't fight in melee combat, where are you?!"_

Wait, the monster was back there? But how…nevermind. He was too far out of position, he knew that as he looked around at his unfamiliar surroundings, breathing heavily. Oh spirits, Sel. Trok doubled back, already a bit winded from sprinting so far with a heavy weapon. He'd make it though; he had to.

* * *

It was quiet. She liked quiet. Not like, *absolute* silence, that would drive anyone insane. But this…this was nice. It far exceeded, in her opinion, the stuffy corridors of the aquitian pods. So many people coming and going… She had to admit, seeing all these new things were beginning to give her a fondness for it, but after a while all the sights and sounds would just start to blend together and become an uncomfortable noisy mess. Too much noise.

But here…she'd hear the breeze, some birds calling, the occasional frog or…well, whatever passed for 'frog' on an alien world. It was nice.

…Now, if only everyone else would stop talking all the time over the communicator. They were yelling at Trok for…some reason. He'd found the monster, wasn't that good? She idly checked her map.

Wait, that wasn't good. Trok *was* way out of position, and the monster was…

"_The monster's closing in on Sel's position! She can't fight in melee combat, where are you?!"_

Uh oh.

Sel had been positioned between Trok and Xolin of Courage, so that no matter what, one of them could have intercepted her if she ended up being in the path of the monster's attempted escape. Now one of those flanks was gone, and it looked like the shapeshifter would reach her before any of Xolin's aspects did—and even Courage, the strongest of the three, wasn't nearly as powerful as Xolin herself.

Sure enough, the white and flabby but otherwise disturbingly blank form of the monster was closing in on her position, and indeed had already noticed her—though it was hard to tell since its face was non-existent, but the fact that it was bounding right at her was a giveaway. The one advantage she had was that she was a few feet up in a tree looking down at the creature. So, she took aim with her bow and fired a shot. But just as she fired, the monster shot of volley of laser blasts of its own, knocking her out of the tree and into the muck below. Her own attack had just barely missed. As the yellow ranger struggled to get back to her feet, the creature charged in. Sel just barely had time to block with her bow, slashing across the monster's front with the blades lining the front of her weapon. A second attempt at a (short-ranged) missile attack was thwarted by the shapeshifter knocking her weapon aside, her laser arrow hitting a nearby tree harmlessly. Two more hits and she was down.

Sel grunted as the creature kicked her. The others had only begun training her on melee combat in the past week. While she was quickly proving to be a naturally excellent sniper, a single week of training was not enough to effective against anything. The yellow ranger struggled, pinned to the marshy ground by the much fatter beast's foot, her weapon having been lost somewhere under one of the water pools hidden by the tall grass.

'Surprise your enemy' had been one of Sid's first lessons to her, just before he had swung his pole under behind her legs, dropping her to the ground unceremoniously. Now, in a fit of inspiration, she grabbed her sidearm blaster and opened fire, catching the monster off-guard as it had been preparing to finish her off. It stumbled back, giving her a moment to scramble to her feet and let off another volley of laser blasts. By now however, the monster was ready, and simply bullrushed through, slamming Sel against the nearest tree, its form rippling but unable to take another shape. Likely this meant that the dampening field was working. Not that that was much comfort to Sel, as the monster pressed against her, unable to understand why it wasn't able to take her form.

Sel struggled frantically. She couldn't move, she couldn't breath. This was an unexpected and unpleasant surprise and just…too much.

TOO MUCH!

She roared, electrical energy surging through her body, coursing down her arms. It flooded into the shapeshifter as she screamed in a mixture of fear, anger, and pain. The monster staggered back, sparking and smoking as Sel limply fell to the ground, having blacked out.

"SEL!" Xolin of Courage shouted, seeing her downed comrade. Her lance struck the monster as she came down on it, wheeling around and making sure her body was a barrier between her opponent and the unconscious yellow ranger. Realizing there wasn't much she could do right at this moment, the blue ranger spun at the monster, trading numerous blows. She wasn't too effective however; with only a third of her strength, she mostly had to rely on her speed and agility to keep avoiding the monster's attacks as she drew its attention.

Thankfully, Xolins of Mind and Spirit showed up just as the monster gained the upper hand. Her two other aspects landed on the monster's shoulders, flipping around and landing kicks before dropping next to Xolin of Courage. The three of them united once more, leaving just one fully-powered blue ranger.

But before the fight could resume between the two of them, Sid's axe imbedded itself in the monster's back. It staggered forward, sparking.

"About time you showed up" Xolin grunted, as the two rangers readied for the next assault.

Sid shrugged, grinning under his helmet, "Sorry. Had to stop and ask for directions".

"You're not funny" the blue ranger quipped back.

"How is she?" Sid asked, changing the subject as he saw Sel's form behind them.

"Don't know" Xolin replied, keeping her eye on the monster, "I've been a little preoccupied".

Sid nodded, "Right. Shall we?"

The two rangers launched their attack, striking out at the fat, pale blob monster with their respective weapons, both fully charged. It took numerous strikes, but unable to transform into any other form, the blob was defenseless against two skilled rangers. It collapsed and exploded.

Sid knelt down next to Sel as he and Xolin heard Trok's voice, "I'm here! I'm here! Sorry! I just—woah!" a large splash told them all they needed to know. They sighed as a very dirty green ranger arrived on the scene, utterly out of breath. "Sorry…I…"

"Where are you?" asked Sid, annoyed, "We had a plan for a reason". He sat Sel upright next to the tree and began removing her helmet.

Trok stammered, "S-sorry. I just…I saw the monster going in another direction and then it vanished and I just-"

"But we just killed that thing" Xolin said, glancing at Sid, her tone judgmental, but also a tad quizzical.

The red ranger shook his head, "It's…possible the monster had a decoy power we didn't know about". He wasn't sure how much he liked that idea; if that was true then how did they know they'd even destroyed the real monster? Would they ever? Amazingly, he'd have preferred it if Trok had simply messed this one up.

"How is she?" Trok asked timidly, as Sid felt for her pulse under her jaw. This was all his fault. If he'd just…damnit. Still just a stupid rookie.

Sid grimaced, "I think she's just out cold, but we should really get her back to the ship just in case the monster put a spell on her or something". He picked her up, slinging her body over his shoulder, "Come on".

"Y-yeah…" Trok muttered, stepping in line behind the others. No one said anything as they headed back to the Megaship. No one noticed the flake of the monster's skin that had lodged itself under Sid's belt.

* * *

The alert went off; that meant that phase one had been completed.

Capricorn was pleased. The rangers would expect to defeat the monster as always, and the gimmick employed meant that it would have been a challenging enough fight that they wouldn't think anything was wrong. But little did any of them know that it just meant that round one was over.

For weeks now he'd been struggling to find a way to take that damned ranger team down—partly because it was a job, but also because he *owed* them. They had single-handedly destroyed his life, his career…they would pay. But every time so far, he'd been thwarted. Trill had been a disappointment—hiring mercenaries to take care of the job just wasn't good enough. It wasn't clever enough. No, he'd needed to be sneakier about this.

So he'd employed an Areitai, dropping the creature off on an isolated colony world near where they had been stationed, knowing they'd likely be the ones to investigate. But things had gone wrong, and the monster just hadn't been good enough. An energy-draining monster was a good idea, but just not practical when it couldn't be controlled and only wanted triforian energy.

But now he had a *good* idea. He'd hit the rangers where they lived, infiltrate their own ranks with one of his own. He cackled at his own genius. Soon. Soon, he'd be back on top, and he'd even be able to take their megaship as his own personal base. All he had to do was wait.

* * *

Thankfully, to Trok, there had been no spells or anything of any sort. Sel had awoken extremely exhausted and with a splitting headache once in the medbay, but other than that she seemed pretty much okay. Sid and Iota had postulated that the monster had somehow drained her energy—though how it had done so while leaving her powers intact was a puzzle. But the thought that the monster had yet *another* new power they hadn't factored in worried Sid, even with it dead and gone. He hoped, anyway.

Unfortunately for Trok, Iota wasn't too happy.

"Irresponsible" the armored figure spat out, "Why would you abandon your position?" he demanded to know of Trok. For his part, the horathean kept his eyes down in shame and fear. He didn't like getting on anyone's bad side, least of all his commanding officer's. And when people were disappointed in him it was just the worst.

"I…I thought I saw the monster, so I went after it" he explained, "It was heading in the opposite direction, away from the dampening field. I thought—".

"You thought incorrectly" Iota cut him off crossly, "Did the sensor map not tell you where the monster was?"

Trok fidgeted, "Well, yes…but—"

"Then why did you not focus on the monster's actual location?"

Xolin broke in, unable to take this any longer, "We think the monster had some kind of doppleganger power. In that case-"

"In that case, I expect you to follow your scanners, and not your eyes" Iota snapped, not taking his gaze off Trok, "You were supposed to be in position to assist your teammate. She's not yet trained in melee combat; because of your actions she could have been severely injured!"

Trok dared a glance at Sel, seemingly terrified at what could have happened. He didn't look at her for very long; he couldn't, and very quickly resumed his staring contest with the ground.

Sid spoke up angrily in his defense, "Hey, that's not fair! It was a combat situation, he did what he thought was the best course of action with the information provided".

"Plans don't always go the way we want them to" Xolin added, folding her arms, quickly becoming very cross.

For the first time since the argument had started, Iota turned his attention toward Sid, "And what happened the last time you didn't follow the plan?"

Both Xolin and Sid glared angrily at him; his intentions did not go unnoticed. They said nothing though, it was clear this argument had already been decided in Iota's mind, and Sid had no intention of digging through old sins with some aloof blowhard. When it seemed that they had conceded, Iota added, "You're all dismissed".

"I'm…sorry" Trok muttered, "I'll really try better next time".

"See that you do". Iota's response dripped with disappointment, and shortly after the green ranger ran from the room—Sid could have sworn he saw tears. Poor kid. Iota glanced once more at the others before also leaving the room, his exit far more composed.

"*Really* starting to dislike the boss" Sid seethed.

"You okay?" Xolin asked him.

Sid exhaled, "Besides wanting his face in the wall? Yeah".

"Must you yell here?" came Sel's voice. She was now sitting upright in the bed, an annoyed expression etched on her face.

Sid's face changed to a more sympathetic one, "Sorry. Just…disappointed in ourselves. We'll be going".

"Mmm" Sel mused quietly, leaning back.

Xolin sighed, turning her attention back to Sid, "Go find Trok, cheer him up".

"…Isn't he *your* sidekick?" Sid asked, perplexed that Xolin would defer that much responsibility to someone else—especially him.

Xolin shook her head, "He looks up to you. I'm more like an annoying big sister; it'd mean more coming from a highly sought after objective source. I'll catch up with him during our training session later".

"If you're sure…" Sid said warily, turning to leave.

She nodded, gently pushing him out the door, "I am, trust me. I know how Trok works, and right now he needs a comforting word. Who better than his hero? 'Sides, you're better at it than I am".

Sid nodded in hesitant response and headed out, leaving Xolin and Sel behind. Xolin looked back at her, "You need anything?" she asked offhand.

"No" was the singular response.

Xolin smirked in bemusement as she turned to leave; typical Sel. The girl never needed anything—even a few weeks into this, and she was an enigma that Xolin didn't really care to crack. "Call if that changes" she casually remarked, leaving. She wouldn't, of course, but it would be irresponsible to just leave her to rot.

Sel relaxed. Quiet. Finally. Too much shouting.

* * *

The first place Sid looked was the workbay, with the assumption that Trok would be moping around somewhere in there, tinkering with weapons or some other personal project. When it was clear that the room was empty, he instead tried the launchbay—maybe he was working on the skycycles. But nope, no-one there.

Maybe the loading bay. Nope.

…Why were half of the rooms on this ship named with 'bay' as a suffix?

By the time he tried Trok's room (mentally smacking himself for not thinking about that earlier), he was becoming a tad annoyed. But nope, still nothing. Same with the simudeck.

Dang. He was quickly running out of places to visit. Knowing his luck, Sid was starting to assume that Trok would naturally be located where he had just looked, unknowingly trailing him. It would be just his speed.

…Wait. Sid had an idea. He crossed the ship, heading towards the lower deck's rear, towards engineering.

Bingo.

Engineering was dominated by the central hyperrush engine, a tall complex pillar that bulged out around the middle with opaque windows to the interior chamber, filled with energy that powered the vessel. The pillar was flanked by smaller engine annexes, while above a pair of catwalks crossed by the top of the engine. Off to the side lay a sealed airlock door directly to space; Sid knew it was 'just in case' of an engine meltdown and excess energy needed vented into space, but its existence always put him on edge, no matter the ship.

To the side of *that* was a small storage room annex; which is where he found Trok, currently digging around through supplies.

"Hey" Sid casually waved, leaning against the door as Trok came back out into the main engineering room. He seemed slightly surprised, but collected himself quickly, if still sullen.

"…Hey". Trok headed over back towards the engine, a data pad in his hands. He opened up a small control panel to its side and began to work on it.

"Need any help?"

Trok shook his head, keeping his attention on the control panel, "Nah. I'm just running diagnostics, checking scans. Tuneups, that sort of thing. It's relaxing".

"You do like to tinker, don't you?" Sid sat down on a stay crate next to the wall. Whenever he found Trok, the kid was usually working on things—tuning up the skycycles, or upgrading the weapons, sometimes he was building inventions of his own (like the dampening device they had used to take down the monster)…or in this case, making his rounds in engineering. In truth Sid hadn't the foggiest idea what Trok was doing, he couldn't tell the difference between a warp conduit and a flux capacitor.

…Flux capacitors were a thing starships had, right?

"Mmm" Trok mumbled in reply. An uncomfortable awkward silence fell over the room, broken only by the soft beeps from buttons being pressed.

"He was wrong, you know".

The beeping stopped, Trok paused. He didn't look back at Sid, instead taking a moment to organize his thoughts, "No, he was right. I messed up. Sel got hurt, and it was my fault 'cause I wasn't there". His voice was quiet, despondent.

"You reacted to a combat situation and attempted to resolve it to the best of your abilities" Sid countered. "Yeah, you really probably shouldn't have gone off without telling us, but you were right for investigating. And anyway, that's why we put Xolin on Sel's other flank; just in case. You wouldn't have made it any sooner than her".

"I still could have made it there a hell of a lot quicker than I did".

Sid smiled sadly, "We all make mistakes. You're inexperienced; it happens. But it was a controlled environment, and no one got seriously hurt. We're rangers; unexpected situations happen. Don't let Iota get to you".

Trok turned to Sid, his padd to his side, "Iota's just…concerned".

Grimacing, Sid sighed, not entirely sure how to approach this subject. He grunted, "I…look, nobody's perfect. Not you, not me, not Iota. Don't let him dictate everything".

Trok blinked, "…What exactly are you trying to say?"

This had been a bad idea; Sid knew that now. He'd made a poor move, time to backtrack. "…Nothing. Forget it" he stood up, "Just remember that mistakes are…" he paused in thought, "mistakes are a necessary part of life. We learn from them, we grow from them. But don't get too down about them". Inwardly, Sid chastised himself; because who better to give advice about not getting too upset about mistakes than the guy who led his old team to their deaths, right?

Another uncomfortable pause settled over the conversation. Sid sighed; damnit, he was *so* not the person to be doing this—especially since he was feeling like a hypocrite giving him that kind of advice. He secretly wondered if Xolin hadn't just pawned this off on him because she really didn't want to herself.

Trok closed the control panel, setting the data padd on the ledge, "…I make a lot of mistakes" Trok mumbled, an unmistakable and unusual bitter tone present, "And I can't seem to stop doing it". The horathean passed Sid as he trudged out of the room—a pained expression etched on his face. Sid crossed his arms as he watched him go, annoyed at Iota.

"Damn manipulating blowhards" he grumbled to himself, now alone and free to speak his mind to the otherwise empty room.

* * *

Iota exhaled as he gently tossed a data padd over to the other side of his desk in his office; Peacekeeper logistics could get bent. He'd seen enough operative deployments that he was pretty sure he'd memorized the entire membership roster *and* every sector name within the Confederacy. If he looked at a chessboard, he'd probably see deployment numbers.

Rook to the Eredon Sector. Knight to the Vika Sector.

Sigh.

A chime came at the door. "Come in" Iota said, bored. The door swished open, and Sid stepped in.

"We need to talk".

This should be good. Iota leaned back in his chair, preparing for Sid's inevitable response to their conversation in the medbay. He'd figured that he'd have a decent chance of Sid coming to speak with him, but it had been almost fifty-fifty—it really depended on just how far Sid felt he had been pushed. "Do we?" he asked, ready for Sid's blunt-force approach to arguing, and ready to shoot down anything he could muster. There was only a thirty percent chance Sid would do anything more than just reiterate his earlier points, and then shut down when Iota would remind Sid of the team he'd already lost to incompetence. Still, it was better than working on files.

But to Iota's surprise, Sid's glare quickly shifted to that of a wild smile after the door closed.

Wait, what.

Before Iota could react, just as he was realizing that shit was indeed *very* wrong, Sid's arm reached out and extended, throwing Iota into the wall, knocking his chair aside. A second later, Sid's form melted away, replaced by the white flabby shapeshifting monster.

Shit.

Pinned against the wall, he moved to contact the team through his helmet's communicator, but the monster seemed to know what he was about to do, instead repeatedly slamming Iota against the bulkhead until he simply passed out. The armored warrior dropped to the floor in a heap, as the monster stepped back into its Sid guise, a malicious grin plastered across his face as he closed in, "I'm glad we had this talk".

* * *

"Your left foot's out of position again. Straighten it up".

"Sorry".

"Stop saying you're sorry".

"Sorry".

"Ugh! And move your foot!"

Xolin sighed in exasperation, she and her opponent standing within her meditation simudeck program. This training session was *not* going well. Not well at all. Trok's thoughts were clearly elsewhere, and any attempt to correct him just ended up making him feel worse. Mistakes compounding mistakes compounding mistakes. And while Xolin had a definite soft spot for the kid, she had absolutely no patience for self-hating whining. Yeah, she knew she was a hypocrite. Regardless.

She guessed she'd just have to try a tough love approach. With lightning-fast reflexes, she swung in, fainting a forward attack. But instead, her leg swung around, tilting her body as she balanced on her hand. Trok had perhaps been expecting a normal frontal assault, but his counter met nothing but midair as Xolin's foot introduced itself to his mouth. Another flip around, and Xolin's other leg swept into Trok's exposed chest. A final launch off from Trok's body sent him tumbling to the ground, as Xolin gracefully landed a few feet away on one knee. She stood back up as Trok grunted.

"And *That* is why you need your head in the game" she said, helping him up, "Feeling sorry for yourself doesn't help on the battlefield".

"Sorry".

For the love of…

She sighed. "Look, you messed up, I get it. Shit sucks. But if you do nothing but blame yourself and obsess over it, and you just end up making more mistakes. So, y'know, get over it".

Trok said nothing in reply, instead looking away—clearly embarrassed that he was now messing up about messing up. Ugh. He was no good like this, and she knew it. "…Let's call it quits for today, hm?" she said to him, "Go get some rest, come back tomorrow when you've got your head on straight". Trok nodded numbly, and walked away, passing Sid as he exited the door to the rest of the ship. Xolin shook her head in irritation as she went to grab a towel she had left hanging on one of the simulation's stone ledges. Hopefully he'd be back to normal by tomorrow.

Damnit, she wasn't good at this kind of thing.

"Problems?" asked Sid, waltzing in.

Xolin grumbled, "Nah, just…Trok's still down. I gather you didn't have much luck either".

Sid shook his head as he put his hands in his pockets, "Sorry".

The glared at him, "Next person to tell me they're sorry is going to get my foot in their mouth".

Before Sid could respond, a second Sid entered the room, hands also in his pockets. "Xolin?" he called, "Have you seen—woah!" his casual domineer evaporated when he suddenly found himself face to face with…well, himself. His expression quickly shifted from confusion, to shock, back to confusion, and then hostility as his mind collected all the pieces of the puzzle, "XOLIN!"

She twisted around, pulling the towel off her head as she suddenly saw double. "Wha—"

The first Sid's smile cracked with psychotic glee as he wheeled on the real Sid, throwing the still-somewhat-off-balance red ranger away before turning his attention on the triforian. Xolin was a bit quicker on the uptake, launching a counter-assault on her foe. Her kick knocked him back a few, giving Sid a few crucial moments to rebound on his doppleganger.

Sadly, it was not to be so.

The doppleganger's appearance melted away as it threw itself into Xolin's midsection, causing her to tumble back into the waterfall fountain.

"Xolin!" Sid shouted in concern, just before the monster's form backhanded him into a pillar. Sucker was strong, that was for sure. But how was it still alive?

Xolin struggled with increasing panic with the semi-solid form of the monster that was keeping her under the water. Xolin hadn't thought enabling the safeties for the water controls in her own personal meditation simulation had been needed; after all, it was just two small fountain pools, how could you drown?

How indeed.

A flash of red, and Sid's ranger form laid into the monster's backside with his axe. The monster let go of Xolin, instead transforming itself into the red ranger, and lunging at Sid. The two clashed blades with the other, with Sid momentarily gaining the upper hand, as Xolin managed to drag herself out of the pool, coughing violently as her body struggled to breathe again. Unfortunately, just as the monster lulled Sid into a mirror axe fight, its left arm let go and melted away into a powerful white limb that punched Sid directly into the next pillar, causing him to drop his weapon. Now with the advantage, the monster's white form slammed into Sid, rapid-punching him senseless until it simply grabbed him and threw him into the wall. Sid fell to the ground in a heap just below where his impact had left a mark on the stone. The red ranger demorphed back into his unconscious human form. The faceless monster then turned back on Xolin, still on her knees, and still coughing.

Determined not to go down this way, she forced herself to her feet, pressed her finger on her morpher…and promptly blacked out as the shapeshifter's red ranger form plowed into her.

* * *

All he'd ever wanted was for them to be proud of him. Sid was that unbeatable ace; that idol you'd look up to for inspiration—unbeatable and undeniable. Xolin was like a big sister; competent and self-assured, yet stern and only ever accepting the best. Iota was his commanding officer; and the man who never gave an inch. To get their respect would mean everything; it'd mean Trok was one step further along on his path to being a hero in his own right, instead of just being the kid; the rookie. He wanted respect.

All he ever wanted was to be a hero. To be the one doing the right thing, to be seen as something better. He'd never gotten much of that at home; the downsides of being the younger sibling.

Hrm. Home. He'd let them down too. It wasn't like it was his *fault*, he had been cast out by his brother, what was he to do? Bad shit had gone down after their parents had died, and Trok had just ended up as the perfect scapegoat. It wasn't like he had *wanted* to leave, but it also wasn't like he was built to take on the responsibilities expected of him in his clan. His brother was better at that anyway. Yet for some reason, that always nagged at the back of his mind.

And now he'd gone and fouled this up too. Again. He'd tried to be like Xolin and Sid, doing what they did and trusting himself and his instincts…and he had failed miserably. Worse, he'd gotten a teammate injured…and Sel of all people. He had still held out hope they could be friends, but after that…man, he was sure he'd be lucky if she even wanted to be in the same room after that. It was all his fault. He'd gotten used to messing up; like that time on Onyx he nearly got swindled, or Ergath IV when he and Xolin had almost gotten arrested because he'd messed up some sort of sacred tea ceremony he hadn't even known he was participating in. Eugh.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. This is why he shouldn't have tried to be anything more than the sidekick. Just…keep your head down, and follow orders blindly. He wasn't much good for anything else.

Blech.

Something else was beginning to bother him though. Things were…quiet. Trok had noticed this for a bit now. Like, normally with only five people onboard, the ship would be quiet anyway, but there was just something…off. It was empty. After he'd left the simudeck, he'd not seen a single person.

Granted, that could be easily explained; both Sid and Xolin were in the simudeck. Sel was in the medbay. Iota was…well, he'd probably be squirreled away inside his office as usual. But…it had been hours. At the very least Sid or Xolin would have been done in the simudeck, or just checked in on him. Or Iota would be making his rounds or…something.

He'd come to the workbay to tinker and be left alone for a while, but now he was starting to feel…lonely.

"Where *is* everyone?" he asked himself, noting that *someone* should have come in for dinner by this point. Deciding something…well, not 'wrong' persay, but 'off' at the very least, Trok got up off his chair and wandered out into the hall.

Quiet emptiness. Hrn.

"…Guys?" he asked the silence. No response. "Sid? Xolin?" Hrn. Trok crept towards the bridge. Why creeping, he didn't know, but something felt…yeah, something felt wrong.

A hand touched his shoulder, and Trok very nearly freaked the freak out. Catching his heart in his throat as he spun around, he was *immensely* relieved to see Sid. "Dude!" he gasped, "Don't do that!"

Sid chuckled light-heartedly, "Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. Have you seen anyone else?"

"You can't find anyone either?" Trok asked. This was definitely wrong; together the two of them should have encountered *somebody*.

Sid shook his head, "Nah. Xolin and I finished practicing in the simudeck like, an hour ago. I haven't seen anyone since then".

Trok blinked, "Not even Sel?" By all rights, she should have still been in the medbay.

"…Where is she?" asked Sid, seemingly curious. Something was wrong, Trok knew that now; Sid would have known that Sel was still in the medbay. He had been *there*. He'd been the one to *put* her in there.

"…You don't know?" Trok asked, not willing to give any further information.

Sid became hesitant, "Er…like I said, I've been in the simudeck. I don't know where everyone is right now".

"…Where was she when you last saw her?" Trok asked, his suspicions quickly confirming themselves. Whoever this was, this was *not* Sid.

"Er…"

Trok's expression switched from surprise and concern to that of a glare, "…Who are you?" he asked, though deep down, he already had a fairly good idea.

Sid stepped back, his jovial nature transforming into malicious glee. Trok was lucky he dodged when he did; one more split second and he'd have been thrown through the wall by the monster's attack. Another split second, and the newly-transformed green ranger charged, hammer in hand. The shapeshifter's other arm swung, but was knocked aside by Trok's weapon, giving him the opening he needed to punch right through. The monster screetched an inhuman noise as it reverted to its normal flabby appearance…and then melted away into the nearest floor grate.

"Wait!" Trok shouted, going after it. But it was too late; it had already escaped. Damn. Trok's mind raced quickly; if he had Sid's form, then Sid was likely already down for the count. He'd last seen Sid with Xolin alone…oh spirits. That left him with two options—Iota and Sel. He really didn't want to deal with the commander right now, and he wasn't the greatest at combat anyway (he assumed anyway…Iota rarely took the field). And Sel was a sitting duck.

Sel! Not again!

Trok ran towards the medbay, hoping beyond hope he wasn't too late.

* * *

The medbay was empty.

The medbay was *empty*.

The green ranger barreled inside the empty room, looking around wildly for some sort of sign. Where was Sel?! Had the monster already been here?! A sound from behind him caused Trok to whirl around—and almost get smacked in the helmet with the IV drop pole that had been stored in the center of the room.

"Sel!" Trok gasped, gripping the pole and trying to keep it away from her beaning him in the head with it, "Where…how…"

The two struggled for a brief moment more, before Sel let go, allowing him to put the pole back down. "I…apologize" she said, backing away a bit, "I thought you were…something is wrong". Her tone was soft and unsure, as if she had just woken from a bad nightmare.

"Are you okay?" the green ranger asked, concerned, "You look like you've seen a ghost".

"I…" she hesitated, unsure. "I…don't feel right. Something is here. Something is wrong".

Trok cocked his head sideways, "Well, you're right about that. The shapeshifter's onboard. I think he's got Sid and Xolin already".

Her eyes widened, "It's here? Now?"

"Well yeah, but-"

"Where?!"

Trok was about to answer that he didn't know, but instead her heard his voice call out Sel's name. "Sel! Get away from him!"

The two looked over to see another green ranger in the doorway, his weapon in his hands and ready to strike. The first green ranger moved to protect Sel. Sel backed away, unsure as to who was real and who was a theat. Everything just felt wrong; that was all she knew.

Thankfully, Trok knew how to work this—if for no other reason than this exact same kind of thing had happened down on the planet when trying to capture the damned thing. It had impersonated Xolin after they had split up to look for it, and only Sid's apparent experience in this sort of thing had seen them through after the two blue rangers had started to wail on each other. "Hey, Sel" he said to the girl behind him, making sure to keep his focus on his double, "Remember when we visited KO-35?"

She nodded, picking up on his meaning, "And after that, we went to Targrath, right?"

He smiled, "No. Rideon. The Triforian colony".

Sel grabbed her bow, her form having already transformed into the yellow ranger. She aimed her weapon—and the false Trok dodged, melting away and pouring itself into the nearest grate.

"I hate it when he does that!" Trok complained, annoyed it had escaped again…and more than a little paranoid. He turned to Sel, "You okay?"

She nodded, "Yeah. Still tired but…yes".

"We should stick together" Trok said, knowing the second they split up, they'd have trouble figuring out who was who again. That…wouldn't be fun. At all. Sel seemed to share his opinion, thankfully. Not that she ever really disagreed with anyone's plans to begin with…hrn. He wondered why she was always so reserved; but now wasn't the time for that.

"Where should we go?" she asked him.

Trok thought for a moment. They could go find Iota; he'd probably have a solution…but there was no proof it'd be the real Iota that they found. No, they needed to get to the bottom of this, they needed to track *everyone*, and secure the ship—it's what Sid and Xolin would do, instead of hiding behind someone else, "…The bridge. We need to find out where the others are". Sel nodded in agreement, and together the two rangers dashed off towards the heart of the ship.

* * *

The bridge, thankfully, was empty. Not that it really gave Trok much comfort—what if one of the chairs was the monster? Or a console? Or…something. Sure, nothing looked out of place so at least he could *mostly* rule it out, but it was still some really annoying paranoia fuel, especially after just getting here had been one long tedious game of 'hope nothing jump scares you when you turn the corner'.

Upon entering the bridge, he had quickly enforced quarantine measures, allowing the doors to lock down and all other possible entrances to be sealed off via force fields. Having given himself some piece of mind, the green ranger settled onto other tasks. He noted Sel was already on top of things by scanning the interior of the ship.

"Found them" she said, motioning Trok over to her. The green ranger looked down at the computer screen, seeing that she had activated one of the many onboard cameras—this particular one located down in engineering. Sure enough, the other two rangers and Iota were chained up in the middle of the floor—and there seemed to be enough for at least two more.

"That's them alright" Trok said as he turned to leave, "Come on, let's do this".

"Wait" Sel cautioned. The mere fact that she spoke up like that got Trok's attention. He looked at her expectedly, and she continued softly after a moment of hesitation, "…The monster, it's not in view of the camera. And sensors aren't picking it up".

It was a trap then. Trok grunted, annoyed. "…Then we'll just have to be on our guard. All we need to do is free them and—"

"I think it's expecting us to do that" she cut in. It never ceased to surprise Trok; she always seemed so…distant, so shy or aloof, and then suddenly out of nowhere she'd be direct and upfront. It was…well, he'd never been able to get a good read on her. "If we rush in, we'll likely trigger the trap".

Trok glanced at the camera feed, then at the door, and then back again, conflicted and agitated, "But we can't just leave them! We have to go down there!" Just sitting here would be the worst mistake of all; they'd be giving up. They were rangers, they were *supposed* to take risks and come out winning. The plan was simple; all he'd have to do was rush in there. Even if they triggered the trap, with two to one odds, they had a good chance of freeing the others before being captured themselves…and that was even assuming they *would* be, since the element of surprise was no longer on the shapeshifter's side.

If he could just get to Sid and Xolin, it didn't matter if he was caught, they'd be able to save the day. Everyone would be safe. They could do this! He *had* to do this!

"You care about them".

Trok froze, surprised by this sudden turn of events, "I…yeah. Yeah, I do" he repeated, a bit more assured.

"Why?"

"I…is there something wrong with that?" Trok countered, confused.

She shook her head, still watching the camera feed, "No. I just…what is that like?"

Trok blinked, "…What is what like? Caring about someone?"

"Yes".

"I…" the green ranger paused to consider his words. He stepped back over to the console with the camera feed, watching the unmoving rangers sitting in engineering. He clenched his fist, "…It's like you…like them, I guess. You don't want to see them hurt. And they care about *me*. They're my friends. I can't really explain it better than that but I just…I look up to them. Xolin's always been there for me, like family when I didn't have any. Just…someone to talk to and joke with and just…I dunno" he sighed, "And while Sid hasn't been with us long, he's just so laid back and cool. And I know he cares too…that's why he came back".

Trok's fists balled up again, "And I keep trying to be like them, and I keep failing. I keep messing it up". He looked away, "Like when you got hurt earlier, because I wasn't there".

"…You care about me" she stated, her quiet voice betraying her surprise.

"Yeah, why not?" Trok shrugged.

The xybrian glanced at the camera feed, "…Why?"

Trok almost laughed, bewildered. It was like trying to explain friendship to a person who'd…who'd never encountered it. Huh. Suddenly, a lot of the pieces of the puzzle began to fold into place for him. "Because you're on our team. You're one of us; shouldn't that be enough?"

"Is it really that easy?" she asked, unsure. Wasn't there supposed to be more too it? It just seemed so…average. She certainly didn't feel any different. Did she care about him? Or them? How could she tell?

Trok chuckled. When she gave him a confused but disapproving glare, he put up his hands in defense and explained, "Sorry. It's just that…I thought you just didn't like me. But…that's not it at all, is it?"

She turned away, her left hand rubbing her right arm in a small fit of self-consciousness. "…I'm not…good with people. I don't have many memories and I just…they didn't concern me, I thought. But the more time I spend on this ship, the more frustrated I become. Because I see everyone on this ship talking and laughing and…you have something I don't but…I don't know how to get it". Her voice somehow got even quieter as she talked, her tone becoming sadder and sadder.

The green ranger extended a hand to yellow. Under his helmet a big grin emerged, though even just by his tone of voice she could tell, "I'm Trok. Would you like to be my friend?"

She looked at his hand, surprised and unsure of what to do. This was just…this was sudden. How should she process this? Hesitantly she brought out her own hand...and before she knew it, Trok had grasped hers in a firm handshake.

"I'm…Sel" she said, a tiny bit more assured as a small smile crossed her lips, "And I accept. If you'll have me".

"Always" Trok grinned back, "It's nice to meet you, Sel". Green looked at the camera feed again; nothing much had changed, "…Ready to go save the rest of our friends?"

Sel looked away again, "I still think rushing in there is a mistake" she said, though her voice was a little more resolute and direct.

"But…what else can we do?" Trok countered again, "We can't just leave them, and I don't think we can take the monster with just the two of us". He and Sel were just the backup; they needed the team aces.

"…If we go in there without a plan, we'll likely be captured" Sel replied calmly, "We would be triggering a trap because we were rash and foolish".

Trok blinked. "…I need to keep my head in the game" he muttered, recalling Xolin's words to him.

"Pardon?"

Something clicked right there for Trok. It was one of those moments where everything just crystalized perfectly for him. "…I think maybe Sid and Xolin might have been trying to tell me something, but I was too busy worrying" he said sheepishly. He'd been too concerned in the moment, worrying about the immediate threat instead of *thinking* or trusting himself. But Sel was right; a raid would be a mistake, he'd just get captured—just like Sid and Xolin. They'd slipped up, made a mistake. They were fallible.

…Well of course Xolin was fallible, he knew that. But just…huh. It was like everything sort of just clicked for him. Maybe it was time to try to solve things like Trok would solve things. Maybe…maybe put some faith in himself?

"…We need to distract the monster somehow" Trok said, after thinking for a moment. Another grin soon broke across his face with a burst of inspiration, "…and I think I know how".

* * *

"I hate when this happens".

Xolin snorted, her back to Sid's back as they sat, chained together, with Iota a few feet away on his own, "Did you get captured a lot when you were in D-Squad?"

Sid shrugged, "Couple times. It sucked". He didn't elaborate, and Xolin didn't really feel up to metaphorically poking him with a stick this time.

"So what's the plan?" she asked, giving another token struggle against her bonds.

Sid gave another curiosity glance of his surroundings, in case something had eluded him. There was nothing. "Trok and Sel are still free. As long as we have them, we don't need to worry".

"Great, the guilt-ridden one and the humanoid nightstand. I feel better already" Xolin quipped.

"You know, you should really have better faith in your sidekick" Sid shot back casually.

Xolin sighed, her body relaxing, "Normally? I would, but right now he's a little messed in the head".

Sid glared at Iota, who said nothing. He struggled with his chains some more, "…Have you tried loosening our binds?"

He heard an exasperated sigh, "No, Sid. I've just been sitting here twiddling my thumbs".

Sid grunted, too busy with a renewed attempt to free himself to take Xolin's bait. He didn't know where the monster had decided to hide in, but it could have literally been anything; they'd woken up here seemingly alone. And that of course meant that this whole thing was a trap to lure the others in. That was…bad.

If Sid had been about to say something in response to Xolin, no one would ever find out, as the green ranger suddenly made his entrance at that moment, the door to engineering not even fully open before he rolled in, gun at the ready. Seeing the coast was clear, he quickly closed the distance between him and the others.

"Trok! So glad you could make it" Sid grinned, "How about free—behind you!" he suddenly shouted, his eyes widening in surprise. Trok spun around just in time to get punched into the far wall by the monster, which had transformed out of a maintenance box that had been left just outside. Damn, rookie mistake. The flabby form of the monster charged at the green ranger, who rolled under before striking back at its backside.

At the moment the monster shifted, or tried to anyway. It gave itself another go, attempting to will it into a copy of Trok, or another ranger. Nothing happened. While it didn't have a face, the monster seemed…concerned. Trok just grinned as the yellow ranger stepped through the door, a small pylon in her hand. He then eyed the monster. "Yeah, sorry. Sel over there just activated one of the dampening field devices. You know, the one we used on you down on the planet? You can't transform anymore".

The monster frantically looked for an escape route, but Sel closed the door behind her, quickly locking down the door pad, having left the pylon on the floor just outside.

"Free the others" Trok said to Sel, brandishing his hammer. She nodded and went; the monster tried to intervene, but Trok slammed his weapon into its side, knocking it back. Green charged in with a battle roar, leaving Sel free to grab her sidearm and cut through the chains.

"Nice plan!" Sid congratulated her as he and Xolin stood back up, letting the chains fall to the floor a they rubbed their wrists.

"It was Trok's idea" she noted. Sid and Xolin both nodded approvingly.

"Told you" Sid said. Xolin playfully smacked his chest.

"Shall we?"

"Let's kick its butt" Sid said. He and Xolin quickly transformed, racing off to fight the monster—which by now had gotten the upper hand in the fight against Trok, leaving Sel behind to free Iota. She wouldn't be much good in a short-ranged melee fight onboard the ship, after all.

"Good work" Iota said, getting back to his feet as Sel helped him up. He eyed the ongoing battle, "Now, you should help your friends".

"Friends" Sel repeated quietly. Yes, friends. That could be a thing; Trok had just opened that possibility for her. With a quick motion, she summoned her blade bow, and the rushed into the fray.

* * *

Even without its ability to shift and change, the shapeshifter still retained its super strength—Trok knew that now. He was having a hard time keeping the monster at bay, both because of the force of its blows, and because any attack he made was buffered by the monster's flabby hide. In this case, having a blunt weapon like a hammer was doing him no favors. So instead, by now he was down to just blocking and dodging attacks as much as he could, until two other rangers jumped in. A red axe and a blue lance struck at the monster's backside, causing it to twist around to face its new adversaries—giving Trok the chance he needed to regroup.

The shapeshifter knew its plan was toast. The element of surprise was lost; its hostages had been freed and united against it…and its powers had been stripped from it. It would seem then, that there was only one alternative. The creature warily kept track of the three rangers encircling it as it quickly mentally sent a distress call to Capricorn's ship, also making note of the yellow ranger's location…and that of the airlock.

"Out of options, huh?" Sid chuckled, "Looks like you messed up".

Not all of its abilities had been nullified though. To the shock of the team, the shapeshifter suddenly multiplied—two, then four, then eight separate versions of itself formed by splitting off from one another. Trok gasped; this was the trick it had shown off down at the planet.

Sid was quick to react however, "Don't freak out, it's just an illusion. Only one of the monsters are real!" he said. The question however, was…which one?

The monster took quick advantage of the momentary confusion, charging out at the rangers in all directions. They weren't hard to defeat; being illusions meant they were little better than practice holograms—one or two hits and they were gone. But that was all the shapeshifter had needed to gain the advantage. One of the clones had made it to the control panel for the airlock, unbeknownst to the rangers in the midst of the confusion. The first thing the team noticed was the odd grinding noise, before sudden gale-force winds suddenly swept through the room as the ship began to depressurize.

"What the—" Sid gasped, just before taking out another clone with his axe. He noted the clone at the door controls. "He's trying to escape! The clones are a distraction!" he barked, charging at the figment at the airlock. One quick swipe and it was gone from reality. Still not the real one…damn. So then, where was—

Sid heard Sel's yelp, but turned around only in time to see two of the shapeshifters pushing the yellow ranger towards the airlock, simply by overpowering her with their super strength—likely one of them was the real monster.

"SEL!" he yelled, cutting away one of the creatures—another clone. But it was too late; the ongoing decompression, combined with the force from Sid's attack was enough to allow the monster to push both Sel and itself out the airlock. It was only Sid's quick thinking that allowed him to grab her hand at the very last possible second, his other gripping the door edge in a desperate attempt to stay rooted inside the ship. The rest of his body soon followed, using himself as an anchor behind the door as Sel flailed about outside. He had almost gotten her back in too, when the shapeshifter grabbed hold of her foot as it sailed past.

And for a moment, Sel felt complete unadulterated panic. Not, 'worry', not 'fear', not anything mundane. No; she saw the void. She saw the infinite blackness outside the ship that she was about to tumble effortlessly into without hope or salvation, lost forever in the absolute void—a lone speck against the planet the ship was still orbiting, its reflective light casting down at her, mirroring her utter insignificance. It was so large, so incomprehensible…and she had almost been lost to it forever. And even now, she dangled by a thread; by a single grip that was slowly starting to weaken, even as she clapped her other hand against Sid's. Primal terror flooded through her.

NO.

"HOLD ON!" Sid shouted, as the two held on for dear life, even as the shapeshifter began pulling itself up her leg.

"NO!" she screamed with a sudden burst of pure emotion and desperation, "DON'T LET GO!"

"SEL!" Trok shouted, as he and Xolin finished off the last clones. They rushed over to Sid; helping to anchor his body with their own, and carefully grabbing Sel's hand. Together, they began to overpower the monster, even as it had crawled up to her knees, and began to slowly drag the yellow ranger back inside.

Another pair of hands joined them. Iota. "PULL!" he shouted, heaving with all his might.

A laser blast from the monster almost caused the end of all of it, as it forced Xolin and Trok to recoil from the spray of sparks. With just Sid and Iota still holding on, they almost lost their grip on Sel.

"NO!" she cried, as her fingers began to slip. This was it. She was going to die, cold and alone out in the empty void of space. Just as she had started to connect with everyone here, it was being ripped away from her. Why did the monsters want her so much?! Oh god, she was slipping. This was it. No! No! NONONONONONON-

Sel erupted.

Literally.

She screamed, howling in abject terror, and electrical energy burst forth from every inch of her body. It snaked across at first, for a split second, before filling the void with white absolute light. In a fit of both surprise and pain, both Sid and the monster let go, the monster tumbling out into space—not that anyone could see it with the miniature nova that had just gone off. Realizing he was just about gone himself, Iota pulled the yellow ranger, and with one mighty swing, propelled her back onto the ship, her form landing several feet behind him as the remaining energy covering her now-unconscious body snaked away, fading into the ether. Panting heavily, but seeing his chance, Sid slammed the airlock door shut with the controls, finally ending the decompression.

"What…what the *hell* was that?" the red ranger gasped as he balanced himself on his knees, his entire body shaking in the aftermath of the power surge that had almost consumed him. He looked at Iota, expecting an answer to…anything, really. Though it looked like Iota was even worse off; the armored figure had collapsed onto the ground, and was now in the process of flipping himself over onto his back.

"Unknown" Iota gasped back, "But…you should…get her to…medbay…"

The entire ship shook, knocking the rangers back down.

"What was…what was *that*?!" Trok worried as he pulled himself back up, still freaked out about Sel's little display of power.

"Twenty credits says it's the guy we just spaced, except forty stories larger" Sid replied. Another shake seemed to confirm his suspicions. He thought, "…Xolin, you and Trok take the megazord fight. I need to get Iota and Sel to the medbay". He struggled to stand, but using the door as leverage managed to get to his feet once again.

"You can barely stand yourself, Sid. Don't be silly" the blue ranger retorted, helping to stabilize him, just before the next shudder hit.

"Exactly why I shouldn't be piloting the zord right now" Sid replied, "Besides, someone's gotta activate the rest of the dampening devices in case there's more marshmallows on the ship. Go, I got this". Quickly he did a rough calculation of how many would be needed and where—they'd need to have them all set up and then sweep the ship room by room with a detailed internal scan. Eugh, like getting rid of fleas in the carpet. He'd be paranoid for months. Yay.

Another shake. Xolin rolled her eyes, but deferred. Who was she to complain about running the zord fight? "Don't have too much fun!" she said, before grabbing Trok's shoulder, who had been keeping an eye on Sel, "Come on. She'll be fine, and we got a job to do".

Trok nodded gingerly, and followed Xolin out of the room.

"Yeah" Sid muttered, glancing over at Sel's inert form. Fun. Wee.

* * *

Capricorn sighed, watching the monster's giant form assault on the Defender Megaship on his viewscreen. Another plan, foiled. Another scheme, ruined. He really thought he'd had something there. But in the end, the shapeshifter just hadn't been clever enough to use its numerous advantages.

A pity.

The goat creature idly checked the next option on his list. Hrn. Not promising.

Sigh. Back to the drawing board.

* * *

By the time the blue and green rangers had reached the megazord cockpit, the shapeshifter had already fully latched onto the vessel, and the situation was dire.

'Dire' as in the ship was about to crash. The monster had knocked it out of its orbit around the swamp world, and the two entities were now tumbling about towards the planet. Already they were beginning to give off heat as their bodies encountered the atmospheric friction as they began their re-entry. The ship's internal gravity was having a hard time keeping up, and it took all of Trok and Xolin's efforts just to stay upright long enough to drop into their seats.

The white monster slowly encompassed the zord, as if it was a giant amoeba.

"…It can shapeshift again!?" Xolin asked as she pulled herself into her chair. The dampening device was still on, so the monster should have still been stuck in its base physical form.

Trok grimaced, "It's probably large enough now that the device isn't strong enough". Shoot. He knew he should have had Sel bring along more of them; but they'd worried that she wouldn't have been able to activate them all in time—not to mention she could only carry so many, and they were delicate equipment. And who even knew how many would have been needed to trap a giant-sized monster.

"Peachy" Xolin muttered, "Defender Megazord, online!" she pulled a holographic control on her panel. Immediately, the ship flipped on itself, unfolding into a humanoid robot, even as the shapeshifter continued to latch on. Another few moves of her controls, and Xolin got the megazord to flip around in mid-air. Might as well use the inertia against the creature.

That did it. The monster's grip was loosened, even as the friction from the air continued to get worse. A swinging kick, and the monster was sent tumbling below. Quick on the uptake, Xolin summoned the megazord's sword and shield, before activating the zord's boot thrusters and shooting off towards the surface, using the shield to guard them from re-entry.

"Hang on!" she shouted, as they passed through the cloud layer. With a powerful THUMP, the monster impacted the surface, splaying out in all directions as it skidded across the ground for a few miles, before finally landing on the side of a mountain and reforming itself. It didn't have long however; as it touched down, the megazord used its momentum to charge across the terrain at hypersonic speeds, before swinging around and landing a flying kick at the shapeshifter in a single fluid motion. The monster broke right through the mountain, landing in a heap a fair distance away.

The megazord itself flipped around in midair after colliding with the shapeshifter, landing backwards before skidding to a halt, having crouched over and used its shield as an impromptu breaking system. The rangers wasted no time in continuing the offensive, charging back at the monster with the zord's saber, cutting and slashing through the creature's malleable hide. It blocked a punch with its shield, then proceeded to bash it against the creature's face (or lack thereof), before following up with another sword strike.

"It's not trying to mimic us" Xolin observed, even as she continued to lay into the monster, her hands flying over the controls.

Trok mulled it over in his head, "The dampening device might still be affecting it to an extent. It seems to be able to mold itself, but finer use of its powers, like impersonating, is still out".

"Well, that's good news for us!" Xolin said gleefully, as the Megazord's sword made another slash through the creature. As if to reward her tempting of fate, the monster responded with a low swing of its fist, flying at her far faster than she had anticipated by use of its shapeshifting abilities. The super-strong arm slammed into the megazord's chest, sparks exploding at the point of impact. A second swing completely knocked the megazord off-balance, and it stumbled back, reeling from the hit; the battle had turned against it. The creature grabbed ahold of it, binding its arms to its side and squeezing with all its power. Sparks and smoke began to appear as the zord's hull began to buckle under the pressure.

The cockpit shook and shuddered, the control consoles sputtering and sparking.

"We gotta break free!" Trok panicked, "Hull integrity is dropping fast! We can't keep this up!"

Xolin's mind raced.

…Ah!

"Then how about we try out that zord of yours?" she asked. Trok looked at her, his demeanor brightening dramatically. She nodded wordlessly, before summoning the green Guardian zord.

A flash of green light burst through the megazord's chest, ripping through the monster-it stumbled back in agony as its chest exploded. The green light evaporated, replaced by a large tank-like spaceship, green, silver, and black in color. It was extremely bulky, built like a tanker with two large quasi-cylinder structures dominating the hull, connected together and bridged over the top by the rest of the ship. A pair of medium-sized wings stuck out the top and back, and the rear consisted of giant thrusters.

"Defender megazord, Colossus Mode!" Trok shouted with glee. The Guardian zord split apart, its form becoming armor for the megazord. Thick plated and segmented armor formed over the zord's legs, arms, and chest. A new almost-samurai-like helmet folded over the head, while the back found itself protected by a large backpack-like chunk of armor with the thrusters. The megazord's fists were overlaid by two large hammer-like devices which connected directly to the armor on the arms.

"Oh yeah!" Trok grinned, "This is gonna be sweet".

By now the monster had rebounded, and ran at the megazord in fury—but the rangers were ready. A blow from one fist knocked the monster aside. A second one knocked it the other way. A third one just outright knocked it on its back. Unfortunately though, while powerful, this form was slow—too slow to guard against the monster extending its legs into new grabbling limbs that bound themselves to the megazord's arms.

"I am *really* getting tired of this guy" Xolin grumbled, struggling to keep the megazord stable and upright as the monster pulled.

Trok scanned the zord's data files, "…I got an idea!" Gripping his controls, the megazord's back and boot thrusters ignited, pulling the zord back up into the air, and bringing the monster with it, dangling below.

"What are you doing?" Xolin asked.

"Trust me!" was all Trok said, now focused on his objective completely. Xolin hesitated, but then a small smile formed under her helmet, and she nodded.

The megazord flew up, higher and faster, before suddenly halting, allowing the monster to fly past, being flung away by the inertia—breaking its hold on the megazord.

"Comet Impact!" Trok commanded. The megazord's hammer fists unhooked from their arms, shooting off at the monster, still connected to the zord by two heavy chains. The two hammers slammed into the creature, again and again and again, faster and faster—the shapeshifter just couldn't cope. As the megazord rose above the monster, a combined mighty swing from both maces sent the monster plummeting once more into the ground below.

"This is for Sel" Trok muttered, as the megazord's fists retracted back onto its arms. It flipped around, its thrusters igniting once more as it plummeted into the monster. Its entire form crackled with energy, but the hammer fists themselves exploded with green power, just before they crushed the monster into the ground. A single massive explosion later, and the megazord stood triumphant.

* * *

Sid sat in a chair situated at the end of her bed, watching the young xybrian's slow rhythmic breathing. She hadn't woken, and it didn't look like she would anytime soon—she'd lapsed into some sort of coma…evidently a self-defense mechanism of some kind among xybrians in case of psychic assault or other mental trauma…which just made the whole thing even more weird and unexplainable.

She just slept there so…serene. So young. She couldn't have been any older than Trok, and even though he really hadn't gotten to know her—she had been pretty good at hiding herself away—he knew she was more than just an office fixture. She was a person; he'd seen it on Onyx when he'd seen her uncertainty, and when he'd praised her. He'd seen it again today, when she'd fearlessly jumped in to save them…and then begged in terror when the monster had threatened to vent her out into space. He idly wondered what could have made her so…distant, even without her memories.

"Is she going to be okay?" Trok asked, he and Xolin having entered the room while Sid had been deep in contemplation. His train of thought gone, he glanced at Trok, "She's…in a coma of sorts. We'll find out when we get to Xybria".

Xolin noticed Trok's shoulders slump, and put her hand on his left one, "Hey, no. Don't even start; you're in no way responsible for this one, alright? None of us saw this coming".

Trok shook his head numbly, "It's not that, I just…hope she'll be alright".

"She said it was your plan to outflank the monster. Fake it out" Sid spoke up, a small smile on his face, "Good job, dude. We'll make a strategist out of you yet".

"I…thanks" Trok blushed a bit. Praise…heh, it always felt good to do something right. But they'd had a point, of course. Less panic, more thinking. And above all, try have a bit more faith in himself. Trok was an okay guy to trust.

"Any idea what that was though?" Xolin asked, waving at Sel.

Sid shrugged, "Got me. Hopefully the doctors on Xybria can tell us".

"Don't xybrians have like…mind powers or whatever?" asked Trok, "Maybe that was part of it".

Sid shook his head, his attention back on the girl in the bed in front of him, "Nah. They're telepathic, with some of them bordering on precognition. Nothing physical". He grimaced, wracking his brain for the one missing piece to the puzzle. And almost against his own wishes, his mind looked back at Iota.

Why *had* he recruited her? Why *was* everyone after her? Iota had denied knowing about any of this, but when was he trustworthy *at all*?

Hrn.

Sid didn't clue anyone else to his suspicions yet. Once he had something more than baseless speculation, then maybe. But no, not right now.

"Has Sel even ever shown signs of mental powers?" asked Xolin.

"Not that I know of" Sid replied, "But then again, I doubt she's had any training, or maybe her powers just haven't blossomed—she's fairly young. Or…" he grunted, desperately throwing ideas out and hoping something would stick, "…or maybe whatever cost her her memories also cost her her powers. I dunno".

"Or just gave her crazy electrical abilities" Trok added.

"Possibly" Sid said, his hands steepled together in thought. Possibly.

* * *

"This is…unfortunate" the male figure said, his holographic form, though obscured, could be easily identified as 'annoyed'. "She awoke too early. The pieces are not in place; you've still got that pirate on your tail. If the Others find her—"

"Then the result will be catastrophic, I know" Iota sighed, sitting in his chair in his office. He, like Sid unknowingly in the medbay, had his fingers steepled together as he took stock of his options. "…I do not believe it was a full awakening, but I do believe we need to act quickly. I can pass this off as just an unusual xybrian psychic flowering amongst the rest of the team, but we're going to have to step up our operations elsewhere".

The male grumbled, the female sighed. "Agreed" she said, also upset about the situation, but managing to remain more reserved, "When do you want Isdilian?"

"His training isn't complete; give him another couple of months. We already have him, so we don't *need* to deploy him just yet" Iota said, "But still. Get him ready. If we don't rid ourselves of our pursuer soon and lose their trail, I presume their employers will consider solving the situation themselves. And if that happens…I'll need all the firepower I can get".

"Agreed" the female said, "We leave it in your hands. Keep her safe".

"Always" Iota replied, as the two figures vanished from view. He sighed. This was annoying. This was *very* annoying.

* * *

_To be continued…_


	6. 1x06: Shadowed Memories

**1.06: SHADOWED MEMORIES**

What was his game? His endgoal? There was a plan here, but Sid was only seeing a small part of it. Taking stock, this was what Sid knew: He'd been courted by an enigmatic armored figure working for (ostensibly) a government-funded clandestine ranger organization. But why go so far to get Sid to comply? There had to be others willing to work for them. Exhibit B: their first mission together had been to rescue a xybrian girl and then press her into their service. A girl with no memories, little personality to speak of, and who could—apparently—serve as a portable generator. Sid had done some quick math; the power output Sel had demonstrated had been easily enough to power the megaship for several hours. By all rights her body should have been evaporated.

So what the hell?

And that didn't even get into the whole 'some random pirate dude had a Captain Ahab obsession with them' deal, or how Iota always seemed…distracted. As if Capricorn was just a diversion. Whatever was going on, Sel was at the center of it all, and Iota had assembled them in particular for…well, he didn't know. And that's what worried him most.

"Are…you going to move?" asked Xolin, shaking Sid out of his thoughts.

"Hmm?"

"It's…your move" she said.

Sid blinked, taking note of the chessboard in front of them. Oh, right. Erugh…this had been a bad idea from the start. Even if he hadn't been super preoccupied by…things, she'd still be whooping his butt. He looked down at the layout of the pieces; she'd soon corner his king, and frankly he didn't much care at this point. "Eh…I fold. Good game".

It had been one of those things they had started doing to pass the time during the long wait between missions; kind of like how he'd started getting in on Trok's simudeck gaming, or sparring with Xolin. One day he and she had just sort of discovered the other one could play and well…as it turned out, Xolin was actually *really good*. He'd never admit it publically, but she might very well be better at strategy than even himself—if she'd apply herself, that is, not to be so bullheaded.

She huffed, slightly indignant, "Already? Way to cheat me out of my victory". Case in point.

Sid's eyebrow arched, his voice puzzled, "You won, isn't that sort of the definition of a victory?"

"…I wanted to crush you" she shrugged, slightly sheepishly.

A short uncomfortable silence was broken by Sid's reply, "…You're a little bloodthirsty, aren't you?" She shrugged again, a wry little smile forming on her lips.

Sid suddenly found himself bumped aside from his seat at the table, his oppressor a rather excitable horathean. "Hey!"

"If he's done, I'll finish the round for ya!" Trok said happily. He picked up a rook, knocked over a pawn, and landed it on the back of the board. "King me!"

Sid facepalmed.

"There's…there's no king me in chess, Trok" Xolin replied, somewhat baffled.

Trok leaned back, "…What about that stuff about promotions?"

Xolin blinked, even more baffled now. It was like the more he talked, the less she understood, "How…do you even…nevermind" she shook her head, then pointed at the rook, "That's not a pawn, you can't promote anything to king—and the king sucks anyway, and I'm pretty sure that if we *had* been playing checkers, that would have been an illegal move".

Sid got out of the seat and cautiously backed away, "…I'm getting out of here before he decides to bring in solitaire or something".

"Hey!" came Trok's offended reply.

Sid grinned, exiting the workbay while still keeping his eyes on Trok, "Got any threes?"

"Oh come on!" Trok grunted, exasperated. Sid cackled as he left the room. Xolin just put her head on the table, faintly whimpering in existential agony.

* * *

She lay there, silent, only her soft breathing giving any indication she was still alive. Sel had been sent into some sort of coma…the best they could figure was that her…attack, for lack of a better term, had triggered a xybrian self-defense mechanism, designed to protect one's mind from psychic assaults by simply shutting it down. On xybria, a world with a psychic-themed ecosystem where everything was mentally interconnected he could see the advantage—but here…well, a quick search for 'exploding xybrians' on the net hadn't come up with anything.

Because of course it wouldn't.

Sid quietly sighed, lost in thought as he watched her still form from the medbay doors.

"Credit for your thoughts?"

"Hm?" for the second time today, Sid found his train of thought broken by Xolin who had been standing behind him. "…What happened to the chess game?" he asked, a bit confused.

She slid over to the doorway, next to Sid, "You know Trok. His attention span is…yeah" she chuckled to herself, though her smile vanished as she caught sight of Sel, "…Especially right now".

"…Yeah" Sid noted her gaze, then decided to answer her question with his own, "...What do you think of our boss?"

Xolin looked at him, a bit taken aback by the question, "Iota? He's…okay, I guess. Gets the job done. Why?"

"How much do you trust him?" Sid hadn't taken his eyes off Sel, though he had leaned up against the doorway with his arms folded. He was taking a risk; he knew that. But somehow, he felt like Xolin just might 'get it', so to speak.

She paused, considering her words—seemingly resolving an internal conflict she might have not even known she'd had until then. Xolin cautiously walked past Sid, into the room until she came over to Sel's bed, gently clasping her hands on the rails. Sid gingerly followed her in. "…He keeps a lot of things from us" she said finally, watching Sel's faint breathing, "At first I thought it was just being cautious, or just the side-effect of working for a secretive organization. But…there's something about him".

In truth, she had at one point trusted the man—or maybe she had just been desperate. He'd come along just as she'd been considering going back home to beg with her tail between her legs—completely destitute and out of her depth. Iota had come along at just the right time and just…given her room and board. And a job; something where her skills would be of value. And for a while, it all worked out great. But then…

"Manipulative?" Sid offered.

"…That's why you came back, isn't it?" she asked faintly. Flashes of memory of her own confrontation with the figure during the Triforian colony incident came back to her, "…He got inside your head".

"…Kinda, yeah" Sid grumbled, "So what does that tell you?"

Another silence. She spoke, "…You know, it's quite a coincidence that we went through all that trouble to rescue a random xybrian girl from a pirate crew…and then a couple weeks later she starts vomiting lightning powers".

Sid smirked, "So you don't believe his shit about not knowing anything about this either, huh?"

"I don't do coincidences" Xolin muttered matter-of-factly.

"So the question becomes, 'what's Iota's endgame?'" Sid said.

It was Xolin's turn to chuckle darkly, "Who said anything about him? It could easily be a wider conspiracy within the Peacekeepers. Or the organization itself".

"That's assuming there is. We haven't seen anyone aside from Coros. Who's to say this isn't all just one madman's private obsession?" asked Sid.

Xolin turned around, leaning on the bed rails as she continued to grip them. She looked up at the ceiling as if it held the missing answers, "I dunno. I've seen a few more than Coros…and there's a whole lot of money being poured into this. And *someone's* keeping the media off our tail".

Fair point, that. It had pretty much been the one reason Sid hadn't just upped and taken Iota down a few pegs to begin with—even if Iota *was* the one in charge, at the very least he had some powerful allies somewhere; allies that would probably be bad to get angry.

"So what do we do?" she asked him.

Sid shrugged; they really didn't have anything to go off of right now. "Nothing. For now, anyway. We'll be at Xybria soon, and then…well, hopefully they can revive Sel. And then…I'll let you know if I think of something".

A wry smile crossed her face, "So Glorious Leader doesn't have all the answers after all. I am shocked".

Sid gave her an unamused expression, a counter to her very pleased-with-herself one, but said nothing in response—even after she stuck her tongue out at him.

* * *

She ran.

She didn't know why she was running, but she ran anyway. To not run would be disastrous—why she did not know, or particularly care, but it was truth regardless. Doors…there were doors everywhere, on all sides of her. None would open for her.

That *was* a bit of a question. Why were they all locked? She knew she had left important things within them—what she couldn't tell you, but it was truth regardless. If she could get them back, she could stop running. Stop hiding.

Except…doors were a mystery. An unknown. She didn't like unknowns, even though her life was nothing but that. Mysteries could hurt, could harm. What if she didn't like what she had found? What if she'd locked the doors for a reason?

So instead Sel ran, hoping to reach the end of the infinite hallway she found herself trapped within. Hoping for freedom, hoping for escape. Not that she'd ever known freedom. Freedom was scary anyway; full of unknowns. Full of uncertainty. She couldn't. But if she didn't run, she'd be caught, trapped. Stuck.

What to do, what to do.

Who was she? What did she want? Why couldn't she figure it out? Why didn't anything make sense!? Why was she so lost?!

Where was she?!

* * *

Xybria; a world of mystery and enigma. Not because of anything obvious or malicious of course—like say, Eltar. Eltar was cloaked in mystery, but that was because it was so advanced and yet its people were so closed off and xenophobic that no one was ever allowed to enter their space. But the Xybrians, while always welcoming and outgoing to outsiders were just…quiet. One of the advantages to being psychic meant that their entire populace existed within a low-level hivemind. There were no lies, no secrets…just communal bliss. Not as many things needed to be said when you already knew how they felt.

Which of course was why it was so hard for xybrians to integrate into other societies. Even setting aside the impact the lack of a hivemind from their new neighbors would do for them, it was just difficult for them to comprehend the concepts of 'lying' or 'personal space'. While they were a naturally trusting and friendly people, their relationship with the other member worlds of the Confederacy could often be described as 'jaded', like a child who had been given false promises one too many times. So xybrians rarely left their own worlds, and thus were a fairly rare and mysterious breed—despite being full members of the Confederacy.

Ah, well.

Sid took stock of the vibrant green and blue world sitting dead-center on the bridge viewscreen; two of its three moons visible in the distance, and a moderately-sized ring system encircling the planet at a seventy-five degree angle.

"So, what's the plan?" asked Trok. He and Xolin stood a few feet away from Sid, towards the back of the bridge, whereas Sid had elected a somewhat closer position to Iota's captain's seat.

Iota pressed a few controls, "I am contacting the Council of Elders, the governmental authority of the xybrian people. A few of them are…associates of ours, and will make sure Sel gets the best treatment possible…discreetly".

Sid's eyebrow arched at that; interesting. So there *were* other players on the board. That was bad news actually; it was looking more and more like Xolin was right, and that whatever was happening, it was an organizational level thing. Great. Fantastic.

Wonderful.

Right on cue, the viewscreen changed to that of an old, long-bearded xybrian male; though his hair remained a vibrant green. Sid wondered if they just dyed their hair, or if xybrians just didn't go grey…then realized to himself that he'd never actually seen an elder xybrian before. Huh. He wore an old but elaborate set of robes, and carried with him a staff—definitely setting the tone for Xybria's 'mystical' slant towards things.

"Elder Sesh" Iota greeted the older figure with a slight nod.

The man smiled, "Ah, Iota. Good to see you. I got your message of course…" he glanced down, perusing through the computer terminal, "Though I must say, this is most unusual".

"I apologize for the…unorthodox situation" Iota replied diplomatically, "But the situation is urgent. One of my operatives was injured in the last mission and has…well, I believe your term for it is a 'Mind Sleep'?"

Sesh nodded sagely, "Yes, yes…you mentioned that in the report. We will do our best to heal our wayward child. I have provided landing instructions to your computer; you will be posing as personal couriers to myself, as not to draw suspicion. I've also enlisted a few of our own medical professionals" he paused, "…oh, and I *would* require the services of the rest of your team. We have a bit of a…situation here in the capital".

The three rangers glanced at each other. Iota didn't miss a beat however, "What kind of 'situation'?"

"I will explain when you land" Sesh replied, "It will be easier in person".

"Understood, see you shortly. Iota out" the armored figure ended the transmission, then imputed the coordinates Sesh had given him. Immediately the Megaship broke orbit and began to descend. Iota turned to the others, "We'll be landing shortly. Meet me at the cargo hold entrance in ten minutes".

Sid shrugged at the others, and together the three of them just sort of shuffled out of the room, though Trok took one last look at the rapidly approaching planet on the viewscreen before he finally left. What would Xybria be like?

* * *

Trok was not disappointed. In fact, the very first thing that came out of his mouth after stepping off the ship was a stunned "Woah…"

The group stood on a personal landing pad aside a large white crystalline tower in the center of what looked to be a deep artificial crater. The sides of the crater swept up away from the central tower, terraced by many levels of city streets and buildings, all of them crystalline or some sort of white ivory material, or a combination of the two. At the bottom, ringing the tower lay an artificial moat or lake, which numerous bridges crossed overhead, connecting the tower to the rest of the city. The lake was apparently fueled by numerous rivers and waterfalls that poured into the canyon, crisscrossing the city as they winded their way down to the base. Above and beyond lay a vibrant green jungle that reached up into the distant mountains, before giving way to white snow-capped peaks. The jungle also seemed to creep into the city, integrating itself almost organically with the crystalline layout—green breaking up the otherwise monotonous white. Even the weather was beautiful; sunny and warm without being super-hot, and just a twinge of humidity.

Sid whistled as he looked around, "…Dang. I'm taking my next shore leave here".

The group's attention quickly shifted to that of the small assortment of xybrians heading towards them. In the lead was the old man they had spoken to (or Iota had spoken to at the very least) on the ship. Flanking him were two younger members of their species, one male and the other female. Both whore simple robes, more functional than that of the elder. They bowed.

"Peacekeeper team twelve, welcome to Xybria!"

"…Twelve?" Xolin muttered to herself, "We only get twelve?" They were a six at least, in her opinion.

Sid returned the bow, "Sid Drake, red ranger" he said, then motioned to his team, "Xolin, blue ranger, and Trok, green ranger".

Elder Sesh nodded, "These are trusted experts of mine" he motioned at the girl standing to his left, "Seer Aia" then to the male on his right, "and Seer Yish. They will be assisting me in waking your friend from her mind sleep. Er…" he looked around, "Where would she be?"

"She's still onboard the ship" Iota said, "Will you need help transporting her?"

Sesh nodded at his assistants, who glanced at each other wordlessly before departing—a bit unsettling for the rangers, as they felt (rightfully so) that they'd missed a conversation, but they *had* been warned this was going to be a thing. The elder looked back at Iota, "Er, no need. My assistants will gather the equipment they need and will transport her shortly. For now…er…" he grimaced, glancing back at the tower, "…perhaps we can find somewhere safe to talk?"

And pushed right back inside the war room, just like that. Xolin wondered why they'd even bothered to leave the ship in the first place. Bleh, whatever.

* * *

With Iota's permission, Elder Sesh placed a small crystal into one of the consoles of the central table; almost immediately a holographic representation of the capital city appeared in the center of the table. While not nearly as stunning as the real thing, Xolin noted that it was actually much larger than what they had seen; beyond the crater existed several 'branches' leading out from the center—suburbs reaching both into the jungle, as well as out and down the outer terraced cliffs leading out into the ocean, ending in large naval docks.

Impressive, all things considered.

Several red dots appeared, seemingly at random across the cityscape, as Sesh began, "In the last thirty-six hours, we've had numerous Mind Sleep incidents occur, without rhyme or reason. The few who have woken from their…coma, is what you call it?" he pondered for half a second, "Anyway, those who have awoken have described the attack as one against their memories, by what they have described as a snake-like monster".

"Memories how?" asked Iota.

Sesh considered his words, "…The best we can guess, is that the monster feeds on traumatic experiences. It locks the victim in their own worst memories and fears, distorting them for its own ends".

Xolin involuntarily shivered at the thought; and going by Sid and Trok's reactions, they weren't any more eager to face something like that. In fact, she could probably guess what Sid would see. Hell, she had a *very* good idea what's *she'd* see. Eugh.

"No indication of a pattern?" asked Sid.

Sesh shook his head, "I am afraid not. The attacks, as best we can determine, are completely random. If there *is* a link, we haven't found it yet. And…" he sighed, resigned, "That may *be* the point. Attacking one of us is like attacking all of us. If enough are psychically assaulted, it may begin to affect our mindlink. The basis of our society; our emotional connections with one another could be badly undermined".

"That'd be bad" Sid quipped, though still obviously serious.

"Indeed" replied Sesh. A beep from a wrist device on his arm alerted him to business elsewhere, "Ah, it would seem the patient is ready for transport. Shall we?" he asked Iota.

Iota nodded, then turned to the rangers as the two readied to leave, "You have your mission, rangers. Good luck".

After the doors slid shut behind Sesh and Iota, the room settled into a brief awkward silence.

"…So not looking forward to dealing with a memory monster. Things crawling around inside *my* mind? Eugh" Xolin shuddered.

"What's an Elder, anyway?" asked Trok, hoping to change the subject, even if just for a little while, "Like, who was that guy?"

"Council of Elders" Sid said matter-of-factly, his feet up on the table, "Government doesn't mean quite the same thing when your entire population is a psychic hivemind. But they *do* respect the wisdom and experience of old people, so the elders lead—though they do have some sort of democratic election…thing. Don't ask me how it works. But yeah, hence: Council of Elders".

"So…what's the plan?" asked Xolin, just ready to have this whole thing done and over with, "Do we start combing the city for clues? Do some research?"

Sid's face shifted to a darker, more serious tone. He seemed to consider his next words carefully, "…I don't think we need to".

Both Trok and Xolin looked at him like he'd lost his mind. "Pardon?" Xolin asked, not quite grasping that Sid had basically just told them not to do their jobs.

Sid's gaze never left the holographic display. "…Curious, isn't it? We get here just as a psychic-type monster is attacking…a day after we fought a mimic-type monster".

"You're saying it was planted here for us" Xolin said, understanding.

Sid nodded, "Remember what you said about coincidences? And that's on top of the fact that the vampire monster on Triforia was almost certainly designed to track you down. And we know Capricorn was behind Trill on KO-35".

"…Capricorn's been following us all along?" Trok asked, obviously a little unnerved by this news.

That wasn't right though. It was a good theory, but things didn't add up. Xolin spoke, "Problem, though. Sesh said the attacks here started thirty-six hours ago—about when Sel had her…incident" she amended her words, "And we bee-lined it right here as quick as we could; there's no way he could have beat us here. So either Capricorn knows what Sel is and set this all up in advance…" she trailed off, but Sid nodded reluctantly.

"…Or someone else has been waiting for us" he sighed, brushing his hand through his hair in a fit of low-level anxiety, "Not something I really wanted to consider".

"It makes sense though. Why would a pirate be the one running the show? It'd make sense someone would hire him out" Xolin said. Though, damn, even she wished she hadn't come up with this. It was bad enough they were having issues with Iota and the Peacekeepers organization…but they didn't even know how deep they were in on the opposing side. There was a conflict brewing here, and they didn't know any of the players. Uncertainty sucked.

"And with how many times Capricorn's come up empty, they've decided to play a different card…" Sid grumbled.

"So what do we do?" asked Trok worriedly.

"…We get the monster's attention" Sid replied, after a brief moment of thought, "We don't have to go find it. It'll come for us. We just have to let it know where to look".

That's what worried Xolin most.

* * *

As it turned out, the hallway wasn't endless. Not technically, anyway.

Sel now found herself deep within a large complex; the walls ringing around her in a circle, doors at every angle. The walls ran high up multiple floors, which ran around them as balconies, flanking yet more doors—until the walls themselves slanted and converged on a massive dome structure, light filtering in from an unknown source, casting odd shadows across the floor.

As usual, none of the doors would open for her, no matter how hard she pulled. She'd attempted to kick one of the doors in, which had only served to leave a lasting pain on her foot.

She could no longer run; there were no more exits.

"Where am I!?" she called out, to anyone who could possibly hear. How had she gotten here? This wasn't…she tried her best to think about what her last memory had been before this.

There had been…there had been a ship. There was a flash, in her mind. She recoiled in pain as faces appeared to her, briefly. They were…familiar, somehow. A man, human. A woman, triforian. And the boy…the horathean. People she knew.

That's right. Them.

She spun around as she heard a noise. One of the doors had…unlocked. Hesitantly she crossed the floor over to the gateway, and after taking a deep breath, grasped the handle, and opened it.

* * *

The group was silent as the two seers rolled Sel's bed over into the center of the room, before lifting her and setting her on the central altar. It was a circular room, encased in the same crystalline structure much of the rest of the city was built out of. The rest of the room was an ivory-like stone, constructed in a very elegant, but simple manner. Bowls of alien spices burned at even spaces throughout the edges of the room, as well as around the central altar.

"We call this the chamber of awakening; there are many like it within this facility and throughout the city" Sesh remarked idly, "They are places of peace and healing, and where we go to clear our minds and mend bridges".

"How long will this take?" asked Iota. The two seers continued to prepare Sel, before moving the bed they had brought her in on away, out of the room.

"Depends" Sesh bristled, slightly offput by Iota's bluntness, "Some are easy. Some are hard. It depends on what put them into their sleep, their own emotional strength and willpower…and whether or not they wish to return". The elder sat down cross-legged next to Sel's body. Soon after, the two seers joined him, forming an equal triangle between them around the body. "I shall be the one who will lead our wayward daughter back to the light. These two shall assist me, guiding my spirit and keeping it from drifting" he paused, thinking, "…Obviously we shall not be capable of interaction once we have begun our descent. You may wish to get comfortable".

Iota sighed, reluctantly sitting down at the edge of the room as the door closed. The three xybrians closed their eyes, breathed deep, and descended…

* * *

The part she hated most was the waiting. It was bad enough that they were going to be facing a creature that could root through her mind and twist it to its own demented enjoyment…but here she was *waiting* for it to strike. Uuuuuuugh. She silently rung her hands for the umpteenth time. Why couldn't the monster just arrive and get it over with already?

Currently the three had chosen a major plaza area along the terraced wall of the canyon. It was beautiful like the rest of the city; a great view, and even the plaza itself was like a tourist destination…except without all the tourists. Xolin was beginning to realize why too; the place was so…quiet. No one was talking, they just sort of glanced at each other as they walked by, unseen interactions happening all around them. It was like an entire society made of nothing but body language. It was starting to creep her out.

So of *course* that meant that Trok found it fascinating. Sigh.

"I just don't get why you wouldn't like it" he asked, observing someone paying for a basket of items from one of the plaza vendors—absolutely no verbal communication occurring between the two. "I mean, you're the one all about spirituality and stuff, why wouldn't this appeal to you?"

Xolin watched the buyer leave, just as silent as everyone else, then was caught off guard by two girls suddenly bursting into laughter a few feet away, "…You mean besides the paranoia fuel? My mind is my own, I don't need other people where I don't want them".

"Sides, she's probably got enough voices in her head" Sid quipped absentmindedly. He was still fiddling with his morpher, tuning its signature so they could attract the monster without actually having to morph in public…yet, anyway. A small rock hit the back of his head, "Ow!" he shouted, rubbing the spot where it had hit as he looked back at Xolin.

"Oops. Slipped" she deadpanned, before being drawn to another spontaneous laughing couple. Eugh. Paranoia fuel. She focused on Sid to keep her distracted, "How's it going, anyway?"

Sid sighed, putting the morpher down, "Honestly, I haven't a clue. We won't even know if it's working until the monster shows up—and in a city of this size that could be—" his sentence was cut off by a sudden scream. And then another. And another. A couple native xybrians collapsed in the street, writihing in mental agony as the rest began to flee in terror.

"Right now" Trok finished for Sid warily, getting up from his seat. Xolin joined him and Sid, scanning the plaza for the monster—not hard, considering it had very quickly and effectively vacated the area of all civilians…minus the unlucky victims now comatose on the ground. Trok looked over the monster incrediously.

"…A snake and…" he took stock of the monster's attire and staff-like weapon—almost middle-eastern terran, "…A genie?" he asked, a bit confused by the bizarre mashup.

Sid shrugged, "Eh. It happens", he slipped his morpher back on his wrist, "Ready?"

"Ready!"

In a flash of red, blue, and green lights, the three rangers charged at the monster, sidearms in hand. Xolin immediately split into three, all of her forms opening with a triangulating laser barrage as she allowed Trok and Sid to get in close with their sabers.

The monster never stood a chance.

It attempted to defend itself with its staff, but quickly found itself overwhelmed by the three…no, five rangers arrayed against it. Its staff was lost, knocked somewhere a few feet away by Xolin's laser fire. The red and green rangers cut into its hide, sparks flowing as it collapsed onto the ground in a heap. The three rangers—Xolin having reunited—surrounded it, their weapons pointed at its throat.

"Alright, start talking" Sid said, "Who hired you? And don't play dumb, we know you're on a payroll".

The genie sputtered, his hands up in a pleading defensive motion, "I don't know!"

"Bad answer" Xolin said, loading her gun for the next round.

The snake panicked, "I'm telling the truthhh! I was hired by an intermediary…er…a huuuman man. Middle aged. Had a briefcassssse. Paid exxxxtremely well…"

"…A briefcase?" Xolin asked, glancing at Sid. That was weird. Who used briefcases anymore? All files were digital, you didn't *need* to carry important documents with you. Sure, you could use it to carry other things but…wouldn't you just be better off with something more equipped for the task? Trok and Sid seemed a bit amused and perplexed by this too…unfortunately for them, because it seemed the snake was waiting for it.

It all happened so fast she wasn't quite sure what was happening before it was too late. One second, the snake had been on the ground. The next, his staff flew back into his hands, and with a single powered up swing had knocked the rangers back, each of them landing on their backs as the monster stood up, slamming its staff into the ground as his neck folds unfurled into a cobra-like head.

"The name'ssss Nagaaaa, pleassssed to make your acquaintanccce, rangerssss. Though I would have told you wwwhat you wishhhed to know without beating me sensssslessss" it…actually seemed a little hurt about that? Huh. "It'ssss nothing persssonal, it'ssss jusssst businessss…"

Charging up his staff, the genie sent a rainbow wave of energy from his staff at the recovering rangers. Their suits sparked as they struggled to stay upright. Sid cried out, before collapsing, same with Trok.

"Wha—" Xolin called out, but as she felt icey foreign tendrils beginning to seep into her mind, she knew all too well what was happening.

"…Ah…dang…" was all she managed to croak out before the darkness took her as well, her body hitting the ground with an audible 'thud'.

* * *

It wasn't anything she hadn't already known; she knew that now. Sid, Xolin, Trok, Iota. She knew them. She didn't really *understand* them, but she knew them.

There was nothing in that room for her.

Sel sighed in resignation, closing the door with reluctance as she returned to the main door chamber. Except…now there was a man, a xybrian like her, standing in the center.

"…Hello?" she asked. The figure, an older man with robes and a staff, turned to her, a kind smile on his lips. She didn't know him but…he felt safe.

"You must be Sel" he said, beginning to cross over to her with a casual stroll, "I am Elder Sesh, a member of the Council of Elders. Iota sent me. Do you know where you are?"

The Council of Elders. Sel had done some research into her people out of curiosity, and knew *of* them. And if he knew Iota, well…fair enough. And he seemed trustworthy enough. She shook her head hesitantly, "No, I…I think I'm lost" she mumbled, her left hand sliding down her right arm.

Sesh chuckled lightly, "I have a feeling you mean that in more ways than one. To put it plainly, you are asleep. This is…a mindscape of sorts. A prison you put yourself in to safeguard yourself against a threat" he took a second to take in the innumerable doors, "…So young, and yet you have seen and done much. I am envious".

"I'm sorry?" Sel asked, confused. She didn't really *remember* doing much…

"The doors represent your memories and experiences" Sesh clarified, his arms thrust out, gesturing, "The sum total of your life. Yours is a virtual library".

"…None of them will open" Sel said, now even more despondent. The answers wouldn't come to her. They were right there, and wouldn't show themselves. Why? "…Except for that one" she pointed at the door she had just exited.

"Locked memories may be the mind's way of protecting yourself from traumatic experiences" Sesh reasoned, strolling back over to the center of the room, and beckoning Sel to follow him into the central soft beam of light.

She followed, "…All of them?" she asked, looking up in horror at the doors.

Sesh chuckled, "Unlikely. More likely, it is simply a byproduct of a past trauma getting in the way, unintentionally locking the rest away. I would like to try something, if that is all right with you?"

"…What are you going to do?" asked Sel hesitantly.

Sesh flashed her another kind, old smile as he sat down on the ground, inviting her to do the same, which she did just opposite of him, "I would like to try and connect you to the xybrian hivemind. Nothing too overwhelming, but opening your mind is often the first step to healing. Do you wish to try?"

She glanced once more at the doors, then nodded. Sesh carefully placed his fingers on Sel's temples, and both closed their eyes. He whispered, "Breath deep and let go. Do not fight, let it come to you".

The two stayed like that for a few moments, before Sesh grimaced, letting go.

"…I don't feel any different" Sel said.

"Do you not feel the warmth of our light?" asked Sesh, "Just let it come to you. Relax. Let it flow". Another moment passed, and they had gotten no closer. Sel glanced at one of the doors, almost expectantly, but nothing happened. Sesh stroked his beard, "You are not connecting with the mindlink. Curious".

"What does that mean?"

"…I'm not entirely sure" Sesh admitted, "It could be many things. You may be subconsciously keeping yourself locked down, or perhaps your psychic abilities were somehow injured. Either way, we will have to guide you a different way".

She nodded reluctantly, wishing to be out. She didn't want to be stuck here forever, after all. But inwardly, she was concerned; why couldn't she do what all xybrians did? Was she broken? Defective? It was like this room did nothing but remind her of how powerless she was. How useless. She wanted out. She wanted to run. "So what do I do?"

Sesh stood up, and began walking towards one of the doors, "Do you want out?"

"Of course?" she replied, still sitting cross-legged in the center of the chamber.

"Why?"

Sel moved to answer, but found herself unable to formulate a real reply. She hated this place, and she couldn't put her finger on why. "I don't know" she said quietly, "I just do".

"What do you like to do?" Sesh pressed, still standing away from her, his arms behind his back as he inspected the chosen door with a very passive indifference, as if it was only something to give his body to do while was preoccupied with other things.

"I don't…know" she said again, more lost than before. She hated these questions. Trok had asked her, Xolin had asked her, Sid…Sid had kept a respectful distance, actually. Every time they asked her, it made her feel…off. Less. They did things she didn't, and couldn't. Who was she to decide what she liked when she didn't even remember? Or…maybe she didn't care? Or…eugh, it made her head hurt.

"Come now, everyone enjoys doing something. You really have no hobbies?"

"I…train with Xolin and Sid. My teammates" she said hesitantly.

"Training is not a hobby. Sparring, perhaps, but training is what you do for your job" Sesh paused, "…Why *are* you a ranger?"

She didn't know.

"Why do you stick around your team?"

She didn't know.

What do you want?

She didn't know.

Who are you?

"I DON'T KNOW!" she roared back out of pure unadulterated frustration, then pulled her hand through her hair, "…I don't know…"

* * *

She wanted to run, but there was no place to go; she was already trapped in her room, awaiting her parents' condemnations. She'd done somewhat less than excellent on her last test at the academy, and from their arguing downstairs, she could tell they *weren't* happy. It wasn't like she had failed, but her parents only ever wanted her near or at the top of the class, and this was the third test this semester in any class where this had happened. They were out of patience. And damnit, she'd really tried this time.

But they were never happy with her. She was always disappointing them somehow; either by her interests, or by just not being good enough or…damnit. She couldn't make out *all* of the conversation through the muffling of the walls, but she could tell the subject had moved on to her 'other' hobbies. Going out with friends, or her activities at the temple. They'd let her help out at the temple as a way to indulge her whims with the intent that she'd get it all out of her system and then focus on what *they* wanted. Obviously, according to them, that had backfired.

No. They couldn't take that away from her. She wouldn't let them! Life was stressful enough as it was, with all her attention being on her parents' near unobtainable standards in school. She just…she needed outlets. She felt like she was suffocating.

Xolin could hear her father coming up the stairs for her. She backed away from the door, her heart pounding as he neared ever closer, knowing the unwinnable argument that was coming, as it always did. Fight or flight.

Fight or flight.

* * *

He had tried to run. They'd caught him, of course, just before he'd managed to book passage offworld. SPD was good like that, even rebel!SPD. Sid found himself being dragged through the main hall of the prison by the security guards. His father stood behind him at the doorway; as he'd passed by he'd seen the look of utter disappointment. His son was a failure in every possible way; he'd even tried to run away to avoid the responsibility for the blood on his hands.

"You left me to die".

He heard Nikki's voice, and glanced at the cell he was being dragged past; there was Nikki alright, but…not. Her face was distorted, grey, lifeless. She was dead, just like all the others. She glared back at him, "Why?!"

"You left us to die!" came Matt's voice, his corpse taking up the next cell, on the other side of the hallway.

"Traitor!"

"Coward!"

"Murderer!"

His friends, his team…all baying for his blood. And how could he blame them. Why couldn't he just die? Instead they just threw him in a cell, left to rot with only his own thoughts and nightmares.

He wanted to die.

* * *

He ran. He never stopped, not even for a second. Banishment was a boon; he was free of the responsibility that came with being the heir to the clan throne. His brother could handle it now, as he always did. He just wanted to play, to explore.

…Did it matter that his brother was probably responsible for his whole situation? Or that he'd been the one to banish Trok? He'd set him up, hadn't he? For the murder? Trok was naive, not stupid. His brother had always wanted the spot, even though Trok had always been the favored one by their parents. His brother was just always so…mean. He was only ever nice when he wanted something, and then he'd always find a way to stab you in the back.

Whatever, he was free. He never had to deal with his brother again.

But what about the people he'd left behind? What about the clan? What if his brother did something bad? It wasn't like Trok could do anything about it though; he was banished, and he was just a kid. It was going to have to be somebody else's responsibility.

So Trok ran.

So why did he always feel so guilty?

* * *

"You don't even know what kind of hobbies you would like? Favorite foods? Music? Anything?" Sesh asked, genuinely concerned, "You must have something you enjoy".

"I don't know" she repeated, "All of my memories are locked away".

He smirked, "Ah, but I'm not asking for your memories, am I? I'm talking about right now. What you do to pass the time on your ship. What drives you? What do you live for?"

Sel looked at him incredulously, herself still planted on the floor, "How can I tell you without my memories?"

"Why do you need them to tell me?"

She thought, looking down, "…Because I don't know what I enjoyed".

"But that was then. What do you enjoy now?"

"I…I don't".

"Why?"

"…Because I'm afraid" she whispered at last.

"Of what?"

She closed her eyes, exhaling, "Of being wrong". There it was, at the heart of it all. She hadn't even really realized it until she had spoken it, but now all the confusion and frustration, all of it made sense.

Sesh chuckled, "How could you possibly be wrong about what you like or don't like?"

"What if what I liked before isn't what I like now?"

The elder crossed back over to her, smiling comfortingly as he sat back down, "Then it means your tastes have changed, nothing more. Everyone changes; whether it is slowly over the course of a decade, or immediately in a case such as yourself. You are not the person you were before you came here. Nor are you the person who will hopefully leave this place. Nor are you the person you were before you lost your memories. You have already changed; evolved; grown. And that is quite alright. What matters is that we choose for ourselves, instead of waiting on what may or may not be".

Sel sat in silent contemplation, digesting the man's words.

"You say that you're afraid of mis-stepping, but what would happen if you waited your whole life for your memories to return…and they never did? You'd have wasted your entire life, and never lived it".

"…I guess" she whispered, her head still down, her gaze at an undisclosed spot on the ground to her left.

Sesh decided to change tracks, "Do you like your team?"

"…I'm sorry?" she asked, taken off-guard by the sudden switch in conversation.

"It's a simple question, really. Do you like your team? I only had a brief moment to talk with them, but they seemed nice enough".

"They're…" she struggled with her words, "…I don't understand them".

"How so?"

They're just…always doing things. Things I don't do. It's like…" realization dawned on her, "…like there's a wall. They exist on one side, and me on the other".

"Have they not tried to break through that wall?"

She shook her head, "…No, they have". Flashes of memory; Sid helping her on Onyx. Xolin training her in the simudeck after KO-35. Trok offering his hand of friendship during the fight with the shapeshifter.

"…Have you reciprocated?"

Sel was silent, her slightly embarrassed but frustrated expression being all that Sesh needed.

"…Perhaps you should try then?"

"You make it sound so easy"

Sesh chuckled again, "Indeed, it's harder than it sounds. I imagine especially so for one who does not have the mindlink to fall back on. I am not so well-versed in these matters, but I do know one thing: each of them are just like you".

Sel blinked, looking up at the elder in confusion. He smiled and elaborated, "Each of your team members are people just like you. They have their own hopes and fears, their own personalities and needs, and have just as much of an issue connecting to others. The fact that they try regardless says much about their character".

Sel thought about that for a moment.

"Do you want to get to know them better?"

Did she? She only had a couple months of memories to her, but in that time no one else had given her the time of day, but those three…Trok especially, but all of them had tried to open themselves up to her. More flashes of memory; Trok on KO-35, Sid in Coros's office on Arkilla, Xolin making sure she'd be close enough to intercept her during the first fight with the shapeshifter, even if it meant splitting apart. Trok trusting her enough to let her in on his plan to save the others from the same monster. All of them grabbing her hand as she was almost thrust out into space…

Space…

Light.

Sel doubled over, the impact of the memory physically giving her a headache.

"Are you alright?" asked Sesh. She didn't reply, instead more flashes came to her; but not ones she recognized. A lab, maybe? Pain. Light. Screaming. Her screaming. She was screaming. Sesh grasped her arms in support, as she saw more; flashes of…Sid? A prison? Xolin maybe, in an argument with someone, but younger maybe…Trok? Out in the desert, no…they were all screaming.

Everyone was screaming.

"MAKE IT STOP!" she shouted, "TOO MUCH!"

"Sel…!" Sesh warned, but the situation was out of his control as her body began to glow. He watched, transfixed, having never seen this before in all his days. The soft glow began to emanate throughout the entire chamber, but it didn't seem to harm him. After taking a moment to let the shock wear off, he hesitantly put his hand on the shoulder of the young xybrian girl crouched over in pain, "Are you alright?"

"They're in pain" she managed to whisper.

"Who are?"

"The others. The team. They're in pain".

Sesh nodded grimly, knowing it meant that the rangers had likely engaged the memory monster…and were suffering as a consequence. But even so, he marveled at Sel; she hadn't even been able to make the connection to the xybrian mindlink, and yet here she was reaching out to aliens. She was not an average person. "Do you wish to save them?" he asked, as he gently grasped her shoulders and got her to stand up. She nodded.

"Why?" he asked.

Why did she want to? She just recalled her memories of them; there were few, but they were still hers and hers alone. Maybe…maybe there could be more? Maybe there was more than this.

Maybe she wanted to live.

"I think I like them" she said quietly, "I think they care about me".

Sesh grinned, "So, you do like something". Sel nodded hesitantly, a faint embarrassed smile on her face, hidden behind the mess of green hair.

"They need help" she mumbled.

"Then you should probably go to them".

Click. The two turned to one of the doors which had just unlocked, even as the glow began to shine brighter; with small sparkles of light rising up from the floor like fireflies. Sesh let go of Sel as she began to pull herself over to the newly unlocked door.

"Sel" he called back. She stopped as her hands had reached the doorknob, and turned back to him expectantly. "Memories are renewable. Don't worry too much about the old ones; if they're important, they'll come back. If not…well, you're still young, so make the most of it. Create new memories…with them".

She nodded, a small smile on her face, before pulling the door open—with some effort, he observed—and vanishing into the shadows. A moment later and the glow overtook everything, and the mindscape evaporated.

* * *

Their minds were delicious. Such delectable angst and regret and horror and sorrow, and they were all his for the taking. Naga licked his lips hungrily, his staff still aimed at the rangers, the sickening rainbow ray still flooding through them. Their inert forms were balled up on the ground, reflective of their current mental status. The snake-genie laughed as he devoured their memories like a hungry beast. The red one, tormented by failure and loss. The blue one, a vibrant prism of childhood issues. And of course the green one, filled to the brim with ignored guilt. Each, a very different, but very different flavor, aged to perfection.

Delicious.

"I do enjoyyyyy myyy work…" he hissed, slowly approaching his helpless prey. He was so taken with his prizes in fact, that he never noticed the flash of yellow, or the blade bow swinging down on his staff until it was much too late.

Naga cried out in shock as his staff shattered in two, the top half clattering on the ground in a fit of sparks, powerless. The rainbow light quickly dissipated, leaving the other rangers clean of his influence.

"What the?!"

A follow-up strike from Sel's blade bow sent Naga stumbling back, as he tossed aside the remains of his staff, "You! Do you know how much work went into that staff!" he hissed in anger. That weapon had been his pride and joy; something he had sculpted himself and slowly upgraded over the years. To think…to have it shattered like that so easily…impossible! Unforgivable! He pulled twin curved swords out from his backside and pointed one at the yellow ranger, who had thus far said nothing, instead her only response being to shift into another battle stance—one taught to her by Xolin. Naga glared at her, "It doesn't matter. The staff may have amplified my abilities, but I'll still feast on your mind!"

His eyes shimmered, before a rainbow beam of light burst forth from a crystal on his forehead, aimed directly at the yellow ranger. She stumbled back a bit upon impact, but aside from her suit withstanding a few sparks, he soon found she was being unaffected.

"…What?!" Naga screeched again, "How is this possible? No one can resist my mental assaults!" he stepped back in concern as he let the beam fade away. She wasn't reacting to her memories, but how? Everyone had memories, everyone, even if they were just locked away or forgotten! But he couldn't…there wasn't anything *in* there that he could find. Was he even getting in? Of course he was getting in, he *had* to be; what force could possibly resist his powers? But it was almost as if her mind was almost a blank, with only a few months' worth, and none of them were even worthy to snack on!

With a mighty unintelligible roar, Sel charged, catching Naga off-guard. She got a few good hits in, before he returned the favor with his swords, knocking her back and trying the beam again. Still nothing happened.

"What are you!?" the monster shrieked in astonishment. But Sel didn't respond; she didn't need to. Most other heroes would have quipped back, or gotten into some sort of debate with Naga. Not Sel—it was hard enough for her to articulate her thoughts on the spot as it was; throw combat into the mix and she was stone cold silent. Not that it really mattered much to her anyway, since she didn't see much purpose in it. She was here to kill her opponent and save her…friends?

…Yes, friends. That sounded good. Why waste words in such an event?

And really, that was probably what terrified Naga most of all; here was some ranger girl completely resistant to his powers—something that had never happened in all his days—and instead of reasoning with him like any normal person, was instead silently throwing herself at him again and again like some kind of crazed berserker, her only sounds being battle-fueled screams of rage. What the *hell* was going on?

* * *

"So what *is* she, exactly?"

"Hrm?" Iota hummed, turning back towards Sesh, after having watched Sel practically run out the door. The old man stood there, arms folded behind his back, with a strangely quizzical look on his face.

Sesh elaborated, "She's not xybrian. At least, not baseline. She doesn't have a basic connection to the mindlink, yet I've rarely ever seen anyone with such a powerful general emphatic skill…even if she can't control it. And with how young she is, and with what I witnessed in there…I gather she's got a lot of memories that aren't hers. And I mean a *lot* of memories". He'd hid that from Sel of course; no need to further traumatize the poor girl. But it was almost impossible that she'd have so many…*many* memories despite probably being in her late teens. In fact, it was almost inconceivable anyone could have had that many. And that they were so well-locked away just further reinforced the idea. Yes, it was technically lying. Yes, it was technically deceit. But Sesh had been around long enough and had enough experience to both understand the concept and understand why it was sometimes useful, even if he detested it as any xybrian would.

"I'm afraid that's classified" Iota said plainly, "Beyond your clearance, anyway".

Sesh snorted as he approached the armored man, "You know, the Alliance used to tell us the same thing, back before the war. SPD became so secretive and power-mad near the end; it was one of the reasons we finally turned against them".

"And you're afraid we're going to become just like them" Iota finished for him. Sesh nodded.

"I had reservations when we started this project up. An undercover ranger operation within Confederate space? It was too close to everything we had fought against. In the end, I was convinced otherwise. Now however, I'm beginning to wonder if my initial assumptions were correct" his eyes narrowed, "Too many secrets".

Iota looked down, seemingly in a bit of light contemplation, "…I can't tell you the details, but a storm *is* coming, Elder Sesh. I apologize for the subterfuge, but it *is* necessary".

Sesh snorted again as he turned away. Being an elder meant he had fairly powerful psychic abilities, but against Iota, even the most skilled telepath couldn't even hope to break through whatever the man had in place to keep his secrets secret…and he had tried. "There's always a storm coming, Iota. I've been around long enough to know that. Machine Empire invasions, evil demon-worshipping cults, rogue S-class monsters from the Virgo supercluster…there's always something right around the corner. That doesn't mean we have to lie to each other about it. I'm pretty sure that was a lesson we learned when Earth burned".

Iota nodded grimly at the memory of the event that had sparked the revolution against SPD and the Alliance. "…I need to get back to my ship" he said, "I believe the monster's first life will be finished soon, and I have my duties".

Sesh smiled, his back still turned to Iota, "Indeed, we all have our parts to play. Good luck, Iota. And be careful when playing with fire".

Iota nodded wordlessly, and left the chamber.

* * *

Sid's mind was all fuzzy and…awkward, like that unsettling feeling you get when you wake up a bit after a nightmare. He remembered the whole thing of course, shuddering at the thought. This was why he hated psychic monsters…though he idly wondered if there was anything anyone might *like* about them.

Eugh.

The red ranger managed to pull himself up into a half-sitting position, his body still shaky and jittery after what Naga had just pulled on him. Around him were blue and green, also just coming back into consciousness.

…Wait. Why *were* they conscious? By all rights, the monster should have still been—his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a clash of blades and a cry by Sel. He looked up and over, seeing the yellow ranger get knocked back by the snake monster, rolling back through some arched pillars in front of and around a tiny fountain garden enclosed by a number of small shops around it. She landed, blocked another strike with her bow, and was forced to once again roll away, managing to keep barely one step ahead of the monster. The shock of Sel's appearance had long since worn off and now he was easily on the offensive—Sel just didn't have the skillset necessary to take the monster head-on by herself.

Still, Sid noted as she managed an upswing behind the monster's blades into his arms, she was doing better than expected. Way better.

"…Where'd *she* learn to fight?" asked Trok, pulling himself up to his feet with the assistance of the ledge next to him.

"I didn't teach her that" Sid replied, shaking off the last of his grogginess.

"I say we help her out" said Xolin, her voice growling with anger as she also got to her feet, summoning her lance in her hands, "I feel like dishing out some payback".

"I hear that" Sid said, agreeing wholeheartedly as his axe formed in his grip, "I hate nightmares".

Sel got off a short-ranged shot with her bow after using it to block Naga's twin swords. His chest smoked as he backed off, but a lucky hit from one of his swords loosed her grasp of her weapon, knocking it several feet away. Both weapons came down on the yellow ranger for a follow-up strike and all Sel could do was mentally brace herself…

The impact never came. Instead, Sid's and Xolin's weapons had taken the blows for her, stopping them within a couple inches of her helmet. Clearly unprepared for the save, Naga was pushed back by the two rangers, who then followed up with a single synchronized blow to his midsection, swinging around into each other and directly at him, their weapons fully charged—Sid's with a crimson flame, and Xolin's with an icy-blue mist. Naga tumbled to the ground, rolling back, and stumbled on his attempt to get back on his feet in the middle of the plaza.

Bad mistake.

Trok came in from the rear, bringing his charged-up hammer down on Naga's body, sending the monster's form crashing into the pavement and creating a nice shallow crater where he lay. The rangers regrouped as Naga finally stumbled back to his feet.

"You…you…DARE…" he managed to spurt out, his body smoking and sparking, his mind seething with impotent rage, "It doesssssn't matter if I can't have her minnnnd!" he hissed, pointing one of his swords at the four heroes, "The ressssst of you can and will sufferrrr!" He crossed his swords directly below the crystal on his forehead. Sel knew immediately that he was about to try his luck on the rangers again, and it seemed the others had figured that out as well—each of them almost instinctively stepping back.

Sel knew what she had to do. Quickly acting, the yellow ranger aimed her blade bow at the monster's forehead, and hoping beyond hope that she was a good enough shot, fired.

Just as the crystal began to glow, it shattered into a thousand tiny shards, all of them landing at his feet. His forehead sparked as he reeled in pain, hissing and screeching incoherently. Sid grinned darkly; this was their chance.

"…You are one sick freak" Sid muttered, brandishing his axe, "How about we end this?" he asked the others. They nodded in agreement.

"Defender Cannon!" they shouted, bringing their weapons together into a single formation. The cannon primed, charging up its banks and readying the final attack.

"Aim!" Sid commanded, as the team swung it around at the monster.

"FIRE!" they all shouted, as the weapon unleashed multiple beams of multicolored light at Naga, vaporizing him where he stood.

"Good riddance to bad taste" Xolin muttered, while Trok just settled for a sigh of relief, giving Sel a thumbs up in appreciation.

Sid wasn't done though, "Okay, problem".

"What's that?" asked Trok.

Sid motioned to the city all around them, and in particular its crater-like terraced shape "This city is a bowl; it ain't built for a zord fight. One misstep and we could end up taking out a whole swath of buildings. That would be bad".

Trok grimaced, seeing the situation, "We need to get it out of the city then".

Sid glanced back at the burning ash pile that had at one point been their foe. They were running out of time, "…Anyone got any ideas?"

Xolin rubbed the chin of her helmet thoughtfully, "…I think I've got one…"

* * *

As expected, within moments Naga had returned to life, now forty stories taller than before. What Naga hadn't counted on however, was a spaceship about his size coming down on him in a wide swoop, nearly grazing the tops of the buildings as it came back up at him at an extremely high velocity.

"This was a bad plan!" Sid panicked, reflexively gripping the sides of his control panel as he hoped to god they missed the buildings that were flying by.

Trok, too, was gripping hold for dear life. "I told you!"

"HOLD ON!" Xolin pushed her controls forward, and the Megaship gut-punched Naga straight into the air, carrying him away from the city and towards the jungle. "MEGAZORD, ONLINE!" she roared, as the ship transformed and kicked the snake monster towards the nearest mountain. He skidded along the jungle floor for a few miles, landing in a heap as the Megazord dropped to the ground, its fists ready to rumble.

Round two.

Naga stumbled to his feet, swords in hand. To Sid's relief (and everyone else's), his crystal and staff had not rejuvenated with him. Because man, to hell with nightmare powers. That stuff was messed up. Sid shook off the shades of the memories and charged in, the Megazord dodging the swords and delivering a roundhouse kick right to the monster's face, following it up with a direct punch, and then a second one from the other arm as the robot kept wheeling. It braced for another round of strikes and then—

The monster was gone, evaporating in a pillar of smoke.

"Wha-!?" Sid gasped, even as the zord spun around, and was rewarded for its vigilance with a sword to the face.

"Enough!" Naga said, cutting into the Megazord's chest, "I've had it with you rangerssssss! Diiiiiie!"

The Megazord attempted a counter attack, but once again the snake-genie had poofed himself out of existence. Naga cut down the Megazord's backside, before vanishing again just as it turned around with another swing from its fist. Again. And again. Each time, the Megazord sparked and sputtered, stumbling back as smoke began to stream off its hull.

Naga laughed, now standing several steps away. His eyes glowed silver as electrical energy danced out, impacting the zord's hull. The rangers' cockpit shook as the Megazord reeled from the latest assault.

Xolin slammed her fist on her console in frustration, "He's too fast!" Sid grimaced; it was true. At this rate they weren't going to get anywhere. The home team needed an upset.

"_I think I can help with that"_ Iota said over the com channel, _"Activating the yellow Guardian zord"._

A flash of yellow, and a new yellow, black, and silver spaceship had appeared out of the Megazord. It was a heavier build, like Trok's, but with lots of guns.

*Lots* of guns.

"Defender Megazord, Assault Mode!"

A barrage of firepower was unleashed on the unprepared Naga, giving the Megazord a moment to equip the ship on itself as armor. The Megazord's new formation was boxy and slow, but it didn't need to move, its entire surface brisling with guns. In the cockpit, a multitude of new targeting solutions dominated their consoles.

"Well, *this* is different" Xolin noted with a bit of awe in her voice, "…Wow. I'm reading overlapping firing arcs in every direction. This thing's a *battleship*".

Naga poofed again, behind the Megazord. Unfortunately for him, it was no longer a good tactic, as he found out when several gun platforms swiveled around and opened fire. Another poof later, and Naga once again found himself at the receiving end of a barrage.

Sid turned to Sel, "This one's all yours" he said, smiling. She looked at him for a moment, then nodded slowly, smiling under her helmet as well. She gripped the controls.

"Advent Barrage" Sel said. Not shouted, not yelled, just…said. Determinedly, yet quietly. A statement of fact.

The Megazord turned to face Naga, every gun within its firing arc turning towards the monster. Naga seemed to realize he was done for, as he stepped back and braced himself in a fit of dawning panic. Every weapon primed, every turret charged.

Every gun fired.

The torrent of hellfire slammed into Naga. He sparked and smoked, before toppling over and exploding in the usual fireball. In the cockpit, whereas normally small celebrations would be going off, today there was just a measure of silent decompression; a deep breath exhaling now that the trouble was over. For Sid, Trok, and Xolin's position, each just took solace that the battle was over and tried their best to ignore the memories of the all-too-real nightmares. As for Sel, well, now that the battle was over, the awkwardness of…well, *everything* had returned full force, moreso now that everyone else seemed withdrawn and out of it. How could one breach those walls?

It had not been a good day.

* * *

"…Sid?"

"…Hrm?" he hummed, snapping out of his thoughts.

"It's your move" Xolin said, motioning to the board. They had chosen some sort of Mercurian game, though Sid was fairly certain that they had stolen the idea from Chinese Checkers. How, he hadn't a clue, considering it was supposedly hundreds of years old; ancient astronauts maybe. Why Mercurian? Well, as Xolin had explained, why not try something different?

Sid glanced over the board for a split second, before moving one of his red pieces further into the center of the board. In response, Trok quickly knocked it out of play with one of his green tokens.

"Bad move" he grinned, as Xolin began pondering her turn.

"Sorry, just…" Sid sighed and leaned back.

Xolin frowned, "I thought we weren't doing the whole 'morosely reflecting on our experiences' thing today. That's why we're playing…whatever it was called". She had tried to pronounce it and had failed every time, so now she just avoided it with a flair of annoyance.

Sid shook his head slightly, "No, sorry, not that…"

"Still thinking about Sel?" she asked, taking another guess.

He grimaced, "…A man with a briefcase…"

Xolin's brow furrowed, her mouth resting on her cupped hands in thought, "…So we know someone probably hired Capricorn" she sighed, "…And it's likely the same person who hired Naga".

Sid idly picked up one of the red tokens that had already been taken off the board, "Which is exactly what we were afraid of. But Sel, Iota, the Peacekeepers…what's the connection?"

Xolin sighed again, shaking her head in resignation. There were too many unknowns here; too many questions and not enough facts for them to even begin to tell what was really going on. She wordlessly moved one of her blue tokens over two of Trok's.

"…Aw" Trok complained dejectedly as two of his tokens left the board. Xolin smirked; the cries of the vanquished were sweet indeed.

* * *

She'd come down here with a plan, a thought out concept of what she'd do. She'd walk in, and just…join in whatever it was they were doing. She'd been so determined.

So why was she frozen just outside the doors to the work bay?

Sel sighed, leaning against the wall, closing her eyes in frustrated pain. Why was she so bad at this?

What did she want? She wanted…she wanted to not be alone.

So why was it so hard?

She heard Sid laugh through the door. She wanted to laugh. Steeling herself, she exhaled and opened the door. Immediately, the other three rangers turned to see who was there—and for a few agonizingly awkward moments, the four of them just sort of stared at each other, not sure what to do with this or where to go with it.

Hrn.

This was awkward.

For Sel, this had been a terrible mistake. She'd messed up somehow, screwed up a social norm she wasn't familiar with, committed some social faux pas—

"Um…" she managed to utter.

Sid's face turned into a soft smile, "…Feel like joining us?" he asked, motioning to the board game.

Sel let go of the breath she didn't even know she had been holding in, a smile bursting forth on her face. She nodded, and Trok's face lit up as well. Xolin just shrugged, only mildly amused by the whole thing. It was about friggin' time, as far as she was concerned-the girl had issues, and for a while she hadn't even been fully convinced she wasn't just an automaton or something.

Sel cautiously stepped up to the table, gingerly sitting down—making sure it was okay with Trok first as she landed next to him.

"So!" Sid exclaimed, clapping his hands, "New game!"

Immediately the three cleared the board, with Sid handing Sel a container of small, yellow tokens, before explaining the rules to her, "Okay, so, objective of the game is simple; take everybody out. All tokens can make one move in any direction per turn, unless you're taking out multiple tokens, something called a chain move…"

As Sid continued to explain, Sel sighed with contentment. She began placing her tokens on her corner of the board, and she knew she'd made the right choice. Hard, difficult, but worth it. And before the night was out, new memories had started flooding in.

_To be continued…_


	7. 1x07: Divide and Conquer

**1.07: DIVIDE AND CONQUER**

Xolin was not a creature of patience. She knew that, and she'd even admit it if pressed. It was a fault, she knew, but holy crap it was like the universe *wanted* to test how far it could push her before she snapped. Case in point: her current mission.

No, sorry. 'Mission', because it was clearly really just babysitting.

She'd been 'volunteered' by Iota to deliver a package to Telleros, a Karovian colony. What was inside the package, she didn't know and Iota wasn't keen on telling her; annoying issue number one because if she didn't know, how would she even know if it was worth her time in the first place? And then he'd 'advised' her to take Sel along, so the mostly-untrained yellow ranger could get some 'real world experience'.

Aaaand to top it all off, Iota had taken the Megaship and the two boys and gone to fight some sort of unicorn monster with drills for hands on Eltheris IV—she'd gotten the whole excited scoop from Trok via comm transmission shortly after landing here. Evidently, she'd missed quite the fight, and she was pretty ticked off about that.

Instead, however, she was stuck here. Playing babysitter for the xybrian walking just behind her. Despite the fact that she'd been somewhat opening up over the past few weeks, the girl had barely said five words to Xolin since they'd left the megaship, and by this point in their relationship, Xolin had pretty much settled on 'not giving a shit'. Whereas Trok or Sid would initiate conversation with her, Xolin had better things to do than worry about some quiet teenager's lack of hobbies or…whatever. To Xolin, the relationships worth fighting for were the ones that fought back. Sel was just a big pile of blah.

So yeah, babysitting.

It wasn't like Telleros was a *bad* world, it was just sort of…dime-a-dozen. The city they were in was your standard mid-sized Karovian city, complete with parks, geometric buildings and monuments, and pre-planned city design. It was pretty. It was spacious.

It was boring. KO-35 and some of the other core worlds at least had mega cities with towering skyscrapers you could get lost in. But she'd always found the Karovian sense of aesthetics to be…ocd? Generic?

Bland. That's the word. Bland.

Kind of like Sel over there.

Uuuuuuugh.

At least if it had been Sid or Trok, she could have enjoyed some banter or something. Sel was just as boring as watching paint dry; sort of like a silent shadow that just kind of…lingered there.

The two rangers made their way back to their skycycles, currently parked on the street corner. Just a few more hours, and she'd be back home, and could go kick the crap out of something on the simudeck. It just wasn't the same with a simulation, but it would suffice.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't take notice of the figures moving towards them. Sel noticed however; there were at least eight of them, all civilians wearing various business casual suits, all having begun following them from different directions.

"…Xolin" she noted. Xolin glanced back at her, quickly summing up the situation—more were coming towards them from where she had been walking as well. Immediately she shifted into a battle position, though she hesitated—fighting civilians? This didn't jive.

"…Is there a problem?" she asked warily, making sure to keep as many of them within her sights as she could at any one time. Now surrounded, she allowed herself one split second of surprise as the civilians melted away, replaced by Orange-headed Krybots as they stepped up their pace, now rushing the two girls. Xolin's foot found itself in the chest of the nearest one, before she blocked another's attack with her arm and swung around, her shoe slamming into its face. A dodge and a counterattack later, and she was completely swarmed by the enemy squadron.

Shit, this wasn't good. She'd never actually gotten a chance to fight Troobian tech, but at the very least she'd read up on their capabilities. Orange-heads were the elite vanguard of Krybot forces—encountering a squadron comprised of nothing but them was bad news…and extremely alarming as it meant whoever was after them really meant business. Xolin privately mused on the fact that Capricorn must have really gone out of his way for this one if it meant he had had to go all the way out to buy up Troobian hardware.

Freeing herself from the grip of one of the robots, and creating some room for herself, Xolin pressed her morpher…and nothing happened. Her eyes shot to her morpher in panic as she tried again, still with no response. Her powers weren't working. Ranger dampening fields existed of course—had for centuries, but they were a relative rarity. Since the morphin' grid was well…*everything*, and trying to suppress that would have Bad Consequences for anyone who'd be willing to try, attempts to negate ranger tech usually came in the form of breaking the link to one's power source. The downside to that of course, was that the power source would differ from team to team. One team might use ancient amulets hundreds of thousands of years old that tapped into the grid directly, another team might use their own lifeforce. And still another team might harness some artifact within their morphers.

In Xolin's case, their powers came from the Megaship—a weakness they'd pointed out from time to time, as it meant one only had to break their transfer of energy from orbit to neutralize them, but the assumption had been that it just wasn't worth it because, again, anti-ranger tech had to account for so many variables that most just considered it not worth it. Though, Trok *had* thrown the idea of giving them a secondary 'life force' mode around before. Boy, she really wished she had held him to that right about now.

Xolin knew what she had to do; the mission had never changed. The would-be blue ranger swung around, blocking the Krybot's path to Sel and making sure her teammate had an escape path, "Powers are down!" she shouted, doing her best to keep the hoard at bay, but anyone watching would know she'd be quickly overpowered in a matter of seconds, "Run to a safe place and get help! GO!"

"But what about you?" Sel asked, concerned.

Xolin elbowed a Krybot in the head, smashing into the pavement with her foot when it dropped down, but only getting several more hits from the others for her troubles, "Do as I say!"

Sel stepped back, hesitating. Xolin was about to lose, she couldn't…

"NOW!" Xolin cried, just before she was finally mowed down. Sel finally broke rank, running towards the nearest building—unfortunately, another few Krybot stragglers were incoming, and Sel wasn't fast or agile enough to avoid them. She was caught by one, and not being great at melee combat—especially without her powers—meant that she was helpless as others swarmed in.

"NO!" Xolin roared, splitting into three. While Spirit remained crushed under the weight of her enemies, Mind and Courage raced to the rescue, knocking aside two of the Krybots assaulting Sel. She'd wanted to avoid having to rely on her triforian powers here since she didn't have any backup—these powers were built for out-maneuvering an opponent, not dealing with a hoard. Her three forms were much weaker than her singular entity.

"RUN!" Xolin of Courage screamed at Sel as she fought one of the Krybots.

The xybrian struggled against two of her enemy; "I can't!"

Xolin of Mind snapped in frustrated rage, "Useless! Because of course I'm stuck with the useless pile of—" she grunted as she was hit in the stomach, then delivered a counter-attack, flinging her foe around into another, "Can't even defend yourself, only the Trinity knows why Iota wanted you so bad…"

Sel stopped struggling, at first shocked by the outburst, and then saddened. Useless. That's what she was to Xolin. Could she blame her? Not really. That didn't mean it didn't hurt though. The last few weeks, ever since she'd woken up on Xybria…Sel had tried. She really had. And for a while, she had thought she was getting better in the training sessions, and with warming up to the others. She wanted to be…well, *real*. She wanted to be like them, with them, not separate.

But standing here, now, it was clear she wasn't, and couldn't be. Xolin didn't accept her. Why should she?

Why was Sel even here?

On some level, Xolin knew she'd messed up as the fight went out of Sel, but on the surface in the mist of her rage, she was just further pissed that the girl would give up—it was just further proof of just how utterly useless their fourth member was. They were going to *lose*, and there was nothing she could do about it—and it was almost certainly Sel's fault. This never would have happened with Sid or Trok. "Oh, what!?" she exclaimed bitterly, "Do I have to hold your hand or something!?" Again, deep down she *probably* knew she was in the wrong, but on the surface in her haze of anger, she'd already justified it to herself.

If Sel was going to reply, Xolin never witnessed it. Sel was struck in the back of the neck by some sort of electrical device that immediately knocked her out. Xolin's eyes widened as she—they—knew what was coming. Xolin of Mind, pinned under numerous Krybots, was next—and with her, the remaining two Xolins immediately succumbed as well, before melting away and reuniting with their sister.

* * *

"What do you mean kidnapped?!" were the first words out of Trok's mouth. Under normal circumstances, Sid would have snorted at Trok's questioning of the obvious. It meant they'd been captured, obviously. But under the circumstances, he'd let it slide. He was just as concerned, after all.

They both sat in the workbay, Sid having been giving Trok a primer on some of the craziest worlds he'd been to, when Iota had come down to them with the news.

Iota elaborated "As in, we found their skycycles parked with no one around. The office reported getting the package, so we know they made it, and shortly afterwards we have numerous witnesses reporting seeing Krybots in the area".

"…Troobians?" Trok asked confused, "What do they have to do with this?"

Sid shook his head, his arms folded as he leaned back in his chair, "Probably nothing. Capricorn probably just bought some stuff off the nearest arms dealer".

Even without a visible face, Iota seemed to fall into a bit of reluctance to explain this next part, "…It wasn't Capricorn".

"…I'm sorry?" asked Sid, pulling himself forward.

Iota sighed, pulling out a small holographic generator and placing it on the table. A map of galaxies appeared, before zooming in on a blinking light in one of the spiral formations, "…Both Sel and Xolin have been implanted with nano-tracking devices".

Sid grunted as he leaned back and crossed his arms again, "...Should I be right to assume that's true for Trok and I too?" he asked, annoyed, but not really shocked at this point. Iota made a noncommittal noise that pretty much signified 'yes'. Trok seemed a bit more concerned at that, but Sid just replied with a sarcastic "Hmm".

"You understand why, of course" Iota replied, "Anyway, we've traced them to this sector in the Itassitar Galaxy".

"…That's Alliance space" Sid said with concern, once again leaning forward so he could get a better look at the map.

Iota nodded, "And near the location of a hidden SPD base we stumbled on a few months back. We don't know what its purposes is, but we do know it's off the official records".

"…The hell does SPD want with us?" Sid asked, a bit taken for a loop at the turn of events. As if they didn't have enough issues with just Capricorn and whoever hired him—and privately, he wondered why SPD was buying off Troobian hardware. Unless SPD had been the ones hiring Capricorn and Naga in the first place…but considering the sheer level of destruction during the Arkilla mission, that didn't seem likely; and besides, why would Capricorn flee Alliance space towards Onyx if he was hired by SPD? So yeah, that little theory didn't pan out.

Iota shrugged, "That, I'm hoping will be answered by your rescue mission".

"When do we go?" asked Trok, now anxious to save Sel and Xolin.

"We'll be arriving in a few hours" Iota replied, "So be ready. Unfortunately, we don't know anything about the interior layout of the base, or defensive capabilities, so you'll be flying blind".

"Mmm, peachy" Sid sighed as he watched the blinking light on the map, "…Because assaulting hidden bases without a plan is always a surefire method for success".

* * *

She awoke disoriented. It was kind of like how when you hadn't gotten enough sleep, and so if you were awoken you were super groggy and not completely sure of anything around you. She remembered…something. What had she been doing?

The first thing she noticed was that her arms were restrained somehow…and her legs too. She was strapped to some sort of…bed? No, a board? Some kind of flat surface.

Xolin's eyes fluttered open, taking in her surroundings. It was dim and cramped, and very spartan. Four simple offwhite walls surrounded her, flanked by an old scuffed up tile floor and an office ceiling. The only lights came from small florescent lamps spaced along the walls.

Right; she'd been fighting and…crap. She struggled, suddenly realizing what had happened. She'd been captured. No use though; her bonds were metal. Briefly she considered splitting, but decided against it. It was best if she waited to see what her situation was before revealing her trump card.

"Ah, you're awake. Good" said a voice. She looked over, seeing a man in a black jumpsuit standing by the door, arms folded behind his back.

"…And you would be?" she asked crossly, giving her bonds another tug.

He took his weight off the wall, crossing the small room over to where she was, and pulled a helmet-like device hanging from the ceiling down over her head, before strapping her into it, "I am the one who will be asking the questions" he replied, "Answer truthfully, and you will not be harmed. Lie, and…well…" he waved a small remote in his hands as he stepped away. Xolin grimaced.

"Question one: are you Xolin, of House Avaris?"

"No".

A powerful shock flooded Xolin's body. She squealed in pain, breathing heavily as it passed. Damn, that had *hurt*. What had they even done? Was it like…some sort of electrical or magical charge, or had they tapped in to her nervous system somehow, or…

"And now you know what will happen when you lie" the man replied, matter-of-factly, "We will not tolerate insubordination".

"Who are you?!" she demanded to know, her voice rising in anger. Another shock; she cried out.

"As I said, *we* will be asking the questions, not you" the man stated.

Xolin panted, "Go to hell!"

Another shock. The man shook his head slightly, "Question two: Who commands you?"

"Why…would I tell you?" Xolin gritted, just before another shock to her system caused her to shout out in pain again. She panted, but was resolute; she wouldn't be coerced by *anyone*, especially not with these tactics. She was nothing if not absolutely obstinate.

"Who commands you?"

"Santa Clause"

Zap.

"Who commands you?"

"Zordon of Eltar"

Zap.

The man sighed, "…We can do this all day, if you'd like. But eventually your body *will* give out" he nodded at Xolin's body, already exhausted and covered in sweat just from those few zaps.

"That…would suck" she breathed out, expecting another shock. To her surprise, none came, so she took a moment to compose herself, slowing her breathing a bit.

The man paced across the room, "Let's try a different track. Question three: what was your involvement with the Arkilla incident?"

"Incident?" Xolin asked. She had a pretty good idea what he was going on about, but well, best to play dumb for now.

The man sighed, "Several weeks ago the Arkilla spaceport was savagely assaulted by a band of pirates and three unidentified rangers".

Xolin shrugged noncommittally, "I've never been to Arkilla".

Zap. Xolin grunted in pain.

"Lies will not be tolerated, Ms. Xolin. You *will* give us the answers we want" the man said, his back to Xolin with his hands clasped behind him. He snapped his fingers and the door was opened by two black armor clad figures. The man nodded at them, "Take her to her cell, we'll begin again shortly".

Xolin of course did her best to struggle as they undid her bonds, but their grip was absolute as they took her away, her body still wracked from her torture. She struggled all the way down the hall, almost getting away once, before a third armored grunt grabbed her. They dumped her unceremoniously onto the floor in a dimly lit cell, closing the door behind them as she forced herself back up, throwing herself at her exit. The door wouldn't budge, but that didn't stop her from continuing to try, despite her body being extremely fatigued.

Even as she did, thoughts were going through her head. This wasn't Capricorn's doing, she was sure of that now. Perhaps it was another group employed by the mysterious man with a briefcase? And then there was the fact that he man who had interrogated her seemed to be particularly interested in the whole incident on Arkilla. Could it be possible this was some sort of black ops SPD group? If so, why bother with Troobian hardware? A cover?

Hrn.

Her legs finally gave out as she slumped down into a sitting position, her head dizzy and her breathing a bit labored. Whatever that torture machine was, it had done a number on her. She was fairly convinced he'd been telling the truth when he'd said that continued use of the machine would kill her. She took a moment to calm her body, briefly meditating, which seemed to give her back at least a portion of her strength. At the very least, she was less dizzy now.

That's when she heard a noise, at the other end of the cell. Opening an eye, she caught sight of Sel sitting in the far corner, huddled up in a ball. Well, at least she wasn't dead.

Yet.

"…So how much have you told them?" Xolin asked hoarsely, her tone bitter. She hadn't really thought about Sel while being interrogated; but a sinking feeling filled her as she realized that the girl most likely wouldn't have responded well to torture—likely she'd already spilled everything to them, and Xolin would be pissed if all her pain had been for nothing.

"I haven't told them anything" the girl replied quietly. Xolin frowned; that didn't seem likely.

"…Not even after they interrogated you?"

She shook her head, "They haven't done anything to me. I woke up in here".

Xolin sputtered. "Wha—". Of course. Of *course*. Sel was so friggin' special, why would they dare harm her when they had a cow to slaughter like Xolin? Eugh, typical reality; life was out to get her. She sneered at Sel, now extremely annoyed, "…They haven't done *anything* to you?"

She shook her head again. Damnit all.

"That's great. That's just…that's great" Xolin spat out. She wasn't even sure what she had wanted to hear out of this; did she really *want* Sel to suffer? But she was just so…irritated at her own misfortune, it just didn't seem right.

"You're angry with me" Sel said, quietly.

Xolin glared at her, "I told you to run. Why didn't you?"

"I did".

"Not until it was too late" Xolin clarified, "You hesitated, and it cost both of us. You could have gotten help".

Sel looked down, ashamed, "I'm sorry".

"Why didn't you run?" Xolin needled her again.

Sel thought for a moment, "…I didn't…" she sighed, "…I didn't want to abandon you".

Xolin's eyes perked up in surprise as she hadn't expected that answer. But the immediate good feeling she got from it was quickly twisted into guilt, only further fueling her indignation. She glared at her teammate, then looked away in self-righteous contempt, "Useless".

Nothing further was said between them.

* * *

One could be forgiven for thinking Sid was slacking off. To all outside observers, it would have seemed he was taking a nap on the couch in the observation lounge. The lights were off, and the windows were filled with the streaks of passing stars. But Sid was not slacking off, not by a long shot. He'd been in this position for almost an hour, going over battle plans and strategies, trying to come up with the best plan for success with what little he knew about the whole situation.

He knew they'd need to get in and out quickly; a covert SPD base would likely be swarming with defenses, and the Megaship, while powerful, wasn't built to take on enemy fleets by itself—you'd need something much larger, like a battleship. But the fact that they were still able to track Sel and Xolin's positions was good—they'd be able to lock down on where they were in the base.

Which was *very* good, because until they arrived, he wouldn't even know what the base was going to look like, much less its internal layout—which of course made planning an actual rescue mission almost impossible. Which in turn of course meant that most likely, they wouldn't be *able* to just get in and get out—they'd have to find some way to delay the inevitable while they searched the labyrinth. And so here Sid was, trying to brainstorm ways to keep the Megaship from getting blown up upon arrival.

Wait.

What if they gave them more than one target to shoot at? Sid mused; they had four other zords to call on. If they set them on autopilot, or linked them into Iota's command…hrm. This could work.

He opened his eyes when he sensed another presence. Sure enough, there was Trok, leaning over the side of the couch, looking down at him.

"Problems?" Sid asked, reading the young man's troubled face.

Trok shrugged half-heartedly, "I dunno. I just…I'm bored and I want to be there already" he grumbled, "…I hate waiting".

Sid smiled. He'd been on the ship long enough that sometimes he'd forget just how new Trok was at this, "I always hated the waiting too. Can't do anything except worry about how everything might go wrong".

"How do you deal with it?" asked Trok, "Like, I can't *do* anything else; it's all just…white noise. And I just can't take it".

Sid shrugged, "It just gets easier eventually. You become a bit desensitized to it".

"But what about *now*?" Trok groaned, slumping against the couch. Sid almost laughed, the image of this physically imposing alien whining like a bored fifteen year-old. Trok wasn't fully grown of course; he was still smaller than your average horathean, and his green scales weren't quite so spikey as they'd be in a few short years, but Sid still had to remind himself that he *was* still a teenager.

"You care about them" Sid replied earnestly, "That's natural. For now? Go ahead and train in the simudeck; at the very least it'll keep your body occupied until we get there".

Trok thought about that for a moment, then nodded as he stood up, "That might work; thanks. You gonna join me?"

Sid shook his head, "Nah, I got my own methods".

"Such as napping?"

A small, wry smirk appeared on Sid's face as he closed his eyes again, "Such as 'planning', smart guy. Go get your ass kicked by holograms for a while".

Trok huffed good-naturedly, before leaving Sid alone to his thoughts.

* * *

"Who do you work for?"

Zap.

"Why did you attack Arkilla?"

Zap.

"Who are your team members?"

Zap.

Hanging by the chains on her wrists, Xolin's breath was sporadic and haggard, her hair a complete and utter mess that obscured most of her face. She said nothing as the attacks kept coming; originally she had snarked back each answer, but by now she simply didn't have the strength to be clever anymore, so she had settled instead for simply being silent, broken only by the whimpers whenever the pain coursed through her body.

"You *will* answer my questions" the man said calmly, yet firmly, as he paced across the small room. If he was growing in any way agitated or impatient, he didn't show any sign of it—denying Xolin even that small comfort.

"Make me" Xolin managed to croak out. She felt extremely ill. In fact—oh, yeah, there it went. All over the floor.

Great. So much for dignity.

The man sighed, snapping his fingers—obviously they'd have to try again later. Once again, the two guards entered the room, and once again they uncuffed her, before dragging her back to her cell and tossing her inside. She landed face-first, and this time didn't bother to move, instead simply slumping to the ground; to hell with anything. Her body attempted to dry heave, but there was simply no strength left.

Maybe she should give up, she thought, then was immediately revolted at herself for that. Not only did Xolin not give up, she didn't ever betray her allies. But gods…she wanted to die—and she had a sneaking suspicion that might not be far off at this point. This had been the third session; she didn't know how many more her body would be able to take before it just gave up. Tears shimmered in her eyes as she took a deep, stabilizing breath. The dizziness was almost unbearable and her muscles ached with a dull thud.

She could do this. She could…shit. The others didn't even know where they were. She'd try to break out herself, but at this point her body was so weak and pitiful she didn't know if she could even stand up, let alone walk or fight. She didn't have her morpher, she was on a station she didn't know the layout of, and her only support was…her.

She was going to die.

"You're hurting"

Speak of the devil. Xolin managed to look up at Sel, who was crouched over the triforian with an expression of concern etched on her face.

Xolin grunted, "No shit".

"Give me up"

Xolin nearly choked, "…Excuse me?"

But Sel's face was earnest, "They're after me, right? Just…tell them what they want, and they'll let you go".

Xolin's face contorted from surprise to anger, "You want me to betray *everyone*?!"

Sel's eyes widened in horror, "No, no! I mean…I didn't…"

Xolin closed her eyes again. "They aren't after you—for once. They want information, about all of us. If I tell them, then that puts everyone else in danger—and I'm not a traitor".

"I'm sorry" Sel replied, flustered, "That…didn't come out right".

"No, it didn't".

Sel winced at Xolin's bite. Why was communication so difficult? She just couldn't…do it right. She couldn't do a lot of things right. "What I meant was…" she sighed, "…I wish I could take your place".

"What?" Xolin asked, surprised.

"You're hurting" Sel explained, "I can feel it. In here" she pointed at herself. She'd been feeling it since they'd arrived; and it had only been getting worse. Xolin wouldn't last much longer like this, "And I hate it. I hate seeing it, I hate feeling it. I don't like what it's doing to you. And…and I…" she trailed off.

Xolin's many emotions finally settled on 'compassion'—an oddity for her. Her expression softened, "…And you feel helpless".

Sel nodded numbly, averting her eyes in shame. She looked down at the ground, "…I'm sorry for being useless".

Now it was Xolin's turn to wince. Sel was so young; she could see that clearly just as the girl was sitting over her. Trok was that young too, wasn't he? That sensitivity, that naivety…she'd probably messed him up real bad back when they'd first met—the Trinity only knew why they'd bonded so well. She remembered when she and Trok had first been teamed together; she'd been with Iota a couple of weeks, and hated the idea of having someone so…underwhelming accompany her into battle. She'd always have to watch his back, and during training she'd give him hell.

But for all his dorkiness, Trok never gave up. He was a wall, an immovable object, and his optimism was infectious. And slowly but surely, he began watching her back too. And then Sid…

Man, she was bad with people. And here was a kid, just like Trok…though less of a wall, more of a doormat. Less optimistic, but just as empathetic, even if she wasn't good at displaying it.

How could Xolin just lay on the floor when someone needed saving? How could she be so useless?

With a loud groan, Xolin managed to pull herself into a sitting position, though she had to pause because her head was spinning too badly. Then she gripped the door to the cell.

"What are you doing?!" Sel asked, now very concerned as Xolin began the long, arduous task of pulling herself to her feet-*without* emptying what was left of her stomach.

"What does it…does it look like?" she asked, a pained expression on her face, even as her legs shuddered under their own weight, "One of the cardinal rules of being a ranger; we *never* give up. I'm going…going to break us out and get the hell out of here".

"But you can barely stand!" Sel exclaimed, alarmed.

Xolin's free hand gripped her abdomen in pain, "I'm Xolin of Triforia. I'm friggin' incredible, and I don't *ever* quit. It doesn't matter how I feel, I'm going to complete my mission". Her voice was low, almost a whisper, and extremely hoarse, but Sel couldn't deny the core resolute defiance within. Xolin thought for a moment, glancing back at the cell door she was holding onto for dear life, her breath slow and haggard. "I…I have an idea".

* * *

"Who do you think's gonna win?"

"Hrm?" Ulthar grunted, having just been woken up from a half-doze. The older tangarian guard usually used this time to catch up on lost sleep; it wasn't like they were really necessary anyway—the security doors were more than enough to keep everything locked up. And if those weren't, man, this place had so many security systems and SPD guards it wasn't even funny. So no, Ulthar had absolutely no qualms about using 'company time' to take care of himself.

"The game" the felonian elaborated crossly as she put her reading material down, "Were you sleeping again?" She probably intended to look cross, but to Ulthar, the cat people always amused him; to him their 'annoyed' expression just looked adorable. At any rate, he ignored her protest, instead aiming at her first question, "Gotta support the home team" he grinned, "Tangarian Hotshots all the way. You?"

"Ichthyite Leviathans" she replied, with not just a little smug satisfaction out of the reaction she knew it'd get out of her partner. Before he could properly respond however, a pounding came at the door. A young woman's voice called out to them, muffled by the thick armor between them.

"HELP! I NEED HELP IN HERE!"

The two guards looked at each other and sighed. Ulthar replied, still sitting down in his chair, "Yeah? What's up?"

"My roommate's passed out…she's not breathing! I need help!"

The two guards snickered. Ulthar called back, "Finally gave in to the torture, huh? Yeah, those devices are a real pain".

"I think she's dying! Don't you still need her?!"

"Command probably *would* prefer she remain alive as long as possible" the felonian said to her partner. Ulthar sighed again, getting to his feet before he slid open the small window in the middle of the door, peering in to see the triforian laying on the ground in a heap. In front of him stood the xybrian, panicking.

"Please, she's my friend!"

"I know how this works" Ulthar said dryly, "I open up, check on her, then you conk me on the head from behind and lock us inside while you run. That about right?"

"But…" Sel seemed confused, "There's only two of us in here. And I'm right here".

Ulthar mused it over, then nodded, "Eh, alright. Stand back, prisoner. I want your back against the far wall and your hands up where I can see them. Understand?"

Sel nodded and did as she was told. Ulthar nodded to his partner, who got up and drew her gun. At the count of a silent three, Ulthar pressed the unlock code into the keypad, and opened the door. The two guards moved inside, keeping their focus on Sel. Ulthar knelt down to check on Xolin while the other kept her gun trained on Sel's chest.

"Make one false move, and I take you down, understand?" she asked. Sel nodded in fear, her breath shaky. She dared not to look at the two forms rising behind the two guards, both of them silent and otherwise unnoticed by the occupants of the room. Neither guard noticed Ulthar's gun being drawn out of his holster, and Ulthar was extremely shocked when his fellow guard was pistol-whipped in the back of the head, her unconscious form dropping to the floor.

"What the—"

Xolin of soul made sure the gun was set to stun—she wasn't a barbarian—and let Ulthar take a nice, long nap. The three Xolins reformed into Xolin of soul, and she nearly collapsed; had it not been for Sel grabbing her, she would have hit the floor herself. The two looked at each other, both a little surprised that Sel had put Xolin's arm around her.

"…Grab the other gun" Xolin said, hoping to diffuse the awkward situation, "You'll need it".

Sel did as she was told, then began helping Xolin out of the cell. Xolin grinned wanly as they exited, "Now…shut the door" she said, before dropping into Ulthar's chair.

Again, Sel did as she was told, but to this she also smiled, remembering the conversation she had had with him. "…What now?" she asked her teammate. Xolin looked down the hall; no guards or alarms yet. Obviously no one had looked at a camera monitor…yet. She leaned back, resting as best she could, "…We need to find wherever they're holding our morphers. Then we need to find where the docking bay is, and somehow steal a ship".

Truth be told, they *could* have just had Iota manufacture new morphers in case of emergency; since they drew their power from the ship, it was really a simple matter to create a new set and deactivate the old ones via remote. But having loose evidence lying around was probably a bad thing—and they kinda needed those morphers *now*. At the very least, Xolin could use the morphin' energy to sustain herself until they got off the station.

"Right" Sel said, hesitant, "…And how do we do that?"

"Computer monitor" Xolin pointed matter-of-factly at a panel on the wall a few feet down the hall, "Get to it".

Sel nodded, and got to work.

* * *

Sid checked over his skycycle for what he was sure was the fiftieth time. He knew he was just being paranoid, but there was always that nagging pull in the back of his mind. You know the one.

"This is a risky plan".

Sid turned to Iota, who had been standing at the door while the two rangers had been doing their final checks and preparations. Sid shrugged, "It's the best I've got. Unless you've got a better idea".

He shook his head, "I brought you on for this very reason. Wouldn't be appropriate to not allow you to work. Besides, risk isn't always a bad thing".

"Speaking from experience?" Sid asked, a bit acidly. The comment went over Trok's head, but Iota's slight nod definitely indicated he'd gotten it.

He changed the topic slightly, "We'll be arriving in a few minutes. I've set the ship AI to work with the other auxillary zords upon dropping out of hyperrush. And of course, set them to disengage and return to the Megaship if they start to take heavy damage".

Sid nodded. A smart move; he didn't want to risk any more on the mission than he absolutely had to.

"I still think you should consider taking the base out".

Sid glared at the man…thing. "I'm not a butcher, I don't *do* 'sanitizing'. Besides, I doubt we have the firepower to take out everything. Best to get in and out with minimal casualties, instead of laying waste to everything and someone escapes to bring back word".

"And if they trace the operation back to us?"

Sid sighed. That was always a possibility; and frankly, the more missions they went on, the more likely it was to happen. But then, they had already gone to great lengths to capture two of their team, so it was also clear that they already had a good idea about the situation. The worst was already upon them—though for some reason, they hadn't bothered to let the rest of the universe know who they were.

So perhaps the group targeting them wasn't SPD proper, but some sort of black ops group, like an SPD equivalent to them? Thinking about *that* was absolutely terrifying, even if it almost certainly existed. At any rate, there was something here Sid wasn't seeing, but then that seemed to be the status quo around this place. Sigh.

He replied, "If it's really SPD, then it could start a war". The fact was sobering, but absolutely true. If they were somehow linked back to the Confederacy, then the Alliance wouldn't hesitate to start the next great war—they'd been licking their wounds since losing the entire Local Cluster of galaxies; if they could claim a just war in order to extract vengeance, they'd be on that like crazy. But… "That said, since they went out of our way to take two of our people, I'm going to assume the cat's already out of the bag. Otherwise, well…I'm hoping they'll just chock it up to some renegade group and we can go lie low somewhere for a while after this".

Iota said nothing that might indicate approval or disagreement, instead he simply said, "Good luck".

Yeah. Luck. Sid grimaced as the armored figure left the room, before glancing back at Trok, who met his eyes with his own knowingly, before both returned to their duties.

"You nervous?" Sid asked him.

Trok paused, considering. He exhaled, "…You know, I just realized. On every mission up till now, Xolin's been with me, even if she wasn't physically next to me. She'd…always just be there, before the mission, preparing with me. Or over the communicator. Or right there fighting next to me". He fidgeted with his hands, clearly distressed at the situation.

Sid placed his hand on the kid's shoulder comfortingly, "And she'll be with us here too. We'll get her back. Both of them".

Trok nodded with just a hint of hesitation, "…Yeah. This time, I'll watch *her* back".

Iota's voice came on over the comm, _"Dropping out of hyperrush in fifteen seconds. Be ready to launch"._

Sid nodded at his teammate, before morphing into the red ranger and mounting his skycycle. Trok did likewise, and a scant few seconds later they could feel the Megaship slowing to slower-than-light speeds. And a split second after that, the doors to the launch bay opened to the void of space.

* * *

Informally, they called his lonely position 'the crow's nest'. There was some technical name for it, of course, like 'astro-spacial lookout specialist' or…something. Whatever, it wasn't like anyone ever used the technical term, or like he cared. Basically, he was security's ace in the hole; the guy who kept an eye on everything and made sure it all ran smoothly. It was quiet, it was out of the way, and it was how he liked it. Working for SPD's black ops arm had its perks—especially when you weren't the one working on the front lines, but instead in some backwater research station where nothing ever happened.

So you could imagine his surprise when he console started beeping, alerting him to incoming hyperrush vibrations—unscheduled hyperrush vibrations. Hrn. He made ready to alert the base commander of the situation, when more alerts went off—unauthorized computer access down in the prison wing. He quickly scanned his eyes across the various camera feeds of the area, sighting the two perpetrators.

…Wait, weren't they the two terrorists they'd apprehended? He'd not known why they were so important to the brass, why they'd gone out of their way; deep into Confederate space to grab them, and why they hadn't just executed them, but who was he to argue policy? But now they were out of their cages and making a play for escape. Immediately he sounded the alarms, sending a quick message to the commander. But before he could even finish the text, the console beeped again. He'd forgotten about the unscheduled warp signatures, and now he'd paid the price with an unregistered ship entering the immediate region.

…And immediately four more vessels of similar size appeared around it on the sensor grid. They hadn't warped in, they'd just…appeared. The ships were small, but…were those morphin' energy readings they were giving off?

…Uh oh. Those weren't just ships. Those were zords. They had a small fleet of zords flying straight for them. *Shit*.

As he panicked, he idly heard the sound of a laser pistol sending a guard to the ground, as on the camera feed the two prisoners began to storm their way through the base. Another beep alerted him to plumbing issues in the men's bathroom on deck three.

…See, most people said Mondays were terrible. No, Mondays just dragged a bit and were generally monotonous. But Thursdays? Thursdays friggin' *sucked*.

* * *

Twin skycycles, one red and the other green, soared out of the hanger bay of the Megaship, quickly veering off towards the station as the fleet moved into position against the defending forces—two large SPD ships of the line, each well over a kilometer in length. Their design was basic and utilitarian; blocky and boring with their color being a mixture of greys and black. In contrast, the forces opposing them were much smaller; each well under a hundred meters and sporting a verifiable rainbow of colors. The Defender Megaship, in black and gold, led the charge—followed by the four Guardian zords, in red, blue, green, and yellow.

"_SPD to unidentified vessels, you are within restricted astro-space. Stand down and prepare to be boarded. Failure to comply will result in immediate termination"._

"Looks like we angered the hive" Sid mused, as he and Trok headed straight for the station. It, like the ships, was blocky and grey, essentially being a half-pyramid floating in space, with the area under the base curving down into a point.

"I've got a lock on their position" Trok said, "Deck four".

"Then let's go commit a jail break" Sid replied, as the two veered off.

Above and behind them, the lightshow had begun. The zords were faster and more maneuverable, but the warships still had an advantage in sheer firepower. And since the zords couldn't shoot to kill, they were essentially handicapped.

Oh well, guess they just had to do this fast.

The small fleet of zords whipped around the larger behemoths, avoiding the strafing beam fire and laser turrets as they closed in, returning fire on the enemy weapon systems.

…And that was when the station's hanger bay doors opened, and a swarm of enemy fighters began pouring out.

"Oh" Sid muttered, feeling really stupid for not having considered this, "*Crap*".

* * *

They were making better time than she had thought they would. While Xolin still had to be supported by Sel's weight, they'd already managed to make it half-way to their destination. It was, as best Xolin could figure, some sort of security locker room—predictable. She just wished the alarms would cut out already; it wasn't like everyone in the base didn't already know they'd broken loose by this point, anyway.

Boom. Xolin knocked another errant guard down with another shot from her pistol as he had turned the corner. If Sel was the legs, Xolin had become her arms, running and gunning all the way to freedom. Though as they ran, Xolin began to realize she was feeling…well, better. Not even close to one hundred percent, but far better than she would figure she'd have to; she could almost *feel* energy seeping into her. She stole a glance at the woman supporting her body as they turned another corner. She couldn't…could she?"

"Hey, Sel?"

"Yeah?" she asked back.

Xolin struggled to format her question, knowing just how weird it was, "…I don't suppose xybrians have any sort of healing powers, do they?"

Sel blinked, almost stopping in confusion. "Um…not that I know of". Her expression became a little more downcast—she was useless once again.

"Oh" was all Xolin replied with, "Good to know". Awkward. So very awkward.

Boom. There went another guard. They set them up, she knocked them down. Boom, another one. Boom. Boom. Boom.

"We should be almost there" Sel said matter-of-factly. Xolin was a bit surprised that she'd been able to memorize the layout of the base so well, but then the girl seemed to have her talents after all. Y'know, like how Xolin was *definitely* starting to feel better.

Then the base shook.

"_Attention all hands. Five hostile megaships detected in our astrospace. Prepare to repel borders. Attention all hands…"_

The two girls looked at each other, stopping for a moment before Xolin paused to take out two more guards—one in front and one that had appeared behind. "Looks like the cavalry came" Xolin grinned, "Wanna bet they're our ride?"

Sel nodded hesitantly, a small smile forming on her face.

Xolin smiled back, "Come on. Let's get our gear and get out of here".

* * *

The sky was ablaze. For Trok it was almost overwhelming; all the fire and chaos around him. Sid veered away from an enemy fighter's firing path, before unloading his own pepper fire on the opposing vessel. Its engines burst into flames as it spun out of control, ramming itself into its nearest ally.

So much for no casualties. But then, that had always been more of an operational guideline than a hard-fast rule. One had to defend themselves, after all—Sid had been very clear on that before they had left.

Above, the Megaship swung around into Megazord mode, its feet slamming down into the side of one of the warships as it pulled out its sword and charged at one of the weapon turrets. The turret was slashed in half, and the Megazord followed it up with a hit to another turret a few paces beyond as it kept running, before transforming back into ship mode and evading the return fire from other turrets.

"Found a landing spot!" Sid said, just before another fighter was taken out of commission, "Follow me!"

The two skycycles closed in on the space station, landing on its side and quickly attaching themselves to the hull. With a brief thought, the rangers activated the gravity boot systems in their suits—a helpful design feature in cases like this.

Trok pulled a…well, a torch of sorts out from the back of his sky cycle, specially designed for cutting through hull plating. Ideally, when breaching a hull you'd have a dedicated assault pod, but the Megaship wasn't equipped for, y'know, heavy war assault stuff, so they'd had to settle on something less impressive. Trok had cobbled it together about a month ago, just one of his personal projects that had actually bore fruit—though he'd never imagined they'd actually find a use for it.

"Mind you, I have no clue where we're going to end up once I punch through" the green ranger said.

Sid shot at another fighter with his sidearm as it passed by, discouraging it from trying another strafing run. "As long as we're close to the girls, it doesn't matter".

"They're on the move, you know" Trok replied. He'd been watching their signatures, and just shortly ago they'd begun to move.

Sid kept firing, "Then we should probably make this quick. Give them an escape route and all that. Do your thing, I'll play defense".

"Sid!" Trok called. The red ranger turned, and was greeted with Trok's sidearm weapon landing itself in his hand. Sid nodded briefly, before turning back and unleashing double the fire he'd been capable of a second ago. Just then, the blue guardian zord brushed past just overhead, causing the fighter swarm of disperse and regroup, before engaging the larger craft.

Trok took the torch and extended its legs, letting them attach to the hull, before turning the device on and letting it drill a hole into the armor of the station—all the while trying his best not to think about the fact that any second he could be vaporized by an incoming fightercraft.

He failed in his second objective.

* * *

Xolin was *definitely* feeling better. She was now supporting her own weight, for one. Sel had seemed skeptical when Xolin told her to put her down—and even Xolin had half thought she was crazed, but here she was, keeping pace with Sel as they neared their destination.

One lone guard stood in their way in front of the door…which of course was unfortunate for him, as he soon discovered when his head was slammed into said door and he immediately lost all awareness of everything.

"This lock requires a handprint signature" Sel said, noting the device on the door. In response, Xolin simply pulled the glove off the downed guard's right hand, and then stuck it onto the lock. Immediately it opened. She then let the body drop to the ground, giving Sel a look that explained she was quite pleased with herself, before further opening the vault and entering the room. Sel looked down at the body, then stepped over it before following Xolin.

"A question" Sel stated, as Xolin scanned the small room with her gun, just to make sure the coast was clear.

"Hm?"

Sel hesitated. How to ask this without…well, messing it up? "You…hrn".

Xolin glanced back at her, seeing the indecision on her face, "Oh, just ask. I hate it when people beat around the bush".

Sel grimaced, "…You said they weren't after me. So why wasn't I being interrogated?"

Xolin paused. That *was* a good question, and one she'd idly wondered herself. SPD's goals, in what limited context she'd gotten, didn't make a whole lot of sense. If they knew who they were, then how didn't they know who commanded them? And if they were looking for information, why *not* go after Sel, who was easily viewable as the more break-able of the two?

Whatever. They could sort it out later, when they were safe back home.

"I don't know" she said, "These people haven't really given me a lot to work with". Secrets. Always more secrets hiding from her. She was starting to hate her job; she liked things to be straightforward and blunt. But her job had only served to reinforce how little she knew about anything. All this damned sneaking around…

Xolin eyed the two morphers sitting in the center table of the room, which was some kind of small armory. Aside from their morphers, numerous other artifacts and weapons could be found hanging from the wall, or in cases, all along the edge of the small room. Consolation prizes from other prisoners, perhaps? Or science projects of some kind? Maybe both?

Meh.

Xolin took the butt of her pistol and smashed the clear case containing their morphers. More alarms sounded of course, but you could barely hear them over the symphony of existing ones. It didn't matter now anyway; because for the first time since coming here, Xolin finally felt safe again. She pressed the button on her morpher.

…And nothing. Damn.

"They've still got a dampening device running somewhere" she hissed, before slamming her fists down on the table. "Damnit!"

"Hang on" Sel cautioned. She was already at a console in the corner of the room, operating away.

"…What are you doing?" Xolin asked.

Sel said nothing, instead just continuing to work. Xolin tried to be patient, but her annoyance grew and grew as Sel just continued to work. Then, just before Xolin was about to speak up again—far more cross this time, a console in the far corner of the room opened, revealing a small device inside.

"I thought the dampening field might still be employed, so I tracked it down when I was at the map console earlier, and got the codes before they started locking everything down".

"…They didn't have any sort of protection on it before lockdown?" asked Xolin, *very* surprised.

"They did, just not as much".

"You can hack?!"

Sel rubbed her arm self-conciously, "I…maybe? I don't know. Things just sort of...appear".

Xolin blinked. What kind of…she had some sort of computer interfacing powers too? What was *with* this girl? "…What *are* you?" she asked in disbelief.

Sel looked down, and Xolin knew it had been the wrong thing to say. Really, she'd probably known it was a bad move from the get-go, but she couldn't help herself.

She put up her hands in protest, "…Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I meant like…you've got abilities. Powers. I'm just kind of…in awe, I guess".

"I thought I was useless" Sel muttered.

Xolin's expression became downcast, "…I was wrong. I'm sorry. I was frustrated and…well, I'm not exactly a people person. But you're not useless. If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have made it this far".

Neither looked at the other, the entire situation becoming incredibly tense and awkward. Thankfully, that was when more guards finally made it to the entrance of the room. The two rangers finally made brief eye contact; they'd have to deal with this later.

"Put your weapons down and your hands where we can see them" the lead guard ordered, his own weapon aimed directly at them. In one fluid motion, Xolin's gun-wielding arm swung around, opening a volley of shots at the anti-ranger device. It exploded in a shower of sparks, and at that very same moment Xolin's other hand had clasped itself around her morpher, her finger desperately pressing the button over and over.

In a flash of blue light, Xolin had been replaced by the blue peacekeeper ranger. Swinging back around in a three sixty degree motion, she pulled her own sidearm out of its holster and with both guns opened fire on the guards. A flash of yellow, and her accomplice rammed herself into the opposing force.

"What the—" the lead guard had little time to contemplate his sudden reversal in fortune as Xolin's foot found itself planted firmly in his cheek, a split second before his body hit the floor. The guards hadn't stood a chance. It felt good to be ranger'd up again; Xolin had felt rather vulnerable here without super-powered armor to break things with. Good thing that was over.

"How far away is the launch bay?" she asked the yellow ranger.

Sel mused, for just a second, "…That way. Two decks down, four sections over".

Xolin grimaced, but braced herself, "Long trip, huh? Fine, lead the way. And don't stop; if anyone gets in your way, take 'em down, fast and hard".

Sel nodded wordlessly, and the two rangers were off once again.

* * *

This was taking longer than he would have liked. SPD built their bases to last; that was for sure, but Trok was beginning to sweat under his helmet as he slowly but carefully continued to burn a hole through the station's armor. Idly, he paused to check the status of the girls on his morpher's holographic display.

…Uh oh.

"Uh, Sid?" he asked, concern rising in his voice, "We got a problem".

"That's not what I like to hear!" replied the red ranger, as he hit the engine on another fightercraft.

Trok glanced down at his display, just to make sure he was correct in what he was seeing, "Um…well, good news, the girls morphed; I'm detecting morphin' energies. Bad news, they're on the move again".

"Towards where!?"

"Um…I dunno, I don't have detailed schematics of the base!"

Sid cursed under his breath. So predictably, that was when a large ship dropped out of hyperrush. A *very* large ship, at least three kilometers in length, and very much SPD in design—a battleship. Almost upon arrival, its bay doors opened and fighters began pouring out, even as its weapons charged up and opened fire on the opposing force.

"…Shit!"

Iota's voice sounded from their morphers, _"We can't keep this up. ETA?"_

Sid glanced at Trok and the torch, then at the battle above, before looking at his own holographic display. He was going to have to take an educated guess. A risk. Yay.

"…Give me five minutes" he said, before terminating the communication link. He called back to the green ranger, "Trok, pack that sucker up and let's go! We're heading for the fighter bay".

"But it's over halfway done!" Trok protested.

Sid shook his head, "No time! Come on!"

Trok's shoulders sagged as he grumbled, turning the device off before retracting the tripod stands. Sid kept the incoming fighters busy as best he could—thankfully most were still occupied with the zords…though he could tell from here that the team was taking a beating. In fact—yep. A sudden burst of red light indicated that his own Guardian zord had been recalled to the Megaship; too much damage. The others were likely to follow soon. He just hoped he was right about Xolin and Sel's intended destination.

* * *

The two rangers were a storm. Together they were simply too much for the poor guards who had only been prepped to deal with experiments and unruly prisoners, not a friggin' assault team. And considering the fact that the base was actual under attack, this meant that what forces they did encounter were mostly frazzled and confused.

In other words, things were awesome.

The doors from the hallway to the hanger bay blew apart.

"Hey kids!" Xolin yelled cheerfully at the various guards and technicians working on the remaining few craft that hadn't been scrambled for the space battle outside, "'Sup?"

Immediately the guards moved to intercept, as the two rangers countered. Xolin charged in, lance in hand, as she dodged laser bullets and swung in, taking out two of the guards in rapid succession, before leaping up and coming down on a third. The pure chaos she was creating was perfect for Sel, who opened fire with her blade bow, picking off unsuspecting guards who were otherwise preoccupied with the berserker blue ranger.

As Xolin flipped back towards Sel, she drew her sidearm as she motioned her other weapon at the yellow ranger, then at the opposing, disorganized force, "Single shot. Do it".

Sel glanced at the lance, then nodded as she knew what Xolin was getting at. She gripped the weapon, sliding it into her bow's firing slot, aimed as the two weapons powered up, and fired. The lance, currently a blue-colored laser shot, cut right into the SPD group, the resulting explosion causing them to be flung about and away, many of them collapsing uselessly on the ground.

But as Xolin's weapon flung itself back to her hands, she realized something was off—more guards were pouring in, both from elsewhere in the hangerbay, and from behind them, from the hallway. Very soon the two rangers found themselves heavily outnumbered. Xolin joked to herself that they'd finally gotten the attention of every remaining guard in the base…though, that was probably true.

Joking aside, she knew they were in trouble. The guards from the hallway had taken the time to arm up—larger guns, heavier armor, more resembling an elite, black-clad form of SPD's E-squad grunt soldiers than the simple security guards they'd been facing.

"Surrender or die" was the simple command given by the lead soldier.

Xolin's voice turned serious as the two rangers moved up, back to back against each other, "…Sel. I'll carve a path for you. Get to a ship and *run*".

Sel looked around at the situation. It was bad; no disagreements there. But she could probably do it; the guards on her end, who had assembled from the fighter bay, were just regular guards. They were the weak links in the force that had encircled them. But she couldn't. No, she *wouldn't*.

"No".

Xolin turned her head, incensed, "…Uh, that wasn't a suggestion. Get your ass to a ship and get out of here. That's an order". She couldn't *believe* they were about to have a repeat of what had happened on Telleros. After everything that happened…of all the bullshit…augh!

But Sel wasn't budging. It wasn't hesitation or uncertainty, not like last time. No, this was determination. This was certainty. "I'm not leaving you behind. I won't betray my team either".

Xolin blinked in surprise, recalling their conversation earlier, in the prison cell. Trok would have done the same thing too. A small smile crossed her face as she turned back to the encircling hoard. She understood.

"…Watch my back, huh?"

Sel allowed herself a small satisfied smile as well as she brandished her weapon, waiting to fire.

"Put your weapons down!" the lead soldier commanded again, more angrily this time, "This is your final warning!"

Xolin cocked her head, "…Make me".

The shooting began immediately, but Xolin was ready. She'd split into three forms, her middle one keeping the laser fire from getting through to her and Sel by deflecting it with her lance. The other two flanked the unprepared soldiers as she slammed right into them, sidearms in sword mode at the ready. Sel and the remaining Xolin swung around, blue deflecting and yellow firing with her bow at the enemy forces while they dealt with the melee Xolin fighters.

Unfortunately, the element of surprise provided by Xolin's trick didn't last, and since the three Xolins were weaker than the real thing…well, it didn't take long for her two meleeing forms to get knocked back in a daze by the firepower aimed at them, reverting back into the remaining Xolin. Soon after, Sel was shot in the chest, the yellow ranger sparking before being knocked into a bunch of crates.

"Sel!" Xolin cried out, just before going down herself. The blue ranger tumbled, having been shot in the back multiple times now that she was completely surrounded and alone. She struggled to pull herself back up, but although she was feeling way better than earlier, her body still hadn't recovered from the interrogation, and she'd only managed to get into a pull-up by the time the SPD soldiers encircled her with their guns. Behind them, she could see them doing the same to Sel.

Damnit.

"Power down and hand your morpher over" the lead soldier commanded her, "Failure to comply will result in your immediate termination".

So. This was how it ended. She wasn't going back to the cell to await more interrogation; she knew that much. And she knew at this point that Sel wouldn't go for it either. Pity, she really wished Sel would have listened to her—though she wasn't complaining.

…Well okay, maybe she'd complain a *little*. She was about to die, after all. She gripped her weapon tighter, getting ready to spring into action.

The rushing sound of an engine and the gasps from the guards alerted her to a change in fortune. Looking up, she wasn't quite sure how to process what she saw. She had been about to *die*. No help was coming, no salvation was henceforth. Yet, there Sid was, riding his skycycle, hovering in the fighter bay over the arrayed enemy.

"I have a proposal" Sid said, "You let them go, and I don't set this room on fire". As if to punctuate his point, Trok rode up right behind him on his own skycycle. "…Do I make myself clear?"

The lead soldier replied, aiming his gun at the red ranger, "…You're bluffing. Hit us, and you'll risk hitting them as well" he motioned at Xolin.

Sid said nothing, instead rising up above Trok so he could get a better shot, while priming his weapons. A single shot fired out, hitting the floor between a number of guards. Their bodies were sent flying in multiple directions. Taking advantage of the momentary chaos, Xolin drew her sidearm blade, sweep-kicking the nearest soldier before wheeling back to her feet. She grasped both of her weapons tightly in her hands as she swung around, cutting into the opposition. Several sounds of laser blasts firing clued her in to the fact that Sel had followed her lead. Within a few seconds, the confused guards surrounding them were down, and few in general remained standing at all.

"…Shall we…elaborate?" Sid asked. The lead soldier grunted in frustration as he looked around, realizing he was outmatched and outflanked; Xolin and Sel had pointed their weapons at him, and both Sid and Trok hovered above and in front, cannons primed. He shook his head; to continue would be suicide, for both him and his men.

"…Everyone…pull out" he said reluctantly. The guards and soldiers, most of them having just been tossed around like ragdolls, awkwardly piled out, carrying with them the bodies of those who were dazed or unconscious. The lead was the last to go, glaring at the team of rangers before backing away into the hallway himself. Sid and Trok landed their cycles.

"You girls need a lift?" Sid asked good-naturedly.

Xolin chuckled, "You're late".

Sid scoffed, "Late? We got here *literally* as fast as the universe would physically allow us".

"Er…" Trok interjected, "The Hyperrush 10 engine is actually technically in beta trials, and the Megaship can only go hyperrush nine".

Sid glanced over at him, "Hey, Trok?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up".

The group all laughed, Sel included. Xolin moved over to Trok, hugging the green ranger tightly before hopping on his cycle behind him, "Holy crap, you have no idea how good it is to see you guys".

"Bad day?" Trok asked.

Xolin snorted, "Let's just go home, huh?"

"I like that plan" Sid replied, then motioned to Sel, "Come on, princess. Let's do what she says".

Sel nodded, hopping on Sid's craft…just as she heard a slow clapping noise. The others heard it too. All four looked over at the hallway door. Standing there was a human male, mid-thirties, with a business suit and…a briefcase. Xolin's eyes widened.

"…The man with the briefcase" she said. Trok looked at her in astonishment, then at the man. Holy crap.

"Well done" the man said, pushing his glasses up towards his face, "Truly, a spectacular performance by everyone involved. This round goes to you. Normally I'd have just left, but I wanted a good at the heroes themselves".

Sid gripped the handles of his cycle as he gritted his teeth. By all accounts he was just a normal man, if somewhat anachronistic, but something about him weirded him out. Something was…off. Maybe it was simply the fact that he was just…out of place, but Sid was definitely a tad unsettled. "Who are you, and what do you want with us?"

The man looked at Sel, who recoiled a bit, then back at Sid, "I think we all know what I want. As for who I am…consider me a messenger of sorts. Beyond that, well, spoilers aren't really my thing".

"…It's you" Sel whispered, slightly frantic, "The one from Onyx".

"Ah, you remember me! I'm pleased" the man said, with fake polite enthusiasm.

"You're not getting her" Xolin said firmly, "So just keep walking".

The man smirked, "Today I'm not. But someday…well, I'm a patient person. Again, congratulations. We'll meet again soon". He turned to leave, but stopped, "Oh, I almost forgot" he said, an unsettling smile brushing across his face, "Sel. The Knowing Eye Sleeps". With that, the man turned and left, briefcase in hand. Sid noticed Sel was now shivering.

"…Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

She nodded, getting ahold of herself as best she could. She'd just experienced…flashes. Of what, she couldn't say, but it almost felt like…that day, in the mindscape. She didn't know what the 'Waking Eye' was, but… "He's…wrong, somehow. I can't explain it, but he feels wrong" she whispered. Sid and Xolin shared a brief glance, before Sid again turned to where the man had been.

It had been a very weird, and incredibly stressful day.

"_Iota to ranger team. Guardian zords are all incapacitated and have been returned to the ship. You'd better be ready to get back onboard, because we have run out of time"._

"Roger that" Sid replied, "We got what we came for and are ready to get the hell out of here".

"_Approaching fighter bay in fifteen seconds. Get ready"._

Sid nodded to the others as his skycycle rose up into the air once more, "Let's go home".

The two skycycles made a turnabout towards the hanger doors, zooming through the protective force field that kept the station from depressurizing, just as the black and gold vessel they called home soared past, allowing them to quickly dock within its side. Seconds later, the Defender Megaship, under heavy fire but still intact, jumped to hyperrush speeds, escaping to fight another day.

* * *

"This sucks"

"Ah, it's not so bad" Sid said to Trok. The four rangers currently stood within engineering; the entire room was a wreck, just like the rest of the ship. It had survived intact, sure, but it had still taken a heavy pounding, and numerous systems were damaged or inoperative, and debris littered the ship's interior. "Some new carpet, a paint job, we'll be good to go".

"It'll be ages before we can get back to a friendly port" Xolin sighed, "With SPD on our tail, we can't go back to Confederate space without them knowing".

"It'll be sooner than you think" Sid replied, a bit more serious this time, "I can't imagine SPD will tail us for too long. Mr. Briefcase will probably move on to someone else, just like last time. A few days I'd say, and then we're in the clear".

She grimaced as she checked out one of the power converter boxes on the wall to make sure it was intact, "…Yeah, can we talk about him for a minute? Because he gave me the creeps".

"He felt wrong" Sel said, quiet.

Xolin looked over at her as the xybrian stopped what she had been doing—evidently moving some debris out of the way so they could get closer to some of the engineering consoles. "Yeah, you mentioned that. How do you mean?"

"I…" she shrugged helplessly, "I don't know. He just…does. Like he's not supposed to be. Or maybe he always was".

Xolin narrowed her eyes, "…Yeah, that's not unsettling".

Trok put his hand on Sel's shoulder, "You're safe now though, right? Here, with us, I mean".

"Count on it" Xolin replied, checking the wires inside the converter now, before shutting the box, satisfied, "No one messes with this team and gets away with it". Sel broke into a smile.

"That still leaves his goals open" Sid interjected, "Beyond his interest in Sel, we haven't a clue what's going on".

Xolin thought for a moment, "…It doesn't matter. He's the bad guy, we're the good guys. If his goals are important, we'll find out what they are when it's time".

"You sound fairly confident".

She shrugged as she took a look at the room as a whole, "…Call it faith. I'm gonna go see how bad the situation is in the medbay, if that's okay with everyone".

Sid nodded, "We should probably split up and do some heavy damage reporting anyway. I'll go take stock of the workbay. God forbid the synthatron got hit".

"Mmm. Might actually have to go cook for once" Xolin mused as she exited the room.

"…With what?!" Sid asked, following her, stepping over some debris as he did so. He noted that some of the lights here were out and would need to be checked later. "Megaships don't exactly come with kitchens!"

"…We still got that plasma torch!" Trok called to them.

Sid turned back, "That's not even funny!"

* * *

Medbay was a mess, like the rest of the ship. Not like, super-destroyed, but enough chaos littered the room that it was going to take some serious cleaning up before she was able to really even figure out the damage report. Xolin sighed, bending over to pick up one of the shelving units—the ship must have really been rattled hard for the inertia to overcome the internal dampeners.

"Hey"

Xolin turned her head back towards the door. Standing there was Sel, looking just a little awkward. Oh boy. Xolin steeled herself for what she knew was coming next.

"We never finished talking…did we?" Sel asked, quietly.

Xolin chuckled darkly to herself as she sat down on the medical bed, "No. No, I guess we didn't". An uneasy silence settled down on the two of them. Finally, Xolin spoke, "I meant what I said. The second time, I mean" she amended quickly, "I never would have made it off that station without your help. So…thanks".

Sel shook her head, "I never would have made it off by myself either, so…then maybe we're both useless".

Xolin, to Sel's surprise, laughed. "No, no. That just…that just means we're teammates. We're useful to each other, and I…I forget that sometimes. Usually, actually. Bad habit" she looked Sel dead in the eyes, the mirth gone, "You're not useless, and neither am I".

Sel looked away, unsure of what to do in this situation, her hand grazing her other arm in self-consciousness. Xolin smiled, "…You wanna help me get this room up and running again?"

The xybrian looked back at her, and after a moment a second smile formed as she entered the room to help Xolin pull up a second shelving unit.

* * *

_To be continued…_


	8. 1x08: Broken Karma

**1.08: BROKEN KARMA**

His room was…full, Sel decided. Full looked seemed like the right word to use. His room was full. The small dwelling was filled to the brim with…well, many things. There was the 'trophy case', as Trok had explained it, where he'd take something from every world and/or mission if he could, and place them all on his shelf. Right now the collection was a rather unimpressive mass of rocks, assorted junk, and the occasional souvenir from the local gift shop; apparently the only things Trok could get his hands on while on-mission—especially since monsters tended to not leave much behind when they blew up.

Then there was the stuff he'd brought from home. Assorted Horathean cultural stuff; robes and blankets, ancestral tokens, and just assorted stuff she had no idea.

And finally, the bulk of the…stuff: his extensive collection of inventions. All the stuff he'd been working on since coming aboard. Some of it were old devices he'd found places and tried to fix them up or improve them, while others were ones he'd built from scratch with spare parts. She recognized a couple of them; one sitting on the shelf was one of the dampening pylons they'd used on the shapeshifter a couple months back.

"So, what do you think?" the aforementioned horathean asked his friend.

Sel tilted her head, unsure, "It's…nice". Maybe this had been a bad idea. She'd asked him about what kinds of hobbies people were into in her ongoing quest to figure herself out, and his eyes had just lit up—maybe she should have taken the sign when she'd seen it.

Trok hopped inside, over a small junk pile of metal and wires on the floor, over to where his bed was. Sel didn't follow, instead staying near the door, eying the mess around her. It was a little overwhelming. "So…you work on these kinds of things a lot, huh?" she asked idly.

Trok didn't notice her hesitation, instead digging back behind his bed for something, "Yep! Like, a lot of them don't...exactly…work per say, but its good experience" he paused, "I think. Oh, here we go!" He pulled a device about the size of his head out from the back of the room.

"…What is it?" Sel asked as Trok made his way back over, dodging things on the floor as he did, "…Is all this safe?"

Trok followed the gaze of her eyes, noting the mess on his floor. He shrugged sheepishly, "Eh…maybe a little. I'm usually good at avoiding it in the middle of the night".

"'Usually'?" asked Sel.

Trok shrugged again, then his smile returned as he held up his chosen piece of hardware. It looked…retro maybe? Like it should be powered by vacuum tubes and be used as a prop in old black and white serial productions. She gazed quizzically at it, as well as his excited, goofy smile. "Meet the Toasterizer six thousand!"

"The what".

"It makes toast!" Trok's grin was unbaiting.

Sel blinked, "…We have a synathron".

"Yep!"

"It makes any kind of food you can program into it".

"Yep!"

"Toasters exist".

Trok rose his finger in knowing protest, "Yes, however! Most toasters are analog. This beauty is all-digital! It's got a Virtual Intelligence system that makes sure the bread is crisp and browned evenly, not leaving anything to chance!"

Sel's eye contact shifted between Trok and his device, not sure if she'd lost her mind, or if Trok had. "Um…"

"Here, I'll show you!" Trok said, fiddling with the controls. He pulled a piece of bread out from a compartment in the side of the device—evidently something he'd created from the synthatron. Throwing it into the toaster's main slot, he pulled the lever down, and let it go.

That quickly turned out to be a mistake, as the bread promptly burst into an open flame, the machine sparking and sputtering. Trok dropped it on the ground in a fit of shock and surprise.

"AH!" both of them shouted, equally shocked as black smoke began to billow out of the ruined contraption.

"Uh…" Trok began panicking a bit, "Quick, the fire extinguisher!"

Sel looked around frantically at the maddening collection, "Which one's that?!"

Trok shook his head, "Not mine, the one on the wall!"

Oh, right. *Duh*. Sel grabbed the extinguisher from outside the door. She wielded awkwardly in her hands, "Now what?!"

Trok's hands scratched along his reptilian scalp in terror as the fire began to spread to the carpet, "Use it! Use it!"

"HOW!?" she yelled.

"…YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER?!" Trok shouted back, their voices by now a crescendo of absolute terror and panic. She shook her head numbly, as Trok moved over towards here, "LIKE THIS!" he grabbed the extinguisher, but the two fumbled, pulling in different directions. Sel tripped over one of Trok's devices on the floor, and the two came tumbling down on one another. And a split second later, the entire room was filled with foam—the extinguisher having ruptured and exploded everywhere after being pierced on the way down. Fragments of foam floated lazily down to the floor around them as they lay in a stunned heap, the fire in front of them having been completely smothered.

A second later, and the room's sprinkler system came on. The two rangers turned to the other, and for a moment said nothing in stunned silence. Then they began to laugh, small at first, before it grew into an unstoppable symphony of noise. They almost didn't hear the beeping on Trok's desktop.

"…You have a message" Sel said, finally getting her giggles under control—it had felt good. Strange, but good. Really good. The two untangled each other and got up, wiping off the foam as best they could; they'd need a good shower and fresh clothes. Trok limped over to his computer and started it up from its idle mode.

"Why?" she asked him, sitting on the floor in a cross-legged position.

"…Why what?" he asked.

She shrugged, "Your…hobby. Synthatrons already exist. I guess I just…I don't get why you build things that have little practical use".

He grinned at her sheepishly, "Some of my things have practical use! As for the rest…I dunno, I just like to tinker. It doesn't matter if it works out or not, as long as you enjoy yourself while you do it"

"Hmmm" she mused. How strange, doing things without any practical benefit. Strange yet…curious. Tinkering. Maybe she *should* try it.

Trok meanwhile pulled up his email and began reading. His face quickly paled, the smile completely wiped from it.

* * *

"Wait, you want us to go where?"

Trok groaned. This was *not* a conversation he wanted to ever have. Yet, here he was. It was all just so surreal and weird; he almost didn't even think it was happening. He grimaced at Sid's question as the entire team, Iota included, sat around the central table in the briefing room.

"Horath" Trok repeated. The word felt weird coming off his tongue, just like that. Horath, his home. The place he never in a million years ever thought he would be able to come back to—or want to.

"Why?" asked Xolin quizzically. She didn't know his full story, but she still knew that he and his homeworld weren't on speaking terms.

Trok fidgeted with his fingers in a nervous fit as he pondered his next move. "…Because…this morning I got a message". He took a deep sigh, bringing up his personal email account on the computer interface in front of him. Soon, a holographic display of the message flashed across everyone else's interfaces. They began reading, their expressions shifting as they did. Trok braced himself; the cat was out of the bag, and now all he could do was wait for the oncoming storm.

Sid muttered as he skimmed the contents of the letter, his voice getting louder and more confused as he continued, "…request your presence…charged with murder…trial will convene?!" he looked up at Trok, then down at the letter, then back up again. Similar looks of shock emanated from Xolin and even Sel as well. Trok felt tiny.

Sid was having particular trouble wrapping this around his little mortal mind. He kept shifting his view between the words 'charged with murder' and the normally happy-go-lucky teen in front of him. Finally, he managed to croak out a single word, "…What?"

"…Khan Resh?" Xolin sputtered as she continued to reread the message, "You…you assassinated a clan leader?!"

Trok looked away, "He…was my dad".

Xolin glared at him incredulously as the bombshells kept on dropping. Was it April Fools, and no one told her? "You…you're royalty?"

"Not exactly. It's not like that" Trok muttered, "It was—is—just a small clan".

Sid had his head in the palms of his hands. He was done. He was just…so done, with everything. Ever.

Xolin did her best to process this deluge of confusing and overwhelming information. "…Okay. Let's uh…" she slid back in her chair, a bit dazed, "Let's…take this from the top. *Why* did you kill your dad?"

Trok scratched at his leg absentmindedly, "…I didn't kill him. I mean, legally I did, but…"

"As…opposed to…?" Sid asked, waiting for an explanation.

Trok exhaled, slumping back, "Clan law on Horath maintains that the accused are guilty until proven innocent. Guilt *must* be assigned, or else karma is out of balance. Even if I didn't do it, until it's proven otherwise, I must carry the burden".

"Okay, okay" Sid sat up, "Let's…how about you start at the beginning, before I go absolutely batshit crazy?"

"Hrn…" Trok withdrew, "I don't…I don't like talking about this". A hand grasped his own; Xolin gave him a rare, but warm smile.

"…Trok, we want to help, but we need to know what's going on".

Trok sighed, nodding reluctantly. Xolin let go of his hand as he settled into his chair, trying to figure out where to start. "I…was the son of Khan Resh, of the Clan Tesei. Nothing big, just a few hundred people. Horath is…it's a desert. Like, mostly sand and rock, with just a few oases. So, most of us are traveling nomads, because the climate—".

"Trok, you're stalling" Xolin muttered.

He sighed again, "Okay, so…my parents died. I got blamed, and that's why I'm not there anymore".

Sid's fingers brushed through his hair, "…Why?"

"I killed them" Trok shrugged.

Xolin shook her head, "You said you didn't".

"Legally, I did".

"No, that's…" Sid felt a bit like screaming, "No. Either you did or you didn't, there's no 'technicality' here. How did they die, exactly?"

"…I don't know the details" Trok said at last. "Poison of some sort. But Horathean culture is…karma must be maintained. Someone has to take the fall, or else it's all out of balance. I got pegged, and…well…"

"Who pegged you?" asked Sid.

"My older brother, Shu. He's…not the nicest person".

Xolin and Sid glanced at each other. Sid grimaced, phrasing this as carefully as possible, "Is…it possible…that your brother was responsible?"

Trok shrugged, "I'm not allowed to say. Karma dictates it was me".

"But it wasn't" Sel spoke up, soft, "I don't understand".

Xolin smiled sadly, "It's a cultural thing, I think. One of those things we just have to take as it is" she sighed, pondering, "Okay, so, I assume he exiled you. Why bring you back home?"

Trok shook his head, "He didn't actually have the ability to exile me. Not alone. I was never formally charged, we just…both decided I should flee and hope for the best while he took over. To charge and convict me as a member of the Khan's family, they'd need to assemble the Council".

"…Council?" asked Sid. Sigh, politics.

"The Council of Khans" Trok clarified, "It's not all Clans, just those of us in the Shian Wastes. Sort of a formal alliance of sorts".

"And they finally tracked you down" Xolin surmised. Trok nodded wordlessly.

"Okay…" Sid said, thinking this over, "So…at the risk of sounding uncaring…what's the problem? They've requested your presence, so what? You're still out of their reach".

Trok's hands, cupped together on the table, squeezed together again.

"…Trok?" asked Xolin, concerned.

Trok sighed again, "…Karma must be maintained. If I cannot be brought to justice, someone else must carry the blame. And since I'm the son of the Khan, and I killed the Khan, my karma is worth far more than just one commoner".

The others swallowed, digesting the situation. Sid managed to speak first, for everyone else as they realized the situation, "…Shit".

Trok nodded, "Yeah. The rule of Karma is absolute. If it is not obeyed, then the balance is upset. If the balance is upset…" he trailed off hopelessly.

"How many?" asked Sid.

Trok swallowed, "…A dozen, maybe? Maybe more" Sid's eyes squinted shut.

"That's messed up" Xolin whispered.

Trok glared at her out of the corner of his eye, "That's my culture".

Xolin cringed, "Sorry".

Eying Trok, Sid exhaled, "Okay, so…what can we expect will happen if we *do* go?"

"What do you think?" Trok asked, "I'll be found guilty and executed".

The five of them sat quietly for a moment, weighing their options. Finally, Sid spoke up, "…We have to go". Everyone looked up at him, with varying degrees of concern, shock, or horror.

"But…they'll kill me" Trok whispered.

"If we don't, they'll kill innocent people" Xolin sighed, understanding Sid's decision, now that she'd gotten over her initial shock.

Sid's expression was steeled, he definitely had issues with his own decision. But when he looked at Trok, he put on his best smile, "Dude, we'll figure it out. We'll find some loophole, or find out who really did it, or…something".

"We will?" asked Xolin, unsure of this.

"We will" Sid replied, turning to Xolin with a determined expression. Xolin nodded hesitantly, knowing better than to get in the way when Sid got like this. He was going to do it, so by the trinity, he was going to do it.

"One problem" Iota spoke, for the first time since this meeting had begun, "We're still on a no-fly list within Confederate space. If SPD tracks us—".

Sid waved him off, "SPD picked Xolin and Sel up within Confederate territory; they already know we operate there. And even if they didn't, it's been almost a week and a half; I think they let us go when we left their territory. And if you're worried about the ship, we patched her up best we could. At this point, we'd need actual shipyard maintenance to ding out the remaining damage".

Iota stared at him, "…Very well. But if it looks as though Trok is to be convicted, I reserve the right to pull us out".

"Over a dozen innocents will die" Sid said, plainly, even as he knew the implications of his statement; even as he knew how horrible that was—he was basically offering up Trok as a sacrificial lamb. He hated himself for it.

"So which track will you allow the trolley to take?" asked Iota. Sid was a bit taken aback, but Sid nothing as he looked away, sufficiently chastised. Xolin eyed the two of them, unsure of the meaning of that exchange, but let it go.

"I'll…be in my room" Trok muttered, getting out of his seat. The others watched him go, the depression in the air palatable. Iota got up next, leaving just the three rangers. Sid lay his forehead in his palm.

"I'm a monster" he whispered, his voice strained.

Xolin slumped, "…Wanting to save twelve people doesn't make you a monster". She meant that earnestly; even if she was appalled at the whole situation, she couldn't fault Sid for at least seeing how messed up this whole thing was.

Sid said nothing, instead getting up and leaving himself. Xolin grimaced as he left. Today really sucked.

* * *

Studying had never been Sid's forte. Even in the academy, he'd always been smart enough that he was able to mostly just breeze through class. So like, when faced with actual studying, he'd just blank out, freeze up. He hated it. It's like his mind would just…shut down. He'd get tired and drowsy and preoccupied and he just…hated it. And there were too many pavlovian memories of the few times he DID have to study as a kid, and he just hated the feeling of starting at a computer screen with a deadline ahead of him.

Blech. Why had he decided to do this? His fingers rushed through his hair in aggravation. He knew *nothing* about horathean tribal law. He'd come up with a bunch of fun stuff though; stuff he *didn't* know. The kind of stuff you could impress people with at parties. Did you know post-industrial horathan civilization was limited to the giant underground caverns—the few areas where water existed in plentiful amounts? They existed as a loose alliance of citystates, supplying and aiding the surface tribal clans, who in turn fed them and supplied them with things that could only be gathered on the surface. Very…H.G. Wells, but with more cooperation instead of cannibalism.

Fun!

Also completely useless. Sigh.

A chime sounded at his door. His eyebrow arched in surprise, "…Come in".

The door opened, revealing Xolin. She gracefully entered the room, before sitting down on Sid's bed behind him, a laptop device in her hands. "How's your search been going?"

"Bad" he muttered, spinning his chair around, "…Didn't know you were going over it too" he added in surprise at the appearance of her laptop.

She glared, "Why wouldn't I? He's my teammate too. Or are you still under the delusion that you have to do everything alone?"

Sid sighed, he'd probably deserved that, "No, no. That's…forget it. How's it going on your end?"

She shook her head, depressed, "Nothing" she looked down at her holoscreen as she typed through her windows, "It doesn't help that every clan and alliance has their own variations of creeds and codes and…" she sighed, "I can't make heads or tails of this. I'm not a lawyer".

"Invoke the rite of the Ser'kai".

Both rangers turned to Sid's door, where now Sel was standing, her own holo-laptop in her hands.

"Come again?" Sid asked, the confusion clear on both their faces.

Sel walked into the room, sitting down next to Xolin, showing her what was on her screen, "It's an old tradition, rarely invoked anymore, but still viable. In it, the accused is allowed out into the wastes to find a Telk, a kind of monster. If they manage to slay it, then it means the spirits deem the accused worthy and the guilt is lifted. If not, then karma is achieved".

"Spirits?" asked Sid.

"Horathan religions are mostly grouped around ancestor worship, as well as animistic belief structure. Everything is a spirit; every tree and rock. The spirits are…everything, everyone. They make up the universe, and karma is the balance that keeps…well, everything in balance".

"…How?" Sid asked, in wonder.

"How what?" asked Sel.

"How do you do that?"

She shrugged, a little bit embarrassed, "I don't know. I just…do". It had actually come as a surprise to her that other people weren't good at this—as Trok had shown her back on that Triforian colony.

"You are just full of surprises, huh?" Xolin chuckled as she read through Sel's find—she noticed like, a thousand tabs behind her current link all organized meticulously; the girl was a mastermind at this. Xolin was impressed, and yeah, it looked like this could work.

"You're amazing" Sid breathed. She'd done it. This was it. They could save Trok. They could save Trok! It was like a weight had just lifted off his shoulders. "Thank you".

"…I wanted to help" she said.

"We can do this" Sid said, having sat down next to them so he could go over the find himself. They had an out. "…We can *do* this".

* * *

How to describe Horath? It was sandy. And rocky. And sunny. Basically, take one's imagination of the Sahara desert on Earth and put it on an alien planet, and you would have a decent understanding of what the rangers saw when they disembarked from the Megaship. It was nothing but desolate sand and rock and cloudless sky as far as the eye could see—though there were some distant mountains to the southwest…though, again, they were assuredly made of rock and sand.

The sole exception to this was the region directly ahead of them, a small canyon valley carved out of the endless dunes; an oasis with a central pool of water and covered with green tropical plant life. Ringed around about half of the small lake and partly obscured by the green, was a complex of majestic-but-angled ancient stone buildings; ruins of some sort, though they still seemed to be in use. Beyond that, above the cliffs and in the passes leading into the valley, lay many, many, many camps. *many* camps. Tents of varying sizes, fire pits, designated grazelands for the various alien creatures that were kept as they fed on the sparse grass outside of the immediate oasis zone…it was like a mobile city.

"…I thought you said your clan only had a few hundred people" Xolin gasped, as she watched the throngs of people going about their business.

Trok groaned, "…Enng. The entire alliance must be here. The other Khans must have forced my brother's hand".

"Doesn't matter" Sid replied, "As long as we stick to the plan, we're golden".

"I hope we know what we're doing" Trok muttered.

"…You and me both kid" Sid said, but so quietly that no one could hear him as they all began walking down into the makeshift town.

* * *

The central acropolis was…spikey, on closer inspection. The angles were hard and even, but the spires that came out of them were tall and narrow, and this perception was only helped along by the fact that the natives had decorated the ruins with tusks and bones, jutting out like teeth along the edges of the buildings.

"Halt!"

The four rangers stopped just short of two very large horathean guards just before they entered the 'main highway' of the complex. The two guards had lowered their axes in a cross formation, further cementing that the four needed to stay where they were.

"We're here for the trial" Sid eyed them, "Let us pass".

"They know who you are" said another voice, just as deep, but more friendly than the two guards. Trok knew who it was immediately; he gasped as he saw his brother approaching them. The man was older, larger, and physically intimidating. Even Sid gave a step back when he embraced his younger brother in a tight grip. "It is good to see you, little brother".

"You too" Trok managed to squeak out.

The older brother, Shu, let Trok go from his iron grip, allowing him to breathe again, "I am truly sorry for the situation. The other Khans wouldn't allow the matter to just…drop" the man eyed the camps up above with a glare—he seemed genuinely annoyed at the fact, "Seems their messengers finally found you".

"I'm sure you tried your best" Trok replied. Certainly, he was sure of that at least.

Shu sighed, "I hate to do this, but you know tradition, yes?"

Trok's eyes widened for moment, before realization set in as the two guards approached him. He nodded in defeat. Shu smiled sadly, "Take him to the holding cells until it is time to begin the trial. But please be gentle".

"Wait, what?" Xolin asked, stepping in, "I thought he'd stay with us".

Shu turned to her, his hands open, "I am sorry, but karma demands that the accused be quarantined to prevent…escape. No one is above the law of karma; not the lowest commoner, and not the khan himself. You will have a chance to see him when the trial begins".

"But—"

"It's fine, Xolin" Trok said as his arms were grabbed by the guards. He gave Xolin the best confident smile he could muster, though it probably wasn't very convincing, "You've got your plan, right?"

Xolin nodded, returning the smile, "Be safe".

"I'll be in a jail cell" he joked, "I don't think I'll be in any danger. Er…unless they convict me" he added, his humor abruptly drying up. The four gave concerned looks as one of their own was dragged off.

"When does the trial start?" Sid asked Shu.

Shu smiled, "You are fortunate. Or…" his smile faded a bit, "Unfortunate, I suppose. We customarily begin our trials at middle noon, when the twin suns are between the sky's zenith, so that all of creation may view and judge. You arrived prior to middle noon; it shall be in a few short hours, so we will not have to wait another day".

Sid cast a quick look upwards. …Huh, a binary system. He hadn't even noticed the double shadows. Guess that explained the planet-wide desert…and it probably also meant the planet had *fantastic* tectonic issues, especially since without surface oceans, the plates themselves were likely locked up. Hrn. Lovely. He looked over at Xolin, who shrugged, then at Sel, who was silently watching where Trok had been dragged off to.

"We pick the best vacation spots" Sid said dryly.

"I assure you, we will treat you with the upmost hospitality during your stay" the Khan said, midreading Sid's comment, "Will you require temporary lodgings, to er… 'freshen up'?" City folk liked that, right? That was a thing they did?

Xolin shook her head, "Nah, we'll only be here until this whole…thing is dealt with. Then we're out. And we got our ship parked just north of here, so…"

Shu nodded, "Very good. We shall convene in two hours. The guards here will direct you to the temple of judgment". He bowed slightly, to which Xolin hesitantly returned, before he turned to leave, heading towards where Trok had been led off too. Two more guards arrived as he left, to protect the entrance to the ruins.

"We are terrible people" Xolin sighed, a little nauseous.

Sid nodded in full agreement. If Trok survived this, then Sid was going to get extremely wasted in his quarters tonight. If not…well, same deal, really.

* * *

The interior of the temple was just as imposing and angled as the exterior had been, though somehow even more decorated with bones and other animal artifacts. Many had either had ornamental designs carved into them, or had outright been carved into new forms—abstract renditions of spirits maybe. The central chamber was lead into by a slightly confusing winding maze of corridors. In the center was a fire pit, ringed by terraced steps with stone seats built into them. The room was lit by the glow of torches ringing the room. Around the fire pit in a horseshoe formation lay the seats of the Khans, as well as that of the accused, facing the horseshoe assembly. Already the Khans, eight total, as well as Trok, had assembled and were waiting for the court to settle in. Light from above, from a hole in the center of the pyramidal ceiling, cast a sunbeam down to the middle of the court room.

"For all your wedding needs" Sid muttered under his breath as the three rangers and Iota were lead into the chamber, quickly finding seats that had been reserved for them in the centermost ring.

Sel spoke, keeping her voice low so the surrounding horatheans didn't hear her, "Horathean justice is simple. Witnesses are called, the defense responds, the Khans discuss the case, and then they vote on the verdict. In Trok's case, it's likely the witnesses were called long ago and this is all just a formality".

"Thankfully, it's all just a formality for us too" Sid whispered back.

"Children of the Sun!" Shu called, rising from his seat, "Faithful Clans! Honorable Warriors! Welcome. Today we host one of our most solemn rites, the rite of judgment! Our long lost brethren, my blood, has returned to set things right and be tried for the crime that was committed here a year ago" he looked down at Trok, "Do you have an advocate? Someone to speak for you? If you have none, one will of course be provided".

"I am" Xolin said, standing up and exiting her row. She began walking down the steps to where Trok was. Gasps and mumblings went up from the crowd.

"A human? An advocate! Preposterous!" one of the Khans, an elder woman, said.

"Triforian" Xolin corrected her, her ire drawn to the elderly lady.

"Our apologies" Shu chuckled, "Please forgive us. Aliens are…hard to differentiate".

"Regardless" the woman said, before Xolin could counter, "It's not acceptable. Offworlders cannot represent one of our own. You do not know the ways of the Cycle".

"I know enough" Xolin stepped down further, right up to Trok's seat, putting her hand on his table, "And I won't back down. I *will* represent Trok, and you can't stop me".

The Khans backed up in their seats, the rumblings in the crowd grew louder. Xolin gave the Khans her very best 'I dare you' face. In truth, she was on some level very aware that she was probably messing this up on a colossal level. But on another, more surface level, she didn't care. Xolin had turned full into 'determinator' mode, wherein she'd spite anything and everything to get her way. She was *not* turning her friend's safety over to some pre-appointed attorney, and she *sure* as hell wasn't going to be just dismissed by some old people. Screw that. No one told Xolin she couldn't do something.

Shu laughed with mirth, "Very good. I like you; very well".

"You can't be serious!" one of the other Khans, a middle-aged man, said.

"I am" Shu replied matter-of-factly, "Anyone who cares that much deserves their chance. And there are no actual sacred laws forbidding offworlders from this duty". Though he grinned with delight, the rangers secretly wondered if it was genuine magnanimous behavior, or that he knew it made no difference either way—so why not allow the incompetent foreigner ruin things for her client for them?

"Offworlders didn't exist when the rules were written" the woman replied grumpily.

Shu shrugged, "Eh. The matter, in the end, is the same. Shall we proceed?"

With a nod from the other Khans, Shu sat back down, "The council calls its first witness".

The trial went about as well as any of the rangers expected; everything had pretty much all been decided long before they had ever even landed on the planet. They called in various members of the old Khan's council and servants, and had them tell their stories—Sid surmised they'd all been bought off long ago by Shu. Xolin of course tried her best, but even if she hadn't been at a severe disadvantage with regards to her (lack of) knowledge of horathan clan law, Sid surmised that everything was just a kangaroo court; all flash, no substance.

He began formulating contingencies even before the witnesses had all been called.

At the end of it all, the consensus among the witnesses had been unanimous; they'd seen Trok poison his parents, or otherwise had enough evidence to convict him. Had he not been in the kitchen, talking with the cook an hour prior? Did he not leave evidence of chemical residue on the rugs that had lined the floor of his personal tent? And most damning, had he not run?

Xolin's eyes narrowed at the last one, and he noticed Trok seemed genuinely shocked; his brother had told him to run. Sure, they were all going under the assumption that Shu had done it and then pinned it on Trok, but they'd also been under the assumption that Shu genuinely didn't want to see his brother executed. But then, Xolin reasoned to herself, why not plan for the worst case scenario anyway? Two birds with one stone after all, and it looked like Shu's worst case scenario had come true after all, so…yeah.

"It would seem that the evidence is conclusive" Shu stated. He turned to Xolin, "Is there anything the defense would like to put forward before the Council of Khans votes and decides Trok's fate?"

Inwardly, Xolin steeled herself as she bunched her hands up into tight little fists; this was it. The moment of truth. If this didn't work, things were going to go downhill *fast*.

"My client would like to invike the rite of Ser'kai".

Immediately, the entire chamber was in an uproar. Oh boy. There was shouting, and yelling, and…Shu slammed a book that had been on the table down, "SILENCE!" The entire room settled down as Shu spoke to Xolin. He chuckled, "I am afraid the rite of Ser'kai is an…old, outdated practice, one that hasn't been used in many generations".

"But it's still legal, isn't it?" asked Xolin. She wasn't going to let this chance go, "You haven't banned it".

The Khans looked at each other. Shu replied, "…We cannot alter or change the Law of Karma, it would be like telling the suns to turn off. We simply choose not to exercise that right".

"But it can still be done. And if you deny us, isn't that the same as banning the rite?" Xolin countered, a small wry grin appearing as she became pleased with her own quick thinking.

Shu grunted, his smile straining. It was clear he didn't want this, but had been backed into a corner—even the other Khans were starting to come around. "I…suppose" he said, the other Khans nodding when he glanced at them for approval. He cleared his throat, "Very well! The accused has invoked the rite of Ser'kai! As Overseer in this court, I challenge the accused, and his Advocate to venture out into the wastes, and not return until you bring with you three teeth from the maw of the mighty Kalroth!"

Trok's face paled as the crowd cheered. Even Xolin's face faltered; 'mighty' was never a good word to use in this situation. She glanced down at her teammate, noting his fear-stricken face, rather than one of relief—this had been the easy part. Uh oh.

This was gonna suck so hard.

* * *

This had been a terrible idea, Trok mused as the two of them marched up the sandy dune, lost in the endless expanse of sandy desert. The suns beat down on them, and even though both Xolin and Trok's species had evolved to thrive on desert planets, being cast to the wastes was still taking its toll. Privately, he noted that the water supply they'd brought with them, at this rate, would only last them a day or two. But then, the Megaship's survival packs weren't meant for long-term colonization; when you had sensors and ranger powers, you didn't have to worry much about not being found. Both rangers carried a pack with them, essentially being large backpacks strapped to their backs. They carried the essentials; water, food, sleeping materials, etc.

But no, seriously, this had been a *terrible* idea. Here they were, lost in the wastes, looking for a friggin' monster that would just as soon have them for lunch. Yay.

"What *is* a Kalroth, anyway?" Xolin asked warily. It was the first conversation they'd had since leaving the encampment at least an hour before.

Trok grimaced. How to explain this? "…A monster, basically. Rare, but dangerous. Deadly. The kind of thing we tell kids stories of to frighten them".

"I was thinking maybe, physical description" Xolin replied, "Or combat capabilities, or clues on how to find it. Y'know, useful stuff that might get us out of this hellhole sooner".

"It's big" Trok said, "Legend has it that they'll devour the world when the cycle ends".

Xolin's eyebrows furrowed, "…'Cycle ends'? Wait, you mean these things factor into your apocalypse?"

"Pretty much".

"Crap".

"Aside from that, well…they don't call them the earthshakers for nothing".

Xolin grimaced, "…This was a terrible idea, wasn't it?"

Trok glanced around at the empty desert as they stood at the top of the dune they'd been struggling to make their way up. He sighed; this was probably his best chance to convince her. "…I think we're far enough out now that no one would notice. We should call the Megaship to come pick us up".

He found the triforian eying him skeptically when he turned back around, "…And when the others just pack up and leave without having waited for us to return, what then? Your clan won't give us up for dead unless we wait the full two weeks. And we don't have that kind of time; our supplies'll be gone within a couple days at most".

Trok sighed, his eyes downcast, "…I should have never told you guys about the summons" he mumbled.

Xolin's expression turned from skepticism to one of acidity, "So what, you'd rather have just let a dozen civilians die for you?"

He closed his eyes, frustrated, "No, that's not…" Augh, this situation was impossible. He was just a kid, why did he have to have this kind of guilt? "They're not dying for me. I can't help it. I left so I don't have to take part in it; I don't agree with it".

"But you'll do nothing to stop them".

"What can I do?" Trok asked emphatically, "They'll just kill me!"

Xolin's expression changed to one Trok couldn't quite identify; regret maybe? Sorrow? "So you'd rather run and hide then fight and face your responsibilities then". She shook her head sadly, then turned and began walking again.

Trok's jaw opened in shock at what had just happened. He tossed back at her angrily, "It's not my fault! And you did the same thing, didn't you? You ran away from home! Don't deny it; I see it every time we have to do something involving your people!" He didn't actually know the details of why she'd left home, all he knew was that it had ended badly. But he still figured it was close enough.

The triforian in question wheeled back around angrily at Trok, "I left so I could be free, even if it meant that I'd lose everything I'd ever known. That took courage. You ran away so you could avoid your responsibilities. There is a *world* of difference between you and me!"

"So what, you're angry I didn't just lie down and die?" Trok bit back.

She shook her head sadly, her face full of disgust, "No. I'm just disappointed that after everything, you're still just a child. Being a hero doesn't mean only taking the easy jobs. And if you don't like the options, then you fight to make a new one, like we are now".

"And if I lose?"

"Then at least you go out with the satisfaction of knowing you tried" she replied, turning back around and once again resuming her walk.

But Trok wasn't done quiet yet, "So everything you and Sid said, about moving on from your mistakes? That was a lie?"

"Moving on from your mistakes doesn't mean you keep making the same ones, or don't try to make things right, Trok" she replied bitterly, as he began following her. "I thought by now you'd understand that".

This time Trok didn't reply; he really didn't have a counter, and he was pretty sure if he kept going, the hole he was making would only get deeper. It wasn't like he didn't feel bad; he'd been guilted about this from day one, but just….augh, this whole situation was messed up. It wasn't fair.

* * *

This had been a terrible idea. Oh well, too late to back out now, he was committed. Tracking down one of the witnesses—the cook—had been easy. With a few brief, but well-placed threats, the man had spilled everything he knew. He confirmed what Sid (and everyone else) had assumed; Shu had poisoned their parents in order to take the throne. Yay, dynastic politics. So now he sat crouched behind Shu's tent, his appearance masked by the dimming light as the twin suns set behind the horizon. He'd gotten some good tips from the cook; all he had to do was wait for Shu to leave for dinner, and he could ransack the place for clues.

What clues? Sid didn't know; that was the problem with mobile settlements like this, especially since the crime had happened like, a year ago and Shu had been using all this stuff since. But still, he'd hoped that *somewhere* in the room was a good piece of evidence that would damn Shu and end this charade.

It was time. Sid could see Shu's shadow getting up from within the tent, and enlarging and fading as he exited. The mirinoite didn't even try to sneak around the front; he knew there'd probably be a guard or two there…and even if there wasn't, he didn't want to risk being seen by anyone. So instead he lifted up the back of the tent, slipping under the wall of hide and fur into the residence. It was fairly opulent, considering it was 'just a tent', consisting of multiple sections filled to the brim with loot and gold and furs and…shiny things. Rungs lined the ground, covering the sand and dirt. Now inside, Sid shot up, quickly looking around for where to start, and soon noticed a trunk sitting in the corner—unlocked.

Bingo.

He opened the case, rooting through Shu's personal belongings. Assorted clothes, trinkets, some sort of religious (he assumed anyway) artifact, a couple weapons…eaugh, this was useless. If there had been any trace of the poison, Shu would have gotten rid of it a long time ago.

"So, it seems I have a rat problem after all".

Sid froze at Shu's voice. Crap. Slowly he turned around, a sheepish grin on his face as he looked up at the large horathean man. "Uh…hello!" Sid waved with a big smile as enthusiastically as he could muster—even though he knew he was very, very screwed, "Fancy meeting you here!"

Shu shook his head in dismay, "You know, when my chef told me you'd be coming around, I thought you would be slightly more competent—and *not* fall for the old trick of me simply leaving the tent for a moment".

Sid's face faltered. Crap.

Shu snapped his fingers as two well-armored soldiers entered the tent behind him, "Guards, take our guest to…more accommodating lodgings, will you?"

Well, this was bad. For one split second, Sid thought about morphing and kicking ass—before realizing that he really shouldn't be blowing his cover…or, y'know, making things even worse for Trok. What was the price for the crime for assaulting a Khan, after all? His hands were tied—figuratively, but he also kind of knew very soon it would be literally as well.

"…Well, poop" Sid breathed, annoyed, as the guards grabbed him.

* * *

It was beautiful, really. It was ironic, of a sort—you could almost never get this kind of view of the stars when you were actually in space. Not unless, like, the local star was being blocked by something like a planet, or if you just decided to drop out of hyperrush in the middle of nowhere and take a nice spacewalk outside. People don't realize that; that unless the situation is exactly right, actually being in space means you don't actually get to see much of it. There are exceptions, of course—like how KO-35 is just a few light-years away from some spectacular backlighting from the local nebula.

But this…gods. She never even got a night sky like this back home on Triforia; she grew up in the city, in the high residential districts. She'd never really been allowed to go camping out in the boonies…her family was too good for that. A pity, because right now, she had a front-row seat to half of the Tellesar Galaxy; a small spiral on the outskirts of the Local Group. Certainly nothing on par with the Milky Way or the Andromeda, but still stunning in its own right.

Xolin lay back against the bedroll she'd unfolded not too long ago, allowing the calm, temperate night air of the desert waft past her.

"You're lucky, you know that?" she said to Trok.

"How's that?" came the boy's response. His voice was still a bit subdued; they hadn't really spoken much for the past few hours since their argument…not unless it was necessary decision-making anyway. But Xolin wasn't interested in that right now; sure, she was disappointed in him, but while she could hold grudges with the best of them, her anger was a flash in the pan. She'd moved on for the moment.

"This" she said, in a little bit of quiet awe, "Just…all this". She was quiet for a moment. When Trok didn't reply, she asked, "…What was it like? Growing up a nomad, I mean?"

Trok mused, "…It was…active, I guess. We'd plop down for a few weeks or months near an oasis until the seasons changed and told us it was time to move again. Seasons on worlds with more than one sun are…odd. They always vary. We'd follow the wild herds, they always knew where the water sources were, and we'd get some game from them, while tending our own flocks. We'd trade with the undercities for stuff we'd need…y'know".

"Undercities?"

"Oh, yeah!" Trok's voice perked up a bit, "They're pretty neat. See, Horath's got these huge caves where most of our fresh water is. That's where the undercities are; scattered all over the world. They're the ones that build the ships and stuff you see everywhere else in the galaxy. They mostly leave us be, though they've kind of eased off on tribal tradition stuff as they advanced".

"Ever been to one?" Xolin asked, genuinely curious, trying to imagine in her mind what underground cities were like.

Trok nodded, "I went to Arakis when I first left home; it's how I got offworld. Big place…big cave. It's just under the surface too, so there's these holes in the rock where light pours in. And it's got waterfalls everywhere, and a sea, and it's just…beautiful".

"I'd like to see it someday".

"Maybe when we're done here" Trok half-joked.

"Were you happy here?"

"…Yeah, I was" Trok said after a moment of consideration, "Though I always did want to see the universe. But here it was…you knew everybody, you know? We were one big family. We had to be, to survive. But it's like…I was still different. I was the Khan's son. Sure, Shu was destined to be the next Khan, but responsibilities were still pretty tough. I always had to act the part, and I just…I didn't…" he sighed grumpily, "I didn't feel like I was up to the task. Being responsible for other people? That's scary. I'm not good at that".

"You're responsible for us" Xolin countered, still staring up at the sky, the only thing she could see, "We're all responsible for each other".

"Yeah but…that's just you guys. Not hundreds of people. Not the sum total of my entire people" Trok replied.

Xolin gave a single, soft chuckle, "…I guess on some level I can understand. I left home because my parents wanted be to be someone I wasn't. So I get how that can be overwhelming, but…" she trailed off, struggling to find her words, "…You just let your brother roll all over you".

There was a brief silence.

"…I *am* sorry about that" Trok muttered back, almost soundlessly, "I never wanted this to happen".

Xolin sat up, looking down at where he should have been if she could see him, "Something I've learned, I think…there's a difference between guilt, and regret. You can apologize all you want, but if you don't try to make things right, then your words aren't really worth much to anyone". She was trying a different tact; she knew enough that berating the poor kid wouldn't help, but the conversation earlier had been heat of the moment. But despite Xolin's rough persona, she really did care for the kid like a younger sibling. She just wanted to push him in the right direction. And sometimes, that meant a hard life lesson or two.

"I'm tired" Trok said, "Can we sleep now?"

Xolin sighed inwardly as Trok brushed her off. More disappointment; "…Yeah. We'll need to be up early anyway. Good night, Trok".

"Night".

* * *

Shu shook his head, "What *am* I going to do with you?"

Sid sat kneeling, his arms hanging above him, chained to the ceiling in the bottom-most regions of the ancient city. The room was much like the rest of the complex as far as he had seen, though much less decorated.

Well…not *technically* decorated. The random horathean bones and skeletons chained up all over definitely gave this dungeon some atmosphere—helped along by the humble lightning from the torches lining the walls. There were also numerous cage cells lining the wall to his left; he hadn't been placed in one yet, but he figured once this meeting was done, he'd be getting real friendly with one.

Assuming Shu didn't just kill him, that was. Boy, he really kinda wished he'd told Sel or Iota what he was up to, even though Iota almost certainly would have vetoed it. Sigh. What a terrible idea this had been. Well…almost, anyway. Before being chained up, he'd managed to set his morpher to 'record' mode. Hopefully he could get something good out of the elder brother.

"You could let me go" Sid said, slightly sarcastically, but good-naturedly, "Let bygones be bygones".

Shu chuckled, "I am afraid I cannot. You see, you trespassed upon my home, threatened by servants. The law of karma demands you must pay a penance"

Sid grimaced as he glanced at a particularly unhappy skeleton in the corner, "…Lemme guess. Torture?"

"Oh, no. No. At least, not yet" Shu folded his arms behind him as he began to pace through the room, inspecting each of the hanging chains idly as he spoke, "No, first comes the trial. Your guilt must be ascertained before we may act upon it. To do otherwise would be to upset the balance by taking karma in our own hands".

"You guys do that that stuff seriously, huh?"

Shu turned, "Of course. The law of karma binds us as a people, creates the foundation for our culture. All of our laws and society revolve around it. To ignore it…well, there *are* wild tribes to the far north that do, and they are savages who prey on each other for the most petty of reasons".

"Unlike you civilized folk" Sid said, with not a small hint of snark.

Shu saw through his sarcasm, but nodded with a small smile anyway, "Exactly" he walked back over to Sid, "Karma is absolute, but measured. If we recognize karma incorrectly, then we set a bad precedent. The proper legal channels must be observed".

"So what 'legal channel' would 'killing your dad and then setting your brother up as a scapegoat' be on then?"

Shu smirked, "You have been talking with my brother, haven't you?"

"I live with him" Sid deadpanned.

Shu was silent for a moment, having turned back around again. "It *is* sad that my brother cannot accept his own actions, though if I were in his shoes, perhaps I wouldn't be able to either. Our parents were—"

"Cut the crap" Sid interjected, "We both know Trok doesn't have a malicious bone in his body. What really happened?"

Shu eyed Sid. The mirinoite glared back, "Look, you're just going to have me executed in the morning or whatever anyway, so you might as well tell me *why* you did what I already know you did. Not like anyone would believe the offworlder convict anyway".

Shu thought that over. It was reasonable. He sighed, "…Trok never wanted to be here. Not really. He was never the leader type. So when everything went down, I told him to run, and he did so. I *had* hoped that the council would never find him, or that if they did, he wouldn't return".

"So they'd just kill off a dozen random people instead" Sid quipped.

Shu shrugged, "I had hoped they would simply drop the matter after a period of time. But if not…pin it on a number of the lowest class, or a local troublemaker or two. A group no one would miss. Trok would have been wise not to return".

"Gee, you're such a benevolent leader" Sid said.

The horathean glared at the man, "…I do what must be done for the good of the clan. Trok is my blood, I had to try and protect him for as long as I could".

Sid's eybrow rose at the warped logic; oh, yeah, this guy was family member of the year alright, "But that didn't extend to your parents?"

More silence. Shu's fingers wrapped around one of the bars to one of the cages as he slowly made his way around the room, "…My father was…hrn" he hesitated, "…not the right man for the job. He was soft, complacent when it came to policy with the other clans. He let the council walk all over him". Shu sighed, letting a weight he'd been carrying slump off him. "I don't enjoy what had to be done, but the future of our people was at stake".

"Lemme guess; daddy never listened to your advice, right? So one night you just up and decided to commit regicide, because eh, why not?". Sid's voice at this point was dripping with sarcasm and a bit of venom.

Shu glared at him, "I don't expect you to understand the burdens of leadership".

Sid didn't even blink though, "I may not know what it's like to be Khan, but I do know what it's like to have done something you regret; that you wish you could take back every day of your life, but can't. I know what it's like to have done something so terrible; it defines the core of who you are for the rest of your life". When Shu said nothing, Sid continued, "Your brother is about to die for your actions. You have a chance to change that".

"And leave this clan leaderless?" Shu scoffed, "I think not". He grumbled, "I grow tired of this conversation. Rest well, Sid of Mirinoi, for tomorrow shall be your trial". Shu turned and left, leaving Sid alone to dangle from his chains.

However, Sid gave out one last parting shot as Shu passed through the door, "Nice to know the law of Karma turns a blind eye to people who set their siblings up for murder". Shu didn't respond, instead simply slamming the dungeon door behind him. "Well…that went…better than I'd feared, worse than I'd hoped" Sid sighed. Still…while it hadn't been a *confession* per say, it'd been enough that Sid could probably cast some doubt on the whole case. Y'know, if he was still alive when Trok's case resumed.

His arms were cramping something fierce. This had been a *terrible* idea.

* * *

The first thing Xolin's waking consciousness was aware of was that incessant rumbling. At first she had been confused, thinking it part of her dream in which…hrn, actually, she couldn't remember. It had been *something* though. Then she felt annoyance for having been woken up. Then more confusion when she realized she was sleeping outside, surrounded by sand and rock, instead of in her own bed.

…Oh, right. She remembered now.

What *was* that rumbling?! The grains of sand on the surface had begun to shudder as it got more intense. Trok was already up, a panic-stricken look on his face. "It's here!"

"The Kalroth?!" Xolin asked with urgency. Trok nodded.

"The Earth-shaker. It's *here*".

The two looked around for any sign of the creature, but the shaking seemed to come from every direction at once. Man, this was *not* how Xolin had wanted the day to begin. She was still groggy from being coaxed from her sleep, but did her best to get her head in the game. It was still early; but late enough that they probably would have gotten up soon anyway—the two suns were trailing each other near the horizon, casting a soft golden glow across the desert wastes.

Xolin saw it first, right under the suns. A very large beast, charging right at them. It was at least the size of a bus, maybe larger, with six legs and thick fur. Horns adorned its head like antlers, and its mouth was a giant minefield of razor-sharp teeth. It bellowed and roared as it closed in, giving the two rangers scant few seconds to morph and prepare.

"It's…not *so* bad" Xolin gritted. It was true, kinda. Like, it was pretty imposing, but for something named 'ground shaker', she *had* expected something a little bigger. Not that she was complaining. "Come on!" she shouted to Trok as she summoned her lance to her hand.

"Wait, that's not—augh" Trok followed after her. It *wasn't*, but they still had to deal with it before it gored them to death.

The blue ranger used her lance like a pole vault, springing herself over ontop of the creature, landing on its backside as it issued another bellow of rage. "TROK, GET OUT OF THE WAY!" she screeched, as the monster charged right at green. Trok narrowly dodged, rolling to the side as the monstrous creature kept going. Xolin struck her weapon down at the back of the creature's neck, but found to her dismay that it was well-protected by bone. Worse, she was finding she was having trouble staying upright, as the creature had taken an *intense* dislike to her very being, and was doing its best to shake her off. Despite her best efforts, she was sliding off. This was bad. Badbadbadbad-

Trok sent the mace portion of his hammer flying at the creature, wrapping it around its hind legs. The sudden power of inertia sent Xolin flying forward, tumbling in the sand until she came to a stop. She grunted in pain as she started to get back up. Another roar from the creature though, and both Trok and his weapon were flung in the other direction. The monster now charged at Xolin, who had lost her weapon somewhere in the sand several feet away.

Crap.

She braced herself as best she could, but still wasn't ready for the pain as the monster's horns rammed into her, sending her soaring through the air until she impacted the side of a sand dune a little ways off. She tumbled to the base in a heap.

"I hate this planet" she mumbled, stumbling to her feet. By now the monster was dealing with its hind legs, trying its best to loosen them from the green ranger's mace. Poor Trok was being flung about like a rag doll as he desperately tried to cling on. Xolin shook her head at the morbidly comedic display. Pulling out her sidearm, she aimed at the creature's eyes and fired. It was enough to further enrage the creature, and turned its attention back on the blue ranger. Trok finally wisely gave up his hold on his weapon as the monster charged.

This was a bad idea.

Xolin unfolded her blaster into a sword.

This was a *terrible* idea.

She assumed a defensive stance, her weapon charged with energy.

Sigh.

As the monster closed in, she turned to the side, letting it pass by her as she swung her sword in, cutting the beast from its mouth to its rear. A second later as it gave one last howl, it exploded in a blaze of glory.

Hell yeah.

"Well…that…sucked" She sighed, dusting herself off after putting her sidearm away. She walked over and helped Trok up, "Come on, let's go see if we can't find any teeth from that thing's corpse".

"I was trying to tell you" Trok said, standing in place as Xolin started walking back towards the monster, "That wasn't the Kalroth".

Xolin stopped, turning back around as she cocked her head, "But…that's silly" she chuckled, nervously, "You…said it was the earth-shaker".

The desert rumbled. Xolin gulped in terrible, terrible realization.

Trok chuckled back, also nervously, "No…that was a Desert Cow. It was probably running from the Kalroth".

Xolin looked back at the remains of the creature, then back at Trok, "…That thing was a *cow*?!" she asked incuriously.

"Bull, actually".

"But…" Xolin's mind was having trouble processing this. They had won! This whole thing was supposed to be over! "But then what's a Kal—"

The sand behind Xolin erupted; a massive worm-like monstrosity tunneling out, rising ten, twenty stories into the air. Its roar was like nothing Xolin had ever heard, and its appearance was terrifying. Its mouth was like that of a lampray, with many, *many* rows of teeth and no visible eyes. Four giant scythe mandibles protruded along the outside of its cavernous maw, and its hide consisted of thick armored plating.

"*That's* a Kalroth" Trok explained weakly.

Xolin looked up at it, dumbfounded. "Well…shit".

The worm looked down at its prey for a moment, before issuing another horrific bellow, and descending upon them like a biblical judgment. The two rangers barely got out of the way as it tunneled back into the sand.

Xolin watched as its body moved snake-like from one hole in the ground to the next, the ground rumbling all around them, as a third hole erupted from the sands. "…I hate this planet and EVERYTHING ON IT!"

Her complaints were replied to only by another roar from the Kalroth.

* * *

He didn't get much sleep that night; having the choice of either standing or hanging by your wrists while kneeling didn't do much for one's comfortability. Still, Sid must have dozed off at some point, because the first thing he noticed upon opening his eyes was a very irate Iota standing in front of him. He had his arms folded, and his posture just exuded 'pissed off'.

Oh, this was a *fun* way to wake up.

"You're an idiot" Iota said in a deadpan, summing up the entire situation succinctly.

Sid actually chuckled a bit at that as he stood up, "Yeah, good morning to you too".

"No, really" the armored figure repeated, "You're an idiot".

"Yeah, I kinda already knew that" Sid replied with a sad grin, "So what's the plan?"

Iota sighed, exasperated at the entire situation. They'd have been much better off never coming here, but *nooo*, they had to play hero, and no everyone had gone off half-cocked. Trok and Xolin were lost somewhere out in the wasteland looking for a giant monster, and Sid had gone and gotten himself arrested for breaking and entering. Because of course he had. At this point, he was just waiting for Sel to tell him she'd decided to join the circus. "The plan is for you to stay there and delay as best you can. Hopefully Trok and Xolin will get back soon. *Hopefully*".

"And if not?" Sid asked, though he had a sinking suspicion he knew what was up.

"If not, then I am assuming direct control of this situation. We'll break you out, pick up the others, and get the hell out of here, because this *entire situation* is ridiculous". He sighed again, facepalming, "…Did you at least get what you were looking for?"

Sid shugged, "…Kinda? Like, he didn't give me a full confession, but I *think* it's enough to get people suspicious".

"You think". Iota's deadpan hadn't budged an inch.

"Yep!" Sid replied with false cheeriness.

Iota shook his head half-heartedly as he turned to leave. As he opened the door, he stopped and looked back at Sid for a moment, as if he was about to say something…but instead decided against it, shaking his head again as he closed the door behind him, the guard outside the doorway standing back to let him pass, before shutting the door again.

Yep. This was a *terrible* way to wake up.

* * *

The worm tunneled into the sands again, as the two rangers—in a fit of dazed panic—tried desperately to figure out where its head was going to appear next. "…Left" Xolin said suddenly. "LEFT!" The two rangers dodged out of the way just as the maw burst from the earth, jutting into the sky before turning back on the rangers again.

"Your planet SUCKS" Xolin exclaimed as she rolled into a crouched fighting position, ready for the next wave, "On *my* planet we don't have APOCALYPTIC DEATH WORMS!"

"Kalroth!" Trok corrected her.

"WHATEVER!" she raged back, "And we *certainly* don't have to—"

She cut off as she had to dodge again, the Kalroth slamming into the ground where she had just been. She continued, "…*Never* had to fight them just to prove our innocence! This is *insane*!"

The two looked around frantically for the worm's next appearance. Trok bit back, "Not my idea, remember!? The rite of Ser'kai hasn't been used in hundreds of years!"

"How it even burrowing through the sand?! It should be too dense!"

Trok felt a rumble to his right, "I don't know, why don't you ask it?!"

The Kalroth burst forth, its roar a terrible cornucopia of fear-inducing sounds. It turned down on the rangers again, hitting the surface of the desert, but instead of tunneling, this time it slithered right at them.

"Oh SHI—" Xolin grabbed Trok and rolled out of the way, just as the worm cruised by, its scythes slicing through the air. They tumbled a few feet…just as the worm turned again. This was bad; at this rate they'd be eaten alive…or worse. Trok gulped. They couldn't call on the zords; the clans would definitely notice if the Megaship just up and left. They were on their own.

He *knew* this had been a bad idea. Xolin's words towards him had been echoing inside his head, the guilt gnawing at him…but what was he supposed to do? This was a *bad idea*. They were both going to die, what was the point? Yeah, it *sucked* that the clan was going to kill people but…spirits, he felt like a terrible person. He'd tried to justify it for so long, but Xolin had managed to hit him where it hurt, and now he just didn't…what was he supposed to do?!

Xolin tried to deflect one of the Kalroth's scythes with her sidearm blade, but the sheer force of the worm's impact—even a glancing blow as it rolled past—was enough to knock Xolin back down, her sword being flung somewhere several feet away.

Xolin knew it was over; she'd made a mistake coming here. Somehow, she always knew she'd go down fighting in the end…she just never assumed it would involve giant worms. The blue ranger turned to Trok with the precious few seconds she had left, "I'm sorry. RUN". No panic, no fear. Just a simple plea.

"Wha—" Trok had no time to comprehend her comment before she flung him down from the dune they had positioned themselves about half-way down. He rolled down, coming to a halt…just in time to see Xolin, weaponless, dodge a scythe…and vanish within the creature's maw.

No.

Nononononono.

She couldn't be. She couldn't have. Trok stood there, dumbstruck; Xolin had just…died for him. She'd sacrificed herself, right there. Right in front of him. She'd told him to run.

Why wasn't he running? He couldn't feel anything. He didn't move at all. He *couldn't* move. It wasn't right. There hadn't been any screams, no cries for help, no buildup. She'd just…she was gone. Just like that.

No.

"Xolin…" he managed to whisper.

The Kalroth's roar jarred him back to reality; the worm's ugly form rising above him as it looked down on his puny form. It was still hungry…and Trok was next. She'd told him to run. He should have run. But he didn't. He couldn't. A glint in the corner of his eye pulled Trok's attention to a metallic object, half-buried in the sand.

…Was that…? It was. Xolin's lance; lost during the earlier fight with the cow.

The worm lunged. Trok flew out of the way, rolling into the sand as he grabbed the weapon. It was much lighter than his hammer, but it would do. It *had* to do. As the monster charged towards him again, he planted his feet into the ground, Xolin's weapon charging up with green energy. The resulting clash pushed Trok back several feet, his boots gliding across the sand thanks to the Kalroth's inertia. A single counterattack later, and the worm's scythe shattered, the monster reeling back and uttering a cry of tormented agony. It aimed again, ready to come down harder and extract animalistic vengeance.

Trok had never been much for praying to the spirits. Not that he ever had anything against it, but for him it was just one of those things you do because everyone else in society does, and you just don't think much of it. But right now? Right here? Trok prayed to his ancestors. He prayed *real* hard as the worm came down on him; as he aimed his lance like a makeshift javelin, his morphin' energies surging through the weapon like a beacon. The green ranger let it fly.

The result was devastating for the monster. It ripped through the side of its maw, lodging itself on the underside of the armored hide on the back of the creature's head. It roared and howled and screeched as it writhed about in agony. Then, once again, it came down on Trok.

This was a bad idea. He knew that.

But Trok was ready. He drew his sidearm and switched it to sword mode, just as the creature dived in on him, burrowing into the ground. Seconds later, it burrowed back out in a different spot, and stopped. It seemed to…choke, and sputter. For a brief second, it seemed like a growth was forming on the side of its 'neck', but it quickly broke, revealing a single blade as it swept around, slicing the Kalroth's head clean off. The decapitated maw dropped to the ground, soon followed by the lifeless body—and two rangers covered in muck tumbled out of its guts into the sand.

"That…sucked" Xolin wheezed. The two were completely disoriented, stumbling about as they tried to get up, their suits absolutely soaking in worm juices. Xolin shuddered, not even wanting to think what she was covered in. "Dear gods, I feel disgusting".

Hard to argue with that, as far as Trok was concerned. Blech. But first things first. "We uh…we should go harvest those teeth". He finally managed to pull himself up to his feet, before giving Xolin a hand as well.

"…Thanks, by the way" she said gratefully as she pulled herself up with Trok's hand, "I really thought that was the end". Her appreciation quickly changed to annoyance though, "…Didn't I tell you to run?"

"I couldn't leave you behind" he said.

"Hmm…" Xolin mused mysteriously.

"…What?" Trok asked, confused. …And a little concerned.

She shook her head in mild amusement, "Nothing. Let's go get some teeth, huh?" Xolin headed towards the creature's maw, Trok following behind her.

"…No, seriously, what?"

Xolin made her way over to the giant mouth, leaning down to take a better look at the teeth as she replied, "You came back for me. You could have run, could have tried to escape and live to fight another day. You didn't. You chose to fight, and possibly die". She wiggled one of the teeth; it was in there tight…she'd need something to cut it out.

Noticing her train of thought, Trok handed her the lance, which she gladly took and began using its end to cut around the large tooth, into the gum. He scoffed, "Of course I did. You're…you. We always watch each other's back".

She chuckled softly, "That's what being a hero means, Trok. It's not about being awesome or having people look up to you. It's not about the pride or the fame. It's not even about the adventure". She struggled on a particularly tough part of the gum; the tooth was in there *really* deep. Finally though, she broke through, and managed to pry the large, white razor out of its base, "It's about simply doing the right thing. It's about taking responsibility, even if its responsibility you don't think was fair to be placed on you".

"…You're talking about my clan" Trok said, in realization.

Xolin pulled the tooth up and stood uptight, the object coming up to about her shoulder. She shrugged good-naturedly, "Am I?"

Trok smirked, then nodded, "Yeah. You are".

A moment of clarity passed between them. Xolin patted the tooth, "Well, in that case, how about we take this sucker back and save the day? Like heroes".

"…Like heroes" Trok smiled back.

* * *

"Anything else you wish to say in your defense?"

Sid's eyes moved across the trial chamber. He'd run out of stalling tricks; he'd questioned every witness as far as he could, made enough counters and interjections that the council looked about ready to skin him (most of those interjections likely hadn't even been legal, strictly speaking, but whatevs), and he'd gotten into a verbal sparring match with…what was it, the maid? She had been another 'witness' who hadn't actually been there and had just been bought off (surprise, surprise), but easy enough to provoke because her story had been more off than the others. He'd given them hell, but he'd just about run out of time. Not that he was worried for himself at all mind you; Iota had made that very clear. But he *was* worried about whoever would be earning his place for him. He'd directly intervened, now someone was almost certainly going to pay his price. That was how the Law of Karma worked, right?

Only one card was left in his deck. It was his best card, but one he was reluctant to use; the best weapon, the most *powerful* weapon on the field of battle was the one that had yet to be deployed. But the counterpoint to that was, of course, that if the weapon was never deployed, it would be the most useless. That was always the Catch-22 in combat.

Well, he had nothing left, and nothing to lose.

"I do, in fact!" Sid piped up, in his usual cheeriness. He stood up, unstrapping his morpher and placing it on the table. "This device is a recorder". Predictably, Sid saw Shu's face falter—he drank it in, a small smirk forming on the human's face as he watched his foe temporarily lose his composure. "Last night, Shu and I had a lovely talk. One I think you all should very much hear".

A press of the button, and Sid let the conversation go, remaining standing during the whole affair. A smug expression plastered itself on his face as Shu shifted uncomfortably; the expressions on the other Khans moving between many different emotional states; some of them eyeing Shu while he wasn't looking.

The recording finished, leaving the room hushed, whispers floating about around them.

"…I…" Shu stuttered, then cleared his throat, "…You are a tenacious little man, I will give you that. But your recording proves nothing. I admitted to no such crime, nor did I do it".

Sid's grin became predatory, "You might not have admitted to it but your words there are still pretty damning. Enough to cast suspicion. What now?"

"This is irrelevant" the old lady Khan grumbled, "We are here to surmise your guilt in trespassing on Khan Shu's private property, *not* Shu's guilt or innocence in a completely unrelated case that has already been decided".

"Here, here" said a middle-aged male Khan, approvingly.

Damn. So much for that last card. Sid's face fell.

"Any more…enlightening tricks you'd like to present?" Shu asked smugly, his confidence restoring itself bit by bit. Sid shook his head reluctantly. He'd failed. Damn. Behind him, he could see Iota getting up. This was going to get ugly.

"I do!" said another voice behind him; a familiar one. Turning around, Sid saw Xolin standing there in the doorway, a man-sized incisor standing next to her. Woah. Behind her, Trok made his appearance. Taking the tooth, he dragged it down the stairs with him, passing by the rows of seats as he made his way down to the center of the room. He threw the tooth into the middle of the chamber floor, letting it fall in front of the council.

"One Kalroth tooth, as ordered" he exclaimed, a bit out of breath. Xolin walked down, standing next to him with a defiant glare in her eyes.

"This exonerates Trok, yes?"

The council looked down at the tooth. "Er…yes, I believe so, but—"

Xolin waved the old woman off flippantly, "Good, then we're out of here. Come on guys".

"Wait!" one of the other Khans, a younger man, cried out, "You can't leave! Your companion here has been accused of trespassing!" he pointed at Sid, "Justice must be achieved!"

Trok looked at Sid, then at the council, then at the civilians lining the room. Damn. How the hell…this was completely unfair. They'd *WON*! Trok was exonerated! And yet here they were right back where they'd started. He wasn't going to let Sid go off and face a desert monster, and he couldn't let all this have been for naught. He *wouldn't*. He'd dragged his friends into this; he was going to get them out of it.

This was unfair.

"No".

"…Er…I'm sorry?" the man asked, confused as he recoiled slightly in his seat. Trok turned to him, determination washing over him.

"I said no".

"This defiance can't be tolerated in court, little brother" Shu explained, "Please sit back down".

"No" Trok repeated, "As Khan-son, I absolve him".

"You…can't do that" Shu replied, not entirely sure if his brother was completely working right or not.

"Why not? I am Khanhood, am I not?"

"The Law of Karma exists above us all" the old man Khan said, "We are simply its caretakers".

"Then saddle me with it instead" Trok replied. Xolin looked at him, surprise evident on her face.

Shu scoffed, "You would take his punishment for him? Even after going through all that trouble to clear your name before?"

Trok glanced back at Sid, then back at Shu, a smile on his face, "…Yes. I would".

Shu sighed, "Very well. I hereby—"

"No" Xolin cut in, stepping in front of Trok, "This madness has gone on long enough".

"…Excuse me?" asked one of the other Khans, very irate that this whole thing was devolving fast.

Xolin glared at them, her disgust easily visible for all to see, "This rule is ridiculous. Forcing others to face our sins for us? How is that karma?!"

The old woman spoke, "Girl, stand aside. This is between horatheans, not offworlders".

"Fine!" Trok shot back, clearly fed up with this just as much as, if not more than, Xolin herself. He pointed at Shu, "He murdered our mother and father and then pinned it on me. No, I don't have proof. Yes, I should have spoken out when it happened. And yes, I should have fought. But regardless, I'm here now, and I'm fighting for my friends and my people".

Gasps went up as Shu sat up straight, "…What are you saying?"

"He's saying he's corroborating with my evidence" Sid said, patting the morpher on his table. "You really want to make a fight of this?"

"Who killed who in an unrelated case has *NOTHING* to do with this case!" the old man spoke again.

"The hell it doesn't!" Xolin bit back, "This whole thing has just been an abuse of rules from the start!"

"You can't seriously tell me none of you see the problems here!" Trok explained emphatically, "If I hadn't showed, you'd have killed a dozen people in my place. A dozen INNOCENT people!"

Shu leaned forward, cupping his hands together, "Then what would your solution be?"

Trok glanced around at the court chamber; at his friends, at his leaders, at his people. At that moment, he knew what to do as a spark of inspiration filled him. He couldn't fight an age-old tradition in a few minutes, but maybe…maybe… He turned back to the council, a determined expression on his face, "…Exile us. The entire group. Five banishments would be an equal trade, right?"

Sid and Xolin's eyes widened; Sid's in shock and guilt. Xolin however, soon found a sad smile crossing her lips; Trok was growing up. Her hand patted his shoulder in support and pride. He blushed slightly.

The Khans leaned inward, discussing for a few seconds in hushed whispers. When they turned back to Trok, the old woman nodded, "Very well, this is acceptable to the law of Karma. Let it be known that from this day, you and your comrades are exiled from this land. Go in peace, Trok". The Khans bowed respectfully, and Trok reciprocated.

"…You sure you're okay with this?" Xolin asked Trok uncertainly.

He smiled at her, a bit sadly as the spectators began to shuffle out, "It's okay. I still got my home on the ship. It's like you said, right? Being a hero has its downsides".

Iota, Sid, and Sel made their way down to the center area where Trok and Xolin were. "…I am so sorry" Sid said as he came up to Trok. Holy shit he'd messed up bad. He'd only tried to help out Trok, but in the end had only made things worse, "This is all my fault".

Trok shook his head, putting on a bitter smile, "Nah, I was already pretty much in exile anyway. At least this time I don't have the guilt hanging around me". He forced himself to brighten up a bit, "And I got you guys. And a cool spaceship that lets me go anywhere. So like...let's go home". Trok turned and headed up the steps, out of the room. Sel followed, and Iota trailed off behind them. Besides, it wasn't like he was banned from his whole homeworld; just…well, just his clan's territory. It sucked sure, but on the upside, he'd never be called on to do anything Khan-related, so…mixed blessings? Maybe?

Hrn.

"…I'm an idiot" Sid groaned, after the others had left. He wanted to just crawl up somewhere and die.

"Yeah…you kinda are" Xolin sighed, her hands on her hips as she wore a disappointed expression, "What possessed you to do…*any* of this?"

Sid stood back up, grabbing his morpher off the desk, "I don't know. I just thought if I could get some dirt on the guy, uncover who really killed Trok's folks…" he trailed off.

Xolin closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, "After everything, you still don't trust us" she said softly, enough to cut Sid deep.

"I just thought I could get you guys out of the desert faster. Who even knew if you'd run into a Kalroth".

She looked at him with a pained expression, "…You're an idiot who cares, at least. You tried, even if you fouled it up *big time*" Xolin countered as she tried to brighten up, "Besides, this place *sucks*. We probably would have gotten thrown out eventually anyway. Shu had a bone to pick with us".

Sid sighed.

She nudged him, "Come on, you heard the kid. Let's go home"

"You're awfully upbeat" he said quizzically as they walked up the stairs and out of the building. He was already trying to figure out what he was going to say to Trok; 'I'm sorry' didn't really cut it in this case. Good lord he'd messed up.

She grinned, "He's just growing up a bit, that's all" she said, waving in off where Trok had left, "I *can* be happy about that".

A faint smile appeared on Sid's mouth as well. Yeah, that was definitely true. "…Also, no offense, you *really* smell".

"…Don't even start" she sighed, her smile vanishing as she remembered just how filthy she felt; even after having demorphed. She needed a shower so bad. Blech; Kalroth guts.

So together the group trailed off back to the ship, two by two. Trok took one last glimpse of his old homeland, one final image burned in his mind. A mix of emotions he couldn't even quite quantify flooded inside of him. He wasn't as sad as he figured he'd be—shock maybe? Or…no, he wasn't *that* disappointed; he hadn't really considered this home for over a year now. His parents were long gone, and he'd never really been close to his brother, or wanted to be in any sort of government position. Relief, maybe? That this was all over and that burden of guilt was finally gone? Was finality an emotional state? Because that might be it. Melancholy, definitely. Hrm. Trok turned and entered the ship.

The clanspeople watched from a distance as rest of the group boarded their ship, and then as it lifted off, and vanished into the sky, never to return.

_To be continued…_


	9. 1x09: Something Completely Different

**1.09: SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT**

Xolin, by nature, was not what you would call a 'happy' person. She'd never really felt satisfaction with her life, and anyone who knew her would probably describe her as 'perpetually disgruntled'—and she'd probably be hard-pressed to prove them wrong. But through that, there were still days she could count as 'good days', when things went a little bit less awful than usual.

Today was decidedly not one of those days.

"IT'S READY! IT'S READY!" she could hear Trok shouting with glee from down the hall, his voice growing louder as he bounded closer to her room. How she'd gotten herself roped into this, she had no clue. It had just sort of been 'decided' by the team one day that they'd do this, and Iota had approved, seeing it as a good team-building exercise.

Trok pounded on her door. "IT'S READY!" Trinity help her.

"I heard you the first sixteen times!" she shouted back as she leapt off her bed and crossed over to her door. It slid open, and Trok's hyper-enthusiastic face greeted her on the other side. Sigh. It was going to be one of *those* days.

"…Do I have to?" she groaned.

Trok nodded, his enthusiasm not dropping at all, "Come on, Xolin! You'll love it, really".

"Video games are a waste of my time" she deadpanned, her eyes narrow.

Trok's face scrunched up in a pout, "Are not! Video games are awesome, now *come on*! The others are waiting!" He grabbed her by the arm, dragging her out of her room. Xolin reluctantly let him pull her along, taking one last sidelong look at her room—her precious 'me' space.

Sigh.

* * *

You don't really realize how much you depend on society until you're forced to do without—even for a crew of rangers who hopped from one world to another. A few weeks hiding out in the expanse beyond the borders of the Confederacy had taught Sid how much everyone had come to rely on a decent net connection. Trok had been all excited about 'Kingdoms of Targarth IV' coming out, but with their situation they'd had to wait until they got back. And god help everyone when Trok was forced to wait for something.

Well, the download was finally done, so hurrah! Eight zettabytes of RPG goodness. Sid found it a little amusing that Trok would be so into a human game of all things, but he just chalked it up to the growing multiculturalism within the Confederacy.

Hrm…Trok. Sid grimaced; he and Trok still hadn't really talked since…well, since Sid had gotten him banished from horath. So far the two had been keeping the other at arm's length, making sure not to step on the other one's toes…but so far that had only served to make things even more awkward. But what could Sid say? What could he do? Sid was probably lucky Trok hadn't just invoked some sort of honor-based ritualistic duel. He didn't know if his people had that, but y'know, it would figure.

Ugh. That was just going to make this game awkward as all hell.

Already he could hear Trok and Xolin's scurried footsteps as they came down the hall towards him and Sel, currently waiting in front of the simudeck.

"Let's get this show on the road!" Trok shouted eagerly down the hallway as they approached, Trok keeping a tight grip on Xolin's wrist. The triforian looked as if she was decidedly *not* having the time of her life.

"I don't understand why I have to do this" she grumbled, "I have better things to do than play games".

Sid looked at her incredulously, his arms folded, "…Xolin, you play more in the simudeck than anyone aside from Trok".

"Training and meditation simulations" she corrected him, "not *playing*".

"Well, this is like a training simulator" Sid replied, then added, "…with achievement lists".

"Ugh" she grunted.

"Are we ready?!" Trok asked giddily as he brushed past them. He typed in a few commands on the control console on the wall next to the door, and a moment later the doors to the simudeck slid open, revealing a small forest clearing.

"ONWARD, FELLOW KNIGHTS!" Trok shouted exuberantly, pumping his fist into the air as he led the group into the wood—Xolin sighing all the while.

* * *

Sending the rangers off to their team-building exercise had a side boon for Iota; blessed silence. He had the entire ship to himself, effectively, now that the last of the engineers had disembarked and the Megaship had undocked from the orbital station in orbit around KO-35. The battle at the SPD station a few weeks back had done some serious damage to the ship; while they'd done well enough limping along in the void away from the major routes for a while, they really had needed to dock and refurbish the vessel.

It had also come with some fancy software upgrades, which was why Iota was now touring the ship, making sure there weren't any bugs or issues that needed to be ironed out. Again, a good thing the others were in the simudeck, because this ship wasn't actually going anywhere until everything was sorted out. From engineering, he idly checked various scans; they'd finally been able to perform a deep scan to root out any residual trace of the shapeshifter creature from…months ago now, actually. The ship had been scanned and cleansed, and now they could *finally* turn off those dampening pylons Trok had built.

A beeping noise drew Iota out of his thoughts. Curious (and slightly concerned), the armored figure drew himself over to the offending console, quickly going over the readings. It was detecting a massive power surge of unknown origin hitting the simudeck systems.

…Uh oh.

* * *

The group had wandered into town. Well, the first town, at any rate. Sid found it quaint; it was your average tiny medieval European village nestled into a mountain valley, with little cottages lining the narrow and winding paths. Mountains rose up on all sides, passing above the evergreen treeline with their white fog-covered glaciers. And as far as he could tell, a stream ran itself through the town as well—if the mill just over a street was any indication.

Quaint! Also quite vanilla. But then, Sid figured that for Trok, this would be exotic and fantastical. Funny how that worked.

The game itself had been fairly vanilla in general thus far. Classes, levels, skills…it was a very generic RPG. Sid hadn't ever played this series—he'd not had too much time for this kind of stuff since leaving home after all. Being a fugitive-slash-drifter left little time for this kind of fun…but if the other installments were like this, then he'd have probably passed on it had he had the opportunity.

So far their adventure had consisted of the group very messily choosing their roles, though once they had finally figured out what to do, things had settled down fairly predictably; Sel had gone for the ranged build, Sid had taken up a sword, and Trok was the tank. Etc, etc. The only weird one out was that Xolin had picked 'mage', without any sort of input from the rest. When pressured on why, she'd just deflected it, or told them some nonsense about how it was probably more intellectually challenging.

Heh.

"I don't understand" Sel said as they walked. She took note of the various NPC's and buildings, "…Our job is to fight monsters, right?"

"…Yeah?" Trok asked back expectantly.

She cocked her head, "…And we are spending our free time playing a game where we fight monsters".

Sid could hear Xolin's quiet chuckling as Trok replied, "Yeah but…that's different. That's real life. This is…well, this is fantasy".

"But we're doing the *exact same thing*, just with more restrictions" Sel responded, not so much against all this, but genuinely confused by the whole affair.

"Well, that's…" Trok trailed off, trying to come up with a good explanation.

Sid laughed and interceded on Trok's behalf, "Because out there is life and death, Sel. In here is just a game. We can test our skills and compete against one another just in fun instead of having to worry about civilians and whatnot. Plus, the 'restrictions' are just there to add to our enjoyment by making the fighting styles very different".

"Exactly!" Trok replied, thankful for the support.

Sid continued, "And besides, there's the setting too. Not every day you get to explore a medieval countryside, after all" he grimaced "…Even if it *is* horribly generic".

There's an old adage: be careful what you wish for. Because at that moment the entire game world glitched; strange colors and corrupted databits growing and forming across their field of view. An awful noise caused them to cover their ears as…well, *everything* just sort of collapsed on itself, before reassembling in a haphazard glitched state.

"…Oh, *that's* not good" Sid frowned as he took a good look at the chaotic, upended mess around him.

Trok spun around, mouth open, "What…"

"Game glitched" Sid surmised, "Badly". He waved his hand through the nearest bush, his hand just passing through it harmlessly. "Computer. End simulation".

No response. That was…that was bad.

"…Computer?" Trok asked timidly. No response.

Sid spoke into his morpher, "Sid to Iota". All he got for his trouble was static. *Very* bad.

"…What now?" asked Xolin, now on full battle alert mode. She already had her hands on her morpher, completely ready to go.

Sid moved over to one of the former cottages, inspecting it idly, "We've got a rogue program situation on our hands".

When it seemed no further information was incoming from him, Xolin replied expectantly with a shrug, "…This happen often to you?"

"Eh, once or twice" Sid returned the shrug as he turned back to them, "Simudeck errors are…well, notorious. Why do you think they've installed so many safeguards into the OS? Or why they outright banned the creation and selling of Sherlock Holmes games?"

Xolin blinked, "Wait, what does Sherlock Holmes have to do with this?"

He waved her off with a laugh, "Long story, nevermind. Anyway, we should be fine; looks like the game just had a fatal error. All we gotta do is sit tight until Iota realizes something's up. Hopefully the Megaship's systems registered a power surge or something".

Trok sighed as he dropped to the ground in a crosslegged fashion, dejected, "So much for team exercises".

"I'm sure Iota will allow us to reschedule" Sel said. She turned to Sid, "What should we do for now?"

"Marinate in fear" a bleating voice cackled, as each ranger turned to see its origin. All four of their expressions turned to one of shock and horror, as there standing before them was a goat monster clad in Greek hoplite armor. Capricorn laughed again, "Hello, rangers. You're a real pain to track down".

Trok shot back up to his feet as all four rangers assumed battle stances. Capricorn waved them off, "Don't bother. This isn't my real form; I'm just a holographic messenger".

"What do you want?" Sid growled, not letting his guard down one bit.

The goat seemed to smirk, "Isn't that obvious, rangers? I want to play a game with you. I'm sure you'll figure out the rules soon enough".

"Wha—" Sid and the others glanced down, finding that the ground they had been standing on had been replaced by four separate trap doors. Each opened in turn. In an almost cartoonic fashion, the team remained hovering for just a split moment. "Sonuva—" Sid managed to blurt out in a deadpan, just before all four fell down screaming, each into a separate, isolated void.

* * *

He'd tried to power down the game system manually by diverting power from the simudeck, but for some reason the controls weren't responding to him. Iota groaned; not even an hour out of spacedock, and already there were problems. The figure crossed the ship, from engineering to the bridge; he was going to have to try a full system diagnostic from there; and if that didn't work, turn the ship back around. Sigh.

As he approached the bridge, the doors slammed shut in front of him. Hrn. That….wasn't a good sign. He pressed the manual button, but nothing happened. He pressed it again; still nothing. Sighing, he headed around to the other entrance to the bridge…and the doors closed shut again.

Hrn.

He was going to need a lever.

* * *

The first thing Sid realized was that he *hurt*. That told him two things; the first was that the safeties were off, which told him the second thing: he was in trouble. The leader of the peacekeeper rangers opened his eyes, finding himself laying down in some sort of red-tinted cave. Getting up and looking over the ledge he had been stationed on, he looked down at his new location—running rivers of magma crisscrossed the open chasm.

Ah, the lava level. Huzzah.

Issuing a silent prayer of hope, Sid pressed the button on his morpher. Immediately the glitched remains of his armor shattered away, replaced by his red ranger outfit. Well, thank god Capricorn hadn't cut him off from his powers.

…Right, Capricorn. So what was his deal? Sid had been taken a bit off guard; they hadn't heard from the poor bastard in *weeks*, they had really started to wonder if they hadn't managed to lose him. Guess not. But still, what was the game here? Well, Sid reasoned, the fact that he was a program within the game, and was somehow interfering with the simudeck's controls probably meant that Capricorn had infected the ship with a virus—likely part of the game or one of the other software upgrades.

Clever bastard.

So, endgoal. Since he was a virus, that probably meant that Capricorn wanted control of the ship. It'd make sense; he'd have a nice new home base after they torched his last one, and he'd finally get his claws on Sel. But Sid currently had no way to warn Iota, and could only hope he was already on top of things.

"Trap us in a game to keep us from purging you from the system" Sid mused annoyingly, "Clever". So, the obvious solution was to somehow meet up with the others and…well, hopefully taking out Capricorn's avatar in the game world would be enough to trigger the victory flags in the system. It was a longshot, but…well, Sid didn't have many other options available to him.

…Maybe Trok could hack the system? Hrn, Trok. Well, Sid guessed they couldn't just ignore each other *forever*, but he still didn't relish this at all. Sighing, the red ranger began to make his way down the pathway into the pit, keeping an open eye for lava monsters…and his friends.

* * *

She found herself in a long, empty hallway full of doors. It was sort of like something out of a fever dream, Xolin admitted, and she was just a *little* unnerved…never mind that her friends were nowhere to be found.

Still, Xolin would never be cowed by anything so insignificant. Shifting into her blue ranger form, she opened the closest door to her and entered. Inside was a large room, with…moving walls, shifting back and forth. The floor had many odd designs and letters on it, so large that she couldn't make out the words. This was *definitely* weird.

Wait.

She ran to the end of the largest word. "P".

"I". "N". "B". "A". "L". "L".

…Wait.

She felt a rumbling sound. Her eyes widened in realization as she looked up, seeing a giant metal orb twice as tall as she was, thundering right for her. "Oh f—"

* * *

This was decidedly *not* how he had envisioned spending today. He'd wanted to introduce the others to gaming; y'know, let them in on some of his hobbies that didn't involve making weird inventions that may or may not work. People might not be completely into that, he *got* that. But man, games were fun, and he was pretty sure at the very least Sid seemed familiar with it. He had been hoping to use that to draw Xolin and Sel into it, because the spirits knew Xolin needed to unclench once in awhile.

But no, here was Capricorn ruining his day yet again. Sigh.

Trok trudged his way through the murky twilight-lit swamp, having morphed into his green ranger powers a few minutes ago. In his hands he gripped his hammer tightly, awaiting the inevitable swarm of bad guys. He hadn't encountered any yet, but he was *sure* they were out there. Capricorn wouldn't have trapped them all in here for his 'game' if he hadn't intended to mess with them.

The sound of something mushing through the water, and the rustle of branches got Trok's attention. The green ranger eyed the misty forest around him, the only other sounds being his heavy breathing.

He heard it. The groan, coming from behind. The green ranger spun around, his weapon smacking right into the skull of some sort of pale, feral man-beast; a hunched over mangy figure of skin and bone that had been coming right at him.

Oh spirits. *Horror*. Trok spun back around in a daze, knocking out the next would-be attacker, and the next. He then broke into a sprint as more of the creatures closed in from behind, growling with inhuman noises.

THIS WAS A VERY BAD DAY.

* * *

She rounded the tight corner, her vehicle *almost* sliding off the track due to the inertia. But almost expertly, she managed to avoid that particular grisly fate, and kept on roaring down the pathway of the racetrack, her hovercraft traveling at blinding speeds. Sel dodged a group of mines on the track, which the craft behind her was not so fortunate at—it exploded and vanished from the game.

She was in third place. Not bad, but she needed to do better to advance; she didn't know where the others had gone, but she was fairly certain that 'winning' put her closer to finding them.

Another craft rode up beside her and began to ram into her side. She returned the favor, causing it to spin out of control and crash off to the side of the track. Sel giggled as she sped up.

She was actually *enjoying* this!

* * *

Okay. So, that had been a bad idea. Xolin took a moment to catch her breath, having slammed the pinball door shut behind her. She glanced around at the other doors down the hallway, silently determining which to open. Eeny, meeny, miny…

Moe.

Steeling herself with a deep breath, she pulled the door open. Inside lay a graveyard with overgrown tombstones flanked by a dead, creepy-looking tree. From one of its branches hung a body, a noose around its neck, shifting silently in the moon-lit night.

"…No" Xolin said simply, closing the door and picking a different one.

* * *

With a mighty heave, Iota forced the bridge door open, having wedged a crowbar in between the two sides of the door and pulling, before simply forcing his way in manually. What he found inside was…well, it wasn't good. Nothing was responding; hell, most of the controls were just outright dead. And at some point the ship had jumped to hyperrush before dropping back out in the middle of nowhere. Something was *very* wrong, and at this point Iota was contemplating sabotage.

Having a thought, Iota ran over to the diagnostic console. Thank god, the virus hadn't locked this system out yet. A few seconds later, and his suspicions were confirmed; *something* had infected the ship, and was growing, shutting down and rerouting control of all systems, one by one. He was going to have to act fast if he was going to save the ship and his team.

"Tisk tisk tisk" said a familiar voice, as Iota rushed from console to console. Iota looked up, seeing a foot-tall hologram of Capricorn on one of the ships emitter displays, "Looks like oooone got away from my traaap".

"So" Iota deadpanned, "You were behind this".

The goat bleated in satisfaction, "A stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. Why fight you when I can just cripple you? The shapeshifter, while clever, was too ham-fisted. I needed something more…fool-proof".

"A virus" Iota surmised.

Capricorn nodded, clearly pleased with himself, "Now if you'll just sit tight, I've sent a beacon to my real self. I should be arriving shortly to take command of my new ship".

"You know I won't let you do that".

Capricorn chuckled, "And you know I won't leave you alive long enough to stop me". He snapped his virtual fingers, and two turrets descended from the ceiling—part of the Megaship's self-defense systems. The armored figure dodged out of the way, hiding behind one of the consoles as the guns opened fire.

"I've already gained control of most of the ship" Capricorn said, "There's nothing you can do to stop me, so why don't you just lie down and die?"

Iota grunted, irritated. Drawing his blaster, he aimed and blew open the grate to the vent tubes that spanned the ship. Then, in a single graceful movement, flung himself inside, barely missing the enemy laser fire from the turrets.

"Hiding in the vents won't help you!" Capricorn called after him, "I'll soon have total sensor awareness over your vessel, And once my real form arrives, I will hunt you down like the worm you are!" He bleated in triumph.

Iota holstered his weapon as he began to crawl. "I have not yet begun to fight…" He had to get to the computer core. If he did, he could hopefully lock the virus out. And failing that, simply flush the system. He spoke into his communicator. "Iota to Sid". When there was no response, he tried Xolin, and then Trok and Sel.

Damn. Communications were already down. It made sense, considering the virus's plan, but it meant he'd need to find some other way to communicate with them.

* * *

Trok panted, stopping next to a tree to catch his breath. He was *pretty* sure he'd lost the swamp…zombie…things, but he wasn't really sure he wanted to take that chance. And who knew how many other spawn points there were. He needed out of this swamp. He needed…

A shift in light caused him to look to opposite of where he had come from. There, in front of him, was the end of the swamp. Not like, a gradual shift in terrain, but like, a *literal* end. The textures and meshes just…came to a halt, replaced by new ones. To his left, a blistering hot sandy desert, of which he could faintly see pyramids in the distance. On his right, a blizzard-filled glacier valley with spikes of ice jutting up into the sky.

"…They aren't even trying with the level design, are they?" he grunted, trying to determine which direction was *less* awful. He almost considering going back the way he came, before a screech from one of the swamp zombies in the distance reminded him that that was probably a bad idea. He sighed.

"…Desert it is".

* * *

Sid was *fairly* certain he'd come this way before. Sighing, he started to double-back, but soon found he'd *not* come this way before. Or…no, he didn't know. It was almost like everything was shifting, changing. He'd entered this dungeon with the hope that it would lead him out of the lava pits, but so far it had only gotten him more lost. He was actually pretty sure that the maze he found himself in wasn't even obeying the laws of three-dimensional geometry—and considering this was a simulation that was entirely possible.

He didn't even want to think about that.

The dungeon itself was…odd, not at all like the lava caves. It was like the color had been sucked right out aside from himself, and everything was now being cast in nothing but shades of white and grey. It was open; many hallways and courtyards with colorless trees, and patios, and stairs…it felt like he'd almost seen this before, somewhere. He just couldn't put his finger on it. It was annoying too, because it felt like it was just on the tip of his tongue.

Deep in thought, he almost didn't realize as he came out onto another patio…and saw it all. In one horrible dawning moment of realization, he understood. In front of him, and below, and to the sides, and above…stairs, and entryways, and hallways. They were all converging at odd, impossible angles, in ways where gravity could not comply.

He knew *exactly* where he was. He'd seen this landscape before.

It was an M.C. Escher painting.

"…Oh goddamnit" he muttered dejectedly. He'd *never* make it out of here.

Just then, he heard a revving sound, like an engine. He didn't know where it was coming from, it sounded like it was bouncing off from every direction at once. But then he saw it; twin lights emanating from an archway otherwise shrouded in darkness up above his plane. The lights grew brighter as the revving noise grew louder, and Sid barely managed to duck out of the way as the yellow ranger, driving a hovercraft, flew out, landing on his balcony and skidding across the ground in a three-hundred and sixty degree motion before coming to a complete halt by virtue of crashing into the nearest wall.

"…Sel?!" Sid gasped as he got out from his crouch, "What the—"

"Stay down!" she ordered, drawing her bow. Out of the archway she had just entered from, two personal planes flew out right at them, lasers primed and ready. But Sel was ready, letting loose with one and then a second laser arrow. The two projectiles cut right through her opponents' hulls, and they split apart and exploded in midair.

"What in…" Sid finished uncrouching, and moved over to her as she awkwardly pulled herself out of her vehicle, "How did…"

She shrugged, "I don't know. I was in some kind of race, they got angry that I won, and I just sort of…escaped".

Sid blinked, "…You won?"

She pulled out a large golden trophy from behind her seat in the vehicle, "First place". She smiled, blushing a bit, "…It was fun".

"…Is there anything you're *not* good at?" Sid asked in bemusement. She only blushed harder. "Ah, I'm only kidding" he added.

"…So what's the plan?" she asked, getting ahold of herself.

Sid shrugged, looking around at the anarchic mess around them, "My plan, currently, involves wandering around aimlessly until I find everybody. Seems to be working, so far".

"By pure chance" Sel countered skeptically.

The red ranger shrugged again, "You got a better idea?"

Sel thought for a moment, gazing around at their surroundings. Continuing to just wander would get them little further; it had only been by sheer luck that the two of them had stumbled on each other. At this rate, they were only playing into Capricorn's hands.

"…We need to find a way to get in contact with the others" she said.

Sid grasped his morpher, "I've been trying, but no dice there. Capricorn must have infected the communication systems before he sprung his trap".

"But he hasn't been able to sever our connection to the morphing grid" Sel countered, "Which means he doesn't control all of the ship yet".

Sid thought about this. That much was true; the very fact that their ranger powers were still active meant that at the very least, Capricorn hadn't completely succeeded yet—though it was worth mentioning that the grid connection was the most heavily encrypted part of the ship's systems. So…hopefully Iota could make a fight of it, but that still meant they were stuck in here, wandering about aimlessly. He shook his head, "That doesn't really help us get out of here, though. We're not in any position to access the ship's systems".

She mused, "…Is there some way we can use the morphing grid connection to…" she paused, hesitating on how she wanted to explain this, "…I don't know. Reroute the communication systems somehow? I mean, our morphers connect to the ship's systems, right?"

Hmm. He couldn't reroute communications from this end, but…hmm. "No, I can't do anything about the communication signals from this end. But…I think I can do one better".

"Hmm?" the yellow ranger asked.

Yes. Yes, the whole idea was coming together now. Why hadn't he thought of this earlier? "The morphin' grid is the underlying energy force of the universe; the basic underpinning of…well, everything. It doesn't work like a radio signal where you might send out a signal and I can receive it, but might not be able to respond if I don't have the equipment. But, if one has a connection to the grid, it can be used as a two-way link. My powers impact the grid, just as the grid impacts my powers".

Sel's eyes widened as she understood, "You can send a vibration as a signal".

Sid nodded happily, "Yep! Now, let me show you something called 'Morse Code'".

* * *

Iota slid out of the grate and into the computer core. It was a small chamber; not really designed for moving about except for very rare maintenance issues. He had to crouch due to the low ceiling, and his movement was blocked off by various cables and hardware devices. In the center of it all rested a holographic display console, arranged so that one could access it from any direction. Inside the console ring stood a large metallic pillar full of lights and displays.

The core.

He made his way over, hating that he had to crouch; why didn't engineers build these with better environment specifications? Eugh. Dropping to his knees at the nearest part of the console ring to him, he began a cursory scan of the damage—it was as he had feared; Capricorn was growing exponentially throughout the entire ship, and had already locked out most vital core systems.

That was going to make this difficult. But this is why he had contingencies.

Sighing, he took out a small storage device from his belt and slid it into the computer system, before getting to work on the display. The device he'd just inserted would have just rewritten some of the core systems back to his accessibility, but he had to move fast, before Capricorn noticed. Thankfully, his device would also hopefully keep Capricorn busy with phantom attacks elsewhere in the mainframe. He'd be too distracted, assuming that Iota was attacking him in other key systems.

It was definitely odd that Capricorn had managed to procure a true AI program though. Viral AI were considered extremely risky and taboo, especially after Earth, and so were extremely rare—especially considering how resource-intensive they were to build. Iota grimaced; Capricorn must have been getting desperate if he was going to his employers directly for assistance.

A soft beep got Iota's attention. Though, that hadn't come from the computer, that had come from…no, wait, it was a series of beeps. His suit was detecting small variations in the local morphin' grid, and it sounded like Morse code.

Interesting!

Iota listened for a moment, quickly mentally deciphering the message from Sid. This was why he had bothered so much to get Sid onboard; this was absolutely brilliant. He replied as he continued his work, also in code, _"Iota here, I read you. Capricorn's virus has infected most of the system core. I am building a backdoor to purge him from. What is your status? Over"._

Sid's reply was prompt, _"Stuck in simudeck. The goat's split us up and is messing with us"._

…Wait. _"…Is he in there with you?"_

"_He's got an avatar in here, yeah. Why?"_

Iota grinned, _"That's the virus's AI head. I'll try to give you some control over the simudeck's systems, but taking him out there will decapitate the entire virus, making it easier for me to reassert control"._

* * *

Sid eyed his morpher skeptically as he translated Iota's orders.

"Problem?" asked Sel, currently sitting on the railing on the edge of the pathway they had stopped at, still stuck in the MC Escher chamber.

Sid shrugged as he looked back at her, "We uh…have to kill the hologram to escape the game. Capricorn, I mean".

"…We have to win the game?"

Sid chuckled mirthlessly at the absurdity, "This is my life".

Sel glanced around, "So…we need to find the others then".

Sid nodded, even has he continued to fiddle with his morpher, frustrated, "It's what I've been trying to do, but no one else has picked up".

"They might be preoccupied".

Sid didn't quite relish that thought. It was…ominous.

* * *

"DID YOU KNOW: Your stats can be accessed from the tools menu!"

"DID YOU KNOW: Most boss fights have a breather room prior, where you can save and reload!"

"DID YOU KNOW: Skill points are awarded when you level up! Remember to check your stats whenever you reach a new level!"

Xolin was in hell. By all rights, the door she had picked had looked nice; it was night-time forest, with a definite magical bent to it, what with the glowing mushrooms and sparkles of light wafting down from above. A hell of a lot better than any of the other doors…or so she had thought. But upon stumbling upon a small clearing, she'd accidently run afoul of…whatever these things were. Pixies, of some sort? They fluttered around her, offering up the same tips and hints over and over, never shutting up, each of them talking over one another with their high-pitched whining and SWEET TRINITY SHE WAS GOING TO KILL SOMEONE.

"HYIAH!" she sliced her lance through the air, missing her target as it floated to the side. She tried again and again, "I don't need a tutorial! Go! Scram!" Finally, her weapon made contact with a pixie…only to have it slide right through harmlessly. The pixies couldn't be harmed. "AUGH!" Xolin roared, now trying harder than ever to get them to leave as she swung her weapon about wildly. "You're worse than mosquitoes!"

"DID YOU KNOW: your stamina is linked to your activity! Don't wildly attack, or you may find yourself out of breath!"

"Stop mocking me!" she wheezed, giving another half-hearted cut, before dropping to her knees. She hated everything. *EVERYTHING*.

"DID YOU KNOW: FATAL ERROR".

Oh. That couldn't be good.

"FATAL ERROR". "FATAL ERROR". "FATAL ERROR". "FATAL ERROR". Each of the pixies had turned from a soft white to a harsh red, and the entire swarm fled from Xolin's position. *Definitely* not good. A thump shook the earth, followed by another. And another. A shadow fell over the clearing. Taking a deep breath and steeling herself, the blue ranger turned around…

…And found herself standing face to face with what could only be described as a steampunk tyrannosaurus robot. It roared.

Xolin sighed.

* * *

"Still nothing" Sid grumbled. He'd shifted his signal from a generic all-points SOS to a more distinct signal tied to Xolin's powerset, but there was still no indication she had heard it.

"Try Trok, maybe?" Sel asked.

Sid's shoulders sagged a bit.

"…What's wrong?" asked the yellow ranger, noting his change in domineer.

For a moment the red ranger tried to come up with an explanation, but simply sputtered until he sighed helplessly, letting go of his morpher as he turned back toward Sel.

"What?" she asked again. He sat down next to her, looking up and back at the maze around them.

"It's…just awkward right now, between us" he said, struggling with the words. "After what happened on Horath".

"You think he's angry at you?"

Sid laughed bitterly, "He has every right to be. He *should* be. But he's probably not, because he's an idiot".

"That's not nice" she said quietly.

Sid grimaced at her, "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. The kid's just…he's too nice for his own good sometimes. I got him banned from his homeworld for life. His *home*. His *birthright*. I messed up, and it cost him everything. If he had any sense, he'd want to stab me in my sleep. God knows I'd want to".

"Have you talked to him at all?" Sel asked, genuinely confused and to be quite honest, a little out of her element. She was barely keeping up with everyone now emotionally as it was. But here she was trying to console the one member of the team she had thought had everything completely under control. This was the man who'd saved her and told her everything was going to be okay.

But who was she not to return the favor, ability or not?

"How can I even look him in the eyes?" asked Sid, "I'm supposed to be the mentor, the leader. Yet every time I end up with this job, I mess it up for everybody".

Sel didn't quite know what to say to that. He hadn't messed up before this, as far as she could tell, so instead she decided to power through, "You rescued me. You trained us into a team and kept us alive. I'm not good at…thinking about what others think" she said a bit sadly, "But I do know that you've done everything as best you could, and you at least deserve to be heard out. And I know Trok is not an angry or vengeful person" he expression brightened a little, "I'm sure you can figure things out".

Sid smiled wanly, "You two have been getting close, huh?"

She blushed a bit. "He's…approachable". He was; moreso than the other two. While she'd been warming up to Xolin, the other girl was still very…severe, and temperamental. Sid was still to her the unapproachable mentor, the big brother she'd never had…or thought she'd never had. Whatever. But Trok was almost more like an equal; just some other friendly kid that had gotten caught up in all this; just enough ahead of her to offer a bit of advice now and again, but otherwise in the same boat as her. And he was just so…open.

Sid chuckled slightly, "Yeah, he certainly is". He drew a deep breath, before resuming his signaling—this time looking for Trok. He wasn't too keen on what was going to go down, but he knew he couldn't keep ignoring it.

* * *

Trok had never really been one for westerns. He always more preferred either some form of fantasy or sci-fi. Both of those were pretty universal, regardless of change in window dressing depending on culture. But westerns, well, that was mostly a human thing. Certainly, most races had had their 'colonial' periods, but they were different enough that the stories from each really didn't resonate with others. Besides, westerns reminded Trok a bit too much of home. Or Onyx, really. He still wasn't sure how that all fit together.

He shouldn't have picked the desert level.

Currently he found himself hiding behind a flipped over table in the back of the local saloon, sidearm in hand as the local gang continued to open fire on the building, smashing windows and punching holes in things. They had to run out of ammo sometime…right? Also, while Trok wasn't super-knowledgeable about the human 'wild west' era, he was pretty certain the enemy gang wouldn't have actually consisted of two clowns, a robot, and Santa Clause. Because that's what he was facing. At least they were all wearing cowboy hats.

He ducked again as another barrage of gunfire cascaded over his head. He wasn't going to win like this. He needed an upset.

…Wait. Was that a beeping sound? It sounded almost like…Morse! As far as he could tell, it was coming from his morpher. Giddy, he listened to the message as best as he could over the gunfire. His Morse was a little rusty, but after a few tries, he was pretty sure he had the basics down. Sid was a genius, as usual. Using the grid itself to transmit information? Fantastic. He wished he'd thought of it, but that's why Sid was the leader.

Even if he didn't particularly trust the rest of the team. Sigh.

Trok quickly typed out his own message, simply telling Sid where he'd been pinned down at. A short wait later, and Sid's reply began telling Trok to keep typing back. Sid had an idea. Having an idea of what Sid's plan entailed, Trok set his grid SOS to auto-mode, allowing him to focus on the threat at hand. All he had to do was hold on for just a little bit more. The gunfire had stopped; he could hear the gangsters approaching. Tensing, Trok prepared to leap out. With one swift motion, he swung out over the table, landing his feet squarely in Santa's chest. The old man staggered back, knocking into one of the clowns.

Spinning back around, Trok's gun opened fire on the other clown and the robot. The clown went down fast, but the robot managed to dodge, returning fire with his own wrist gun. The green ranger ducked behind a wooden beam, before coming around the other side, knocking a chair into the air with his foot, and kicking it towards the robot. Distracted, the machine was taken by Trok's sudden charge into his midsection, which threw them both into the wall. In the blink of an eye, his gun switched to sword mode, and he decapitated the robot.

Click.

Crap, he'd forgotten the other two. Trok turned around, finding two guns pointed at his unguarded side. A weapon fired, but it wasn't theirs, to his surprise. Two laser blasts came from outside the saloon knocked the remaining clown aside, before it dissolved into polygons. Santa returned fire, but that only gave the red ranger the chance he needed to dive through the firing line from the side, slamming into the Christmas mascot with his knee, before spinning around and landing a kick with his other leg. Staggering, Santa was unable to defend against Sel's next attack, as she raced past Sid's recovering form, taking her blade-bow and cutting down on the opposing NPC. Santa shattered into polygons, leaving just the three rangers.

"Tracking me by my morphin' grid signature. Clever!" Trok said gleefully as he bounded over to Sid.

"Her idea, actually" Sid said, a bit brusque as he nodded toward Sel.

"Oh!" Trok said, both surprised (and impressed) at Sel, but also a little offput by Sid. "Er, cool!"

"…Thanks" Sel blushed a bit.

Sid glanced around, "Come on, we gotta find Xolin and get out of here".

"So…what's the plan?" asked Trok, running up beside him as Sid began to walk out of the saloon.

Sid didn't even bother making eye contact. Er, well, helmet contact, "We kill the goat, we win the game. We win the game, we save the Megaship. Come on".

"…Right" Trok mumbled, a bit dejected as Sid plowed ahead.

* * *

At first Xolin had decided to fight the robot dinosaur. She soon however had decided it was more prudent to run-mostly after she discovered that the tyrannosaurus in question had a rocket launcher that could unfold from its backside and could fire laser beams from its eyes.

So she ran.

The tyrannosaurus also ran.

She ran harder.

* * *

This was becoming awkward; Sid and Trok hadn't said much at all to each other since Trok's rescue. Normally Sel wouldn't have minded the quiet, but even she could feel the tension between the two. They walked across some ancient platform, straddled high above the center of a misty jungle canyon, each of them noticeably distant from each other. Sid was in front, with Sel holding up the rear, as usual.

"_Iota to rangers. Come in rangers"._

Sid brightened up as he heard Iota's voice over their comm signals. This was good news! "Sid here. I see you've been busy!"

"_Indeed"_ came the response, _"I've managed to hack into and isolate the comm system, as well as secure our access to the grid; Capricorn won't be able to sever your connection to your powers"._

Sid nodded, "That's good news. So what's up?"

"_You will be pleased to know I've also managed to track down the virus's central intelligence's location within your gamescape. I'm forwarding the information to your morphers as we speak"._

"Awesome! Any word on Xolin?" Sid asked.

"_No, unfortunately. She's not responded. I'll keep trying though, and send her to your locations. I'll also be attempting to reroute the game systems to your control"._

Sid nodded, "Understood. Sid out".

Sure enough, information began downloading itself into his morpher, giving him the ability to track Capricorn. He grinned in satisfaction as it began pointing them straight ahead, to where a snowy mountain had just appeared in the distance. A mountain with a palace of ice near the peak.

"So that's it, huh?" Trok asked.

Sid nodded, "…Looks like it. Let's go pay the goat a visit".

* * *

Iota's hands raced over the control console, just barely keeping one step ahead of Capricorn. It had almost become a game in of itself; a desperate race to see who could control as much as possible while still containing the other as much as possible. Right now Iota had communications, weapons, internal sensors, and, amusingly, the synthatron. Capricorn currently had the engines, the simudeck, and—oh, huh. Iota glanced up when he heard the fans all shut down and the lights revert to emergency mode. Life support had just gone down; how delightful. Thankfully, since everyone was morphed, Capricorn's little ploy was pretty much mitigated.

Still. He couldn't afford to waste time. He needed to crack Capricorn's hold over the simudeck if the rangers were going to have any hope of winning.

* * *

The ice palace grew ever larger. They'd long left the rainforest, instead now trudging their way up the steep, deadly slopes of the mountainside, even as cold snow rained down on them. And it was real cold too—er, well, technically simulated because y'know, it was a simudeck, but with the safeties off it was essentially real. Which was why the entire group was very thankful once they reached the cave entrance at the base of the fortress.

"So this is it, then?" Sel asked. She eyed the other two rangers, hoping for a reaction. A witty wisecrack, a jab…something. To her (expected) disappointment though, all she got was a nod and grunt of acknowledgement from Sid. She grumbled. Something bubbled inside of her.

"That's enough!" she exclaimed from behind them. She regretted her decision even before the words had finished leaving her lips, and moreso as the red and green rangers turned back to look at her. This…what the hell had she been thinking? But well…she was too far in to back up now. Now far more self-conscious, she began stumbling over her words a bit—but pressed on determined nonetheless. "You—you're…just…stop!"

"Stop what?" Trok asked, confused.

"Not…*talking* to each other!" Sel managed to force out, her heart starting to race from the sudden stress. Why was this so difficult? "You're just…ignoring each other!"

Sid sighed reluctantly, "This…really isn't the time, Sel. We gotta win the game first".

Sel put her foot down, "No, this—this is the *perfect* time. How can we fight together if…if you're not *talking* together. I mean talking with…I mean…" Damnit, her words weren't working again.

Sid's shoulders sagged; he wasn't getting out of this. He dared a glance at Trok, who did likewise. Oh boy. What could he even say? He looked away, at the snow on the ground, "I messed up. I…I took away your home, and have nothing to show for it. I thought I was helping; that I'd be able to get you out of that situation, and instead I just made it worse. I can't even apologize, because nothing I can say or do will ever absolve me of that. You are completely within your rights to hate my guts".

Trok shook his head sadly, "I don't hate you. I could never hate you. I'm just…" he frowned, "I'm sad. Disappointed, I guess. You didn't trust us". That stung Sid even harder, as Trok continued, "You didn't trust me, and you didn't trust Xolin. We had a plan, we all had a plan, and we had agreed on it. And then you just…decided to go off and do your own thing. You didn't wait to see if we could do it, and you didn't think *I* could do it…did you?"

Silence. Sid suffered flashbacks to his SPD team.

"I'm sorry. I'm just…it's not that I didn't think you could do it, I just…I wanted to keep you out of danger if I could. Just in case". What a bunch of shit; he'd tried to avoid what had happened with his old team, and instead caused them to suffer all the same. What a wonderful leader he was.

"Like I said" Trok smiled bitterly, "You don't trust us".

"I'm sorry about your home. I know there's nothing I can—"

Trok cut him off, more direct now. He'd never imagined he'd be going head to head against Sid, but here he was-angry, "It's not about my homeworld, Sid. I left there a long time ago. You think I wanted to be Khan? I didn't. I wanted to explore, to see what was out there. I was already in self-exile, because I knew if I returned they'd have killed me. It's no different now. My brother was…not a good person, and once my folks died, there just wasn't much keeping me there. It's not *about* my home. My home is on the ship. With you, and Xolin, and Sel. Or I thought it was".

Sid was an idiot. How could he have been such a complete and utter moron? He mentally kicked himself as hard as he could, "No, you were right. It is your home. And once this is over…I'll leave. And you'll never have to deal with me again".

"I don't *want* you to leave!" Trok exclaimed. It was like talking to a brick wall!

"Then what?!" Sid's voice rose a bit, frustrated.

"I want you to *TRUST* us!" Trok bit back. "You're always telling me I should believe in myself more, but when it comes down to it, you just go and do whatever anyway!"

"I was trying to help" Sid lobbed back.

Trok shook his head, "I know you were. But so why is it that when Xolin was in charge, she'd always let me jump in right beside her?"

Sid's head bowed in defeat. "…So what can I do to make it up?"

Trok shrugged as he began to head further into the cave, "…I don't know".

Sel frowned. Maybe this had been a bad idea after all. She'd just wanted them to make up; she'd thought they'd patch it all up really quickly with no hurt feelings, but instead all she'd done was make it worse. Leave it to her to be the useless load, right? She mentally cursed herself as she followed them, the awkward silence now even harsher than before.

* * *

All things considered, this had been a rather brilliant scheme. He had to give the rangers credit; he'd been forced to rely on craftier and craftier plans as his campaign had gone on. It had really forced him to think more and challenge himself.

It was almost a shame that this would come to an end shortly. Certainly, Iota was still fighting back gallantly, but as long as Capricorn was still using the simudeck as a safehouse, it was only a matter of time before the entire ship was his. Well, the real Capricorn, that is. The AI knew his time would come to an end soon, but that was fine. He was only a fragment of the real pirate lord, and had done his job admirably.

The doors to his ice palace blew apart, momentarily surprising the goat. Then as three multicolored figures raced into the room, he grinned evilly. So, they were more resourceful than he had thought. This would be fun!

"Rangers!" Capricorn bleated from his icy balcony down to the lobby below, "Welcome to my humble abode! Take your morphers off; stay awhile"

"We'll pass" Sid replied, "How about you come down here and give us the grand tour?"

The goat laughed, "Not how I do things, rangers. I have my servants for that!"

The rumbling of footsteps forced the rangers into a circle, knowing exactly what was coming. They were not disappointed as humanoid ice soldiers began charging into the room from all directions.

"Mook battle" Trok said, readying himself for the onslaught. It had apparently been decided by all of them that the conversation earlier didn't matter right now—which was a good thing, all things considered. Trok didn't particularly have a death wish.

Sid nodded, "Protect your flanks. BREAK!" He launched his fist at the nearest soldier, just as it was about to come down on him. It shattered upon his impact, and the red ranger followed up with a spin kick on the next-nearest warrior. The other two branched out as well; Trok thrusting his feet into his chosen prey, and Sel pulling out her blade bow and launching ranged attacks from behind the other two. The three fought hard, plowing through the enemy force, but they just kept coming; no matter how many they took down, there were just as many waiting in the wings.

Pulling out his axe, Sid shoved its blade down into the shoulders of his next victim. Crimson flame burst forth as he charged up his attack.

Flame. That was it!

"Everyone, get down!" Sid ordered.

"Wha!?" Trok asked, confused.

"NOW!"

Trok and Sel ducked, as Sid charged up his weapon, more brightly than he had ever before, so brightly it was blinding to look at. Then, with all his might, he swung it around in a wide arc, a blade of pure fire reaching out across the battlefield in a quick circular motion. Within seconds the entire chamber had been cleared of enemy troops, with no more spawning. Sid looked up at Capricorn, his self-satisfied grin visible even with the helmet. Capricorn scowled.

"…Dude…" Trok whispered, a little bit in awe.

"Cute" the goat grumbled, "Now try round two". He snapped his fingers, and the entire room began to shake.

"Uh oh…" Trok muttered, having a sinking feeling he knew what was coming next. A second later, the wall behind Capricorn burst apart, and a giant blue-scaled reptilian creature with wings saundered through into the main room. Its wings unfurled as it cleared the wall, and gave a mighty roar, flame bursting forth from its jaws.

"Boss fight". Sid steeled himself, his axe at the ready.

"…And then there was that time we fought a dragon" Trok sighed. Capricorn laughed, as he began to make his way towards the hole the dragon had entered from.

"Good luck, rangers!"

"Options!?" asked Sel, stepping back in hesitation, even as she kept her bow trained on the dragon. The creature roared and sent another pillar of flame, this time down on Trok and Sid. They rolled away, just in time as the heat burned away the icy floor.

Sid gritted his teeth as he landed in a crouch. It was almost ironic; this would be the perfect time to call for the Megazord, but they couldn't because they were already *in* the Megazord, in a simulation being powered by the Megazord. Sigh. He eyed Sel, "Okay, plan. Sel, you keep it distracted with ranged attacks. The rest of us will—"

Sid never finished his sentence, instead being distracted by a second wall, to the left of the creature, also ripping apart as another large monster crashed into the room. It was heavy and mechanical, with visible gears and smokestacks, in the vague form of…a tyrannosaurus? It roared and charged into the dragon, closing its mighty jaws on the creature, as its foe returned the favor.

"YEE-HAW!" Xolin cheered, riding on top of her chosen steed. She pressed a button while straddling the tyrannosaurus's backside, allowing the rocket launchers to open and unload themselves on the offending dragon. It roared in pain, returning fire with its flame breath, which Xolin barely dodged.

"…This is the best boss fight *ever*" Trok said, with not a small hint of glee.

Xolin uttered a battle cry as the t-rex charged forward with all its power, overloading its systems as it forced the dragon back. She leapt off her doomed steed, landing next to the other rangers as it exploded in a flash of light and sound and fury, taking the dragon with it. Both entities went up in a furious mushroom cloud, before it slowly died and vanished.

"…Holy shit" Sid managed to utter.

Xolin extended her arms out, as if to gesture her innate greatness, "Ta-daa!"

"That was *AWESOME*!" Trok clapped.

Xolin chuckled, "I figured you'd like that".

"How'd you find us?" asked Sid, "We've been trying to get ahold of you for a while. I was starting to think something had happened".

"I was…busy" she shrugged, eying the burning wreckage, "Iota got me up to speed. So, where's our dashing host?"

Sid nodded towards the gaping hole in the far wall, "He's—" For the second time in that very room, Sid was cut off, as from the ashes of the battle the dragon magically reformed itself, pixelating back into existence with a mighty roar and a blast of fire to the sky.

"…What" Xolin said, flatly.

"Second phase" Trok said as he readied himself again, "It's probably got new tricks".

"So we have to beat it all over again?!" the blue ranger exclaimed.

Sid grimaced as he thought through the implications, "Capricorn's probably got him on some sort of infinite spawn. Y'know, keep us busy until he finishes taking over the ship. Why bother with him fighting us directly, after all? It'd just endanger him".

"So how do we get through?" Sel asked, "It'll just follow us if we try to bypass it".

A flash of inspiration seized Trok, "…I'll do it".

"Do what?" asked Sid, "No offense but…I don't think any of us should take on Capricorn alone".

"No I mean, I'll take on the dragon, keep it occupied".

"That…could work" Xolin mumbled, after some hesitation.

"Alone? That's crazy!" Sid replied. Just then, the dragon attacked, apparently having gotten tired of being ignored. It issued a funnel of fire at the offending rangers, who dodged out of the way. Sel returned fire with her bow while the others continued to discuss.

"Dude, have you checked my simudeck scores?" Trok asked in a frustrated tone. He unhooked the end of his hammer, swinging the mace up to the dragon's neck as it turned toward Sel. The weapon wrapped around its neck, and Trok pulled, "I know how the game works! I know how to keep it distracted! I can do this!" The dragon screeched, flapping its wings in defiance as it tried to pull away, but Trok wouldn't let go.

"That's suicide" Sid shouted back, "The dragon's immortal. You're going to get yourself killed!"

"Not if you hurry!" Trok shot back, "Why won't you trust me!?"

"I do trust you!"

"No you don't!"

"I *do*!" Sid glared at him.

"Then why don't you let me!"

"Because—"

"Because WHY?!" Trok roared, angry and frustrated.

Sid roared back, "Because my last team *DIED*".

"…What" Trok said flatly, his concentration wavering. It was all the dragon needed to swing upward, launching Trok into the air. The green ranger yelped as he was tossed around.

"TROK!" Sid shouted, charging at the dragon. Trok meanwhile, used his momentum against the dragon, flying down on its back. He landed right behind its head, grabbing hold with all his might.

"I've *GOT THIS*!" Trok shouted, holding on for dear life, "DO YOUR THING!" Sid froze, not entirely sure what to do. Trok was giving him the window he needed, but…

"Sid!" Xolin said, stopping behind the red ranger, her voice firm, "We don't go, then we all die when the ship goes boom or whatever it is the goat's got planned".

"But—"

Xolin pressed through, "We fight with you, not for you. You lead us because we trust you to know your shit. Beyond that, well, we're not here to be your damsels in distress". She looked up at Trok, still giving the dragon a hell of a time, "If you don't go after Capricorn, then I will. But then, you wouldn't be leading your team, would you?"

Sid looked back at the blue ranger, his shoulders sagging a bit, "Xolin…"

"We're a *team*. We share the risk together. Got that?"

Sid gave Trok's fighting form one last look as his fists tightened. Right. The quicker they did this, the quicker everyone could go home. "…Xolin, Sel, on me. Let's end this".

Under her helmet, Xolin smiled as the three of them raced off through the hole in the wall after Capricorn.

"Good luck!" Trok shouted down at them. He let go from the dragon's head, wrapping around and down with his mace. With all his inertia, he swung up, his feet charging with green energy as he slammed into the dragon's chest. The dragon stumbled back, crashing into the wall as the green ranger dropped to the ground, retracting his mace back into its hammer mode. As it regained its stability, the dragon roared again. Trok grinned, hammer in hand. "Come get some!"

Not one to disappoint, the dragon lunged forth. Trok dodged to the side, readying his sidearm as he found his footing. He opened fire, running in a wide arc around the side of the beast, as it turned its neck to follow him. The blast of fire from its mouth was easy enough to avoid as it made an even geometric path across the far wall—definitely a script.

"That's right. Show me your special moves" Trok grinned through his determined expression. This was so much more his speed; enemies with pre-established patterns and attacks. They were like a puzzle, and all you had to do was figure out what that puzzle was. Real-world enemies were so much tougher, since they didn't adhere to AI scripts or patterns. You could never determine where a Kalroth was going to burst out of the sand first. But the dragon here? This was a game.

A game with lethal consequences at the moment, sure. But still a game.

The dragon flapped its wings, nearly sending Trok tumbling to the ground as it took off into the air inside the large ice cavern. It swooped around, its wings smashing into the icicles covering the ceiling, sending large ice chunks falling down towards Trok. The green ranger's eyes widened in surprise for a moment, but quickly dodged out of the way of each incoming batch. The second he got a clear shot though-boom. He extended his hammer again, once again wrapping it around the dragon's neck before charging it up and pulling as hard as he could. The dragon plummeted to the ground against its will, causing a powerful THUD as it hit and dented the ice on the ground, leaving a nice little shattered crater in its wake. It roared again as it pulled itself back onto its feet, giving Trok enough time to wisely detract his hammer again.

So that was the pattern. Trok grinned. This was going to be easy.

* * *

The red, blue, and yellow rangers raced down the icy hallway, weapons ready.

"_Iota to rangers. I've been able to isolate most of Capricorn's administrator processes, including his immortality and teleportation settings. He won't be able to load you to other levels anymore, and if you take his health bar down to zero, you'll take him down"._

"Can't imagine that's a sentence you ever thought you'd say" Sid grinned under his helmet as they ran.

"_Indeed. Good luck, Iota out"._

The rangers turned another corner; and there was Capricorn, waiting.

"Sacrificed one of your own, hmm?" the goat laughed, "It still won't save you!" Pulling out his swords, Capricorn struck them into the ice. Cracks in the ground began to form, as arctic blasts reached out, creating a minefield for the rangers as they continued to charge in, barely evading the blasts.

"Xolin, Sel!" Sid ordered, noting their position as they ran.

Xolin picked up on Sid's idea, "Right! Sel, rocket maneuver! Like we practiced!"

Sel nodded, picking up her speed as Xolin decreased hers. The yellow ranger lept up into the air, over Xolin's shoulders, and forward. The blue ranger, caught Sel by her boots, and thrust her forward, sending the yellow ranger flying up into the air and down on Capricorn. She managed to get off three shots on him, all of which were deflected by his swords, as she came down with her bow, their weapons clashing.

"I see they've been training you!" Capricorn mused, "It wasn't so long ago you were just a hostage!"

Sel's glare turned into a warm smile as her anger was replaced by affection for her team, "…Yeah. They have". The glare returned, fueled by determination as she let go of her hold against her foe. As she lept away, Capricorn frowned as he realized his error. The other two rangers were on top of him, and he was undefended. They cut into him, as Sel opened fire on his suddenly prone form. Capricorn drew back, sparking.

…Wait, he was sparking. He wasn't immortal! He checked his status; sure enough, his health had gone down—by quite a chunk too, by the look of it. What had that damned Iota done?!

"What's wrong?" Xolin taunted, "Feeling a little mortal?"

"You…" Capricorn seethed as his entire plan was coming apart at the seams. Not again. NOT *AGAIN*! He charged up his swords and threw himself at Xolin, "I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED BY THE LIKES OF YOU!"

"Sorry, not today" Sid said, as his axe flared up. His weapon swung down, sparks exploding against Capricorn's unprotected side. "You couldn't beat us on Onyx, you sure as hell couldn't beat us now! Finish it, guys!"

"Sel!" Xolin tossed her lance at the yellow ranger, who grabbed it and immediately loaded it up into her bow. She aimed, focusing all her distaste of the creature who had captured her months ago into one single strike.

She fired.

The powered up lance cut through Capricorn's digital form. He staggered, sparked, and shattered into a billion vanishing fragments as he screamed in rage. A second later, the entire room glitched and shuddered, before finally collapsing around them, replaced by the bare white walls of the simudeck.

"…We did it" Xolin gasped. Then a second later pumped her fist into the air in celebration, "YEAH! WE DID IT! HA-HA!"

"A few more rounds and you'll start to sound like me" Trok teased, letting his hammer's head drop to the ground so he could lean on it.

"_Iota to rangers: good job. I've just finished purging the last of Capricorn's virus from the system. We're returning to drydock for a full sweep. Simudeck should be clear, though"._

Sid replied, "Understood. Sid out".

Sid caught sight of the green ranger, his shoulders sagging in release. Xolin was about to retort, but as she saw the two of them trade glances, she instead opted to stand back and let the boys have their moment.

"I told you I could do it" Trok said quietly, his domineer changing rapidly as he demorphed.

Sid nodded brusquely, also demorphing, "Yeah. You did". The other two also powered down, but said nothing.

"Explains a lot, you know" Trok muttered, "Your other team, I mean. I figured something bad must have happened. It's why you didn't want to join up in the first place, right?"

"It's a…long story" Sid replied, "I messed up, and they paid the price".

"Just like now, right?" Trok said, putting the dots together in his head.

Sid chuckled darkly, "Damned if I do, damned if I don't".

Trok laughed. When Sid cocked his head in confusion, he clarified, "You think too much".

"Excuse me?"

"What I think he means is, maybe stop double-thinking everything all the time" Xolin countered, walking back over to them. She put her hand on Sid's shoulder, "Like I said, we're your partners, not your children. Shit could happen, yeah, but we'll deal with it together, as a team".

Sid softened, chuckling as he shook his head, "I know, you're right. I'm sorry, it's just…hard". Flashbacks, to his team. He always saw their faces, their…dead expressions. "…I can't help but remember".

Xolin smiled sadly, "…Yeah" she perked up, "So, who's up for another round?"

"I thought you didn't like games" Trok noted slyly.

She shrugged, seemingly aloof, but with a bit of a sly undertone herself, "I suppose I could tolerate them".

"…You *like* playing!" Trok pointed with an evil smile, "Admit it!"

"Not a chance!" she countered, spinning around so that her back was facing Trok, her hands folded.

"You do! You do!" he laughed in satisfaction. The tension in Sid's body evaporated as he watched the two of them go at it.

"What should we play?" asked Sel, opening up the menu from the main holographic console.

Sid and Trok glanced at each other again, a flurry of unspoken emotions passing between them. Sid's regret, Trok's continued frustration and questions, all the unsaid things. They were going to have a lot to talk about. Later, though. They were going to have a lot to talk about later.

"Are we really doing this?" Sid asked good-naturedly, "We just *escaped* from the simudeck".

"You got something better to do?" Xolin retorted. Sid said nothing, only grinning as the group crowded around Sel, seeing what the ship had to offer.

They'd talk later. For now? Now they were going to go kick some holographic ass.

* * *

_To be continued…_


	10. 1x10: Haunted Whispers

**1.10: HAUNTED WHISPERS**

They'd finally found a decent purpose for the observation lounge, at least as far as Trok was concerned. Normally the room didn't get much use; ostensibly it was a reception area, used for diplomatic events back when the vessel had been under SPD employ. But diplomacy wasn't exactly the main gig for a clandestine black ops organization, and so it had mostly just sat empty. They mostly just ate in the workbay, and relaxed either there or in the simudeck. The most this place ever saw any activity was when someone just needed to 'get away from it all', needing a place to clear their head in the dead of night.

But, as Trok had decided, this was *much* better. See, the ship's higher-level functions had needed to be shut down after the last mission. They'd crossed through the dense ionized nebula of a proto-system disk in pursuit of a pirate vessel they'd been tasked to apprehend. The ionization had done a number on the ship's computer, and so they'd needed to do an extensive sweep and reboot of the core. Which was funny, because the whole Capricorn virus incident had only been like, a week earlier.

As it turned out though, no power meant the rangers had had to come up with a new way of keeping themselves occupied in the dark. And so here they all sat in the observation lounge, having brought in blankets and having stolen all of the room's cushions for a fort, and they were now telling ghost stories.

…Er, well, *trying* to tell ghost stories. Trok had gone for the generic attempt, though he of course thought it had been very good. Ghost ships were a solid standby, he had thought, but apparently he'd been stuck with a tough room. Sel, predictably, hadn't had anything and simply passed.

Xolin meanwhile, well…

"And then when the acolyte turned to look at his other two aspects, he gasped—there was only one other of himself in the room. Only two aspects. Only two".

The other three rangers listened, mostly with expressions that ranged from 'bored to tears' in Trok's case to 'mild perplexion in Sel's. Xolin kept up her spooky charade, allowing it to linger with the flickering light of the simulated fire they surrounded, hoping to catch them in the feeling. No such luck. Damn. She awkwardly let go of the narration. "…Oh come on, that was scary!" she said, grumpiness beginning to fill her voice.

Trok snorted, "Yeah, I'm quaking in my boots. And you called *my* story lame!"

"It's *esoteric* horror!" she protested, "Having only two aspects would be an abomination!"

"I'm sure you had to be there" Sid shrugged, a wry grin on his face.

She glared at him. "Unwashed plebs. Wouldn't know a good horror story if it came up and bit you".

He rolled his eyes, leaning back in his seat, "Xolin, there aren't any other species who have multiple aspects like yours. It simply doesn't translate. I'm sure it's um…'terrifying' back home, but for us? No context at all".

Xolin put her hands up in defeat as she slumped back into her seat, "You know what? Fine, whatever. I dare you to do one better".

Sid leaned forward, his smile becoming downright predatory. "I'll make you eat those words".

Xolin folded her arms, "Oh, this should be good" she muttered sarcastically. And so Sid took a deep breath, and began his tale…

* * *

For once, everything was going along smoothly. No viruses, no electrical storms, no hostile ships attacking them…Iota could focus on the computer sweep in peace. Even the rangers were quiet; holed up somewhere telling each other silly ghost stories or whatever.

Iota slid his hand across the computer console as he idly checked the readings from one to the next. Only another few hours and this would be all over and they'd be able to resume their course—the pirates had unfortunately gotten away, but they'd managed to gain a few leads in their chase. If anything, waiting this out only helped them, as it would cause their prey to calm down and risk visiting one of their leads—and then they were done for.

Only a matter of time.

The entire bridge was dark, save the soft glow of the scant few consoles currently active. He liked it; it was…calming. Quiet.

That quiet was shattered by a beeping noise coming from the emergency communications system, one of the few programs to still be active. Y'know, just in case. Curious, Iota moved over to the beeping signal, and began to play it. Perhaps it was command, informing them of a change in mission. Or perhaps, less welcoming, it was an ultimatum from some ship that had caught them with their proverbial pants down.

It turned out to be neither, however. Iota listened with curiosity.

"…_Anyone listening on this frequency, this is the independent cargo ship Horizon. We need immediate assistance, please respond! I repeat, to anyone listening on this frequency…"_

Iota responded back, "Horizon, this is the independent transport Janus" he said, rattling off one of his ship's many aliases when such occasions came up, "What is your situation?"

The cargo ship didn't respond, instead repeating the same message over and over. "Hello? Horizon, please come in. What is your status?" Still nothing, and Iota knew that meant they'd have to go in personally. He rung up the sensor systems, quickly pinpointing the origin of the SOS, before transferring it to the rangers' sky cycles and shutting the sensors back down. It wasn't too far out; the signal had originated near a gas giant within the nearest system, less than a light-year away. The rangers could check it out while the ship was still being run through its paces.

Now however, he had to go figure out where the rangers were.

* * *

The hallway was a mess; Iota was thankful for his suit's night vision, otherwise traversing the corridor leading to the observation lounge would have been a death trap. Chairs from inside the room had been stacked outside like a barrier, with random things also from inside being used as a makeshift minefield outside said barrier.

"This…does not bode well" the figured sighed as he moved aside some of the chairs so he could reach the door. Bracing himself, he opened the doorway and stepped inside…and was met with a large fort built from the room's many sofas toppled onto one another. Inside, presumably, were the rangers.

He sighed again, "…What are you doing?" he asked disdainfully.

"Nothing" Trok replied, a little too quickly, "We're not doing anything. We're uh…"

"Hiding in a pile of furniture" Iota finished for them, clearly unamused.

Xolin called out from her own position behind the bar, "I'm not hiding! I'm just…" she hesitated, her head poking up over the counter. She cleared her throat, "So how long until we're up and running again?"

"A few hours" Iota said, not taking his eyes off Sid's fort, "But I have a mission for you now. We've received an SOS signal from a nearby planet. The relevant information has been uploaded to your skycycles".

"Mission, huh?" Trok muttered from within the fort, "Sounds good! Sounds good. We were um…getting…bored in here".

Iota eyed Sid, sitting quite comfortably—and smugly—where the others had been earlier, "And what would your take on this be?"

He shrugged, a self-satisfied expression crossing his face, "…Couldn't say. Guess they didn't like my story telling".

Iota stared at him a moment longer, then shook his head in abject disgust as he walked out, "Get to your stations, all of you".

* * *

Four skycycles shot through the void of space, approaching a rather large orange-hued world. It was a gas giant, with vibrant bands of texture running across its surface; chaotic maelstroms that had been churning endlessly since long before the development of civilization.

Sid was not particularly happy about it. "Because of course. The one time the Megaship is out of commission is the one time we have to dive into a class II gas giant".

"What's wrong? Afraid?" Xolin taunted as the four craft dipped into lower orbit, preparing for their final descent into the thick, soupy atmosphere below.

Sid didn't rise to her obviously revenge-fueled bait, "Travel within gas giants is 'ill-advised' for a reason. If we're not careful, the winds and storms could tear us apart. And that's not even getting into the problems with the planet's radiation belts. We're damned lucky we've got ranger powers".

"We'll be fine" Xolin retorted, "Our skycycles can guide us through the wind belts, and the ship doesn't look to be *that* far down in the clouds. This'll be a quick in-and-out job".

"Hmm" Sid mused, unconvinced. He tapped the communications menu on his vehicle, "Calling the cargo ship Horizon, this is the Janus rescue party, please come in". When no reply was forthcoming, Sid tried again, "Cargo ship Horizon, do you read?"

"Iota couldn't get them to respond either" Trok said, "Comms must be down".

"But they managed to keep a distress signal going?" Xolin asked incredulously.

Sid grumbled, "I don't like this".

"Trap?" Xolin asked.

Sid nodded, "Trap".

"But we're going in anyway" Xolin added in deadpan, completely aware of where this was headed.

The red ranger glanced over at blue, "Can't be helped. If it's *not* a trap, we can't just let innocent people die. We just gotta be on our guard and ready to bail at the first sign something's up".

"So…" Trok asked, "Taking bets on if it's Capricorn, or that creepy guy with the briefcase?"

"I hope it's not Capricorn again" Sel muttered.

"I'm gonna go with 'briefcase" said Xolin, "We just torched one of Capricorn's plans; I doubt he'd have rebounded so quickly".

Sid thought it over, "…New guy, employed by briefcase dude. Like Naga was".

"That's comforting" Xolin grimaced.

"So no votes for Zombie Naga?" Trok joked.

Sid ignored him, "I'm a ray of friggin' sunshine" he chuckled back at Xolin, then grew serious as he checked his onboard readings, "We're within descent arc radius of our target. Prepare to dive". And just like that, the four flying motorbikes slide beneath the orange gassy waves.

* * *

The upper layers of the atmosphere were as Sid pretty much expected; alternating layers of turbulence separated by levels of lesser activity. They'd mostly been diving in stages; quickly descending as safely as they could through the trouble layers, and then coasting along the quiet barriers before diving again.

Luckily for the group, at the moment the ship in question was within one of the quiet zones…though for how much longer was a good question, as Sid noted that engines and antigrave generators seemed to be down, and the vessel was indeed slipping lower into the abyss. That made rescue paramount: if they didn't hurry, the ship would sink low enough that the pressure from the atmosphere would crush it –and them—like ants. Not fun.

Though he did have to say, not that he was a physics wiz or anything, but the ship was falling more slowly than he'd have thought—more of a crawl than a free-fall. Curious.

He motioned to the others, taking the lead towards the vessel's forward loading bay. It was a typical terran vessel, and an old one by the looks of it, pre-dating the fall of Earth. It was what one would expect a human vessel to look like; blocky and utilitarian, with the various cargo bays segmented apart and able to detach from the upper 'spine' of the ship.

"How do we get in?" Trok asked.

"We could try knocking, maybe" Xolin joked.

"Janus to Horizon. Come in Horizon" Sid tried again, still trying to get in contact with the vessel. Yet still, nothing. Sigh. He grumbled in frustration; he really didn't *want* to shoot the loading bay door down, but he wasn't really seeing any other options. "…Alright. Everyone form up, we're going to—oh, huh". Sid's command was abruptly cut off by the ship's door opening on its own, without any indication of…well, anything. "…Yeah, that's not suspicious".

"We still going in?" Trok asked.

Sid nodded, "Be on your guard". With that, he pushed his cycle forward, into the loading bay. The others quickly, if reluctantly, followed suit…

* * *

"This place is giving me the creeps"

It was hard to disagree with Trok; everything felt…off. The door to the loading bay had closed after the rangers had entered the ship, leaving the rangers in an otherwise unpopulated chamber. The lights were all off, forcing the team to use their headlights situated in a thin strip just atop their visors. The room itself was a mess, with boxes and supplies tossed about haphazardly like a tornado had hit the place.

"Air's breathable" Xolin said, checking her stats on her visor, "So life support must be working still…if barely".

Sid sighed, "No welcoming committee. I was hoping whoever let us in would be here to greet us".

"So, plan?" Xolin asked.

"We head for the bridge, see what we can figure out" Sid replied, absentmindedly having pulled out his blaster and checking it out, "And stick together. I don't want us being picked off one by one if it *is* a trap".

"Do we even know where the bridge is?" she asked skeptically, "With all major systems possibly offline, we'll be stumbling around in the dark".

Sid nodded, "Oh yeah. This is a Charon class freighter; one of the older models, I assume. I know my way around. Come on". He waved to them with his gun, beckoning them to follow him. They did so…though again, reluctantly.

This place was *creepy*. Trok couldn't help but think back to his own ghost story…

* * *

The bridge wasn't much better. It was dark, cramped, and littered with bodies in the seats. Old bodies too; they had been completely dessicated. They were now little more than clothed skeletons. The room itself was small; consisting of just two seats in a would-be cockpit, with a captain's seat just behind it, and two running parallel behind.

"Well" Sid cleared his throat, "…This is pleasant". He sighed, pushing one of the rear skeletons from his seat to the floor, taking the chair for his own. Xolin folded her arms in a bit of annoyed contempt, to which Sid shrugged back at her, as if to ask 'what?' The group fanned out, with Sid checking out the dead controls at his chosen station. "Let's see if we can't get anything operational and find out what happened here".

Sel made her way over to the captain's chair, taking a close look at the dead corpse laying there, before backing away, grossed out. "…How long have these people been here? This doesn't look like a ship that just put out an SOS".

Sid frowned, turning around in his chair towards Sel and the others, "…Yeah, I've been wondering that myself. These guys have been here for *years* at least. Thoughts?"

"Delayed response?" Xolin shrugged, not entirely believing her theory herself.

"Hmm" Sid mumbled, returning to his task, unsettled. This was wrong. It didn't even feel like a trap anymore. Just…why all this? If it was a trap, it should have been sprung by now.

Xolin glared at Trok. The younger ranger was currently instinctively jumping at every odd noise the old derelict made, and being in such a shape as it was—itself being a miracle it was holding together at all, especially within the wild confines of the gas giant it had been trapped within for god knows how long.

"Will you just *chill out*?" she snapped at him, "You're driving me up the wall!"

Trok made a hesitant sigh, trying to calm himself, "Sorry. Sorry, I just…"

Sid snickered, a wry grin forming on his mouth, "...Are you still freaked out about the ghost stories?"

"…Maybe, just a little" Trok said, fidgeting with his fingers, "More mine though. You gotta admit, this place *is* just like a ghost ship".

As if to punctuate his point, a loud creaking noise emanated through the cramped bridge, making everyone jump slightly. Sid laughed, "…Ah, we're fine. It was just a silly sci-fi bedtime story".

Xolin gave their leader a deadpan stare, "Sci-fi?"

"…What?"

"Sid. We live on a spaceship. It transforms into a giant robot and we use it to fight crime".

"…And? I'm not saying that ghosts don't exist, I'm just saying that Giant Robots don't automatically mean that every ship is infested with vengeance-filled geists" Sid shrugged, attempting to return to…whatever it was he was doing. Mostly blankly staring at the old controls because he had lost his train of thought…and *man* were they old. No holographic interfaces at all; everything was touch-screen.

"…Wouldn't ghosts be more gothic horror than sci-fi anyway?" asked Trok, a bit confused.

Sid looked at the green ranger incredulously, "…Do you even know what 'gothic' *means*?"

"Sweet Trinity" Xolin muttered, exasperated with the entire conversation.

Then the lights and controls and…everything came on, and everyone just about leapt out of their skin.

"What the—Sel!?" Sid exclaimed while trying to catch his breath, looking over at the yellow ranger. She was currently at one of the other control stations, evidently fiddling with some of the computer systems. Sid's heart felt like it was going a thousand miles a minute, and the same was true for Xolin and Trok.

Sel smiled sheepishly, "Sorry. But it's not like anyone *else* was doing anything—so I just rerouted the ship's power core to the auxiliary generators".

Sid clasped his hands together, full of fake and melodramatic parental support, "Our little girl's finally learning to snark. I'm so proud—ow!" he rubbed his upper arm where Xolin had just punched him, giving him a 'not serious but kinda' annoyed glare as she headed over to one of the other stations. He just shook his head with a chuckle, returning—once more—to his task. "So…logs…"

Moving through the old computer system was…annoying. He knew how it worked, roughly anyway; he'd had enough training back in SPD 'just in case'. But he hadn't encountered anything this old in years. Still, soon enough he found what he wanted. He began scrolling.

"Wow, 2133. This ship has been here for…over a century" came Trok's voice, from the opposite terminal, "At least, that's the last date for anything on this ship. Who knows how long the main generator kept running before shutting down. They might have been out here years before that".

"So what killed them?" asked Xolin, "and how the hell did they manage an SOS just now?"

"Good questions" Sid muttered, still scrolling, "A lot of these logs are…corrupted, I think. Either that or they were just speaking gibberish".

"Gibberish how?" asked Xolin.

Sid beckoned for her and the blue ranger walked over to red. Sid pointed at his screen, and Xolin began to read. "…What the".

"This isn't any kind of corruption I've ever seen" Trok said, having found logs himself, "It's more like…like you said, gibberish".

Sid nodded, "And the more I scan back to the older stuff, the more legit the logs get" he squinted as he leaned in, "They were stranded here for quite awhile. And they just kind of…went crazy, I guess. Like, this is legit straight up crazy talk".

"Yeah, there's stuff in here about the crew turning against one another, and hallucinations, and…wow, they really went off the deep end, huh?" Trok said. "Stuff about…They keep referring to nouns that aren't nouns. And they just keep chanting them. And like, what's this about 'The Great Darkness'?"

"Oh, that sounds promising" Sid sarcastically quipped.

"I don't like this" Xolin said, "What caused the crazy? And *why* did the SOS just go off?"

"Checking" Sid scanned back through the newer logs, to ship functions. What he saw, or rather didn't see, caused his stomach to drop through the floor, "…There's no SOS signal".

"What".

"There *was*, back when the ship first got trapped" Sid clarified, "But the signal's been dead for over a century; went down with the rest of the ship".

"We need to get out of here" Xolin said, backing up as fight or flight began to flare up. Things were too weird; too unsettling. Damn ghost stories.

Sid nodded, agreeing as he stood up cautiously, now genuinely spooked, "…Yeah. Yeah we do".

"Detecting another lifeform onboard the ship, headed for the bridge" Sel reported from one of the front stations.

"Capricorn" Sid grunted; so it really had been a trap all along. Damn. He was about to order everyone back to the ship, but then an idea crossed his mind, "…Wait. He knows we're here. And we know he knows we're here. But unless I'm mistaken, he *doesn't* know we know he knows we're here".

Xolin's palm slid across her helmet, "Okay, yeah. I'm gonna need you to explain that in less mind-hurting terms".

Sid spun around in his seat to face her, "Easy. He's got us in an ambush. What if we turn the tables?"

The other three rangers all looked at Sid expectedly. Under his helmet, Sid grinned. This was going to be *fun*.

* * *

The plan was simple; Trok and Sel would remain in the bridge on standby. Meanwhile Sid and Xolin would flank Capricorn's location via the tube system. Once behind them, they'd trail him until he attempted to ambush the other two—at which point they would cut him off. Classic hammer and anvil. And just to make sure they'd flank him properly, Sid and Xolin had taken opposing tubes on each side of the hallway.

This wasn't sitting well with Trok. He and Sel were currently hidden behind the bridge doorway, on opposite sides. "We shouldn't have split up" he muttered.

"Why not?" asked Sel, risking another peek around the corner. Still no Capricorn.

"Because that's how we get picked off one by one in a horror story" the green ranger replied in a deadpan.

Sel peeked again; still no Capricorn. "…You really think this place is haunted?" she asked, a hint of concern in her voice, though she was trying to sound neutral. But still…there was something off about this ship; she could feel it, even if she couldn't figure out why.

More than that though, she'd been feeling weird for a day or two now. It was like there was some kind of buzzing in her ears, but no one else had heard it, and it felt like…like something was *building*. She couldn't explain it. She'd had Iota run a few tests, but nothing. He'd chocked it up to stress.

Oddly, that just stressed her out more.

Trok shrugged, "I don't know. Hopefully not, but like, no need to give the ghosts more ammo if they *are* here!"

And that's when the lights shut off again, along with all the computer systems. It took all of Trok's effort not to piss himself.

"Wow, we are *so* going to die!" Trok wheezed in terror. Sel just frowned, turning on her suit's night vision. This was bad.

"I'm going to check the auxiliary power" she said as she headed back to the control panel, "See what happened".

* * *

The power shut down just as Sid was about to reach his chosen grate. "That can't be good" he muttered, switching on his night vision; the headlights would be too much of a giveaway to Capricorn. He pulled the grate aside, sliding back into the hallway, and checked his sensors.

No sign of Capricorn. No sign of anyone, actually. How…

"That's…bad" he said, then spoke into his communicator, "Sid to Xolin, please respond".

No answer.

"Sid to Xolin!" he tried again. When she still didn't respond, he tried someone else, "Sid to Trok! Sel? Is anyone on this frequency?"

Nothing. Just…dead silence. He chuckled nervously, "Okay, really. If this is getting me back for the ghost story, you got me. Not that I'm not pissed you chose to do this while in the middle of an operation. Guys?"

Still nothing. *Now* he was getting worried. It was time to head back to the bridge. If he encountered Capricorn on the way, well; maybe he'd have information he could beat out of him.

* * *

There was nothing wrong with the connection, as far as she could tell; granted she wasn't anywhere near an expert in their field. And the fact that the computer was down meant her diagnosing of the situation was limited.

Sigh.

"Hey, Trok?" Sel asked, turning back to where Trok was presumably still guarding the door. He'd be able to figure this out, no sweat. Well, except that he wasn't there anymore. "…Trok?"

She got up from under the control console, looking around. "Trok? Where are you?"

"Indisposed of, I'm afraid" came the bleating voice of her nightmares. She gasped wordlessly, spinning back to the front of the ship. There plainly, even in her night vision, she could see her arch-enemy. The one who had captured her. The one who had stolen her away and intimidated her; who'd almost sold her to who knows where. The one she feared most of all.

…Or rather, second most of all.

"Capricorn" she whispered as her heart skipped a beat, wondering how he'd managed to make it around her to the front of the ship without her knowing.

"Hello, Sel" he bleated evilly.

* * *

Xolin rounded the corner. She KNEW she'd seen someone come down this way. But now…nothing, just empty hallway. Well, not *empty*; there were tossed supplies and boxes everywhere; debris littering the ground. And of course the occasional skeleton corpse, their jaws open. Two she had seen strangling each other. Another had been scratching at the bulkhead, next to words painted on: "SAVE ME". It was almost as charming as the dried blood on the wall a few doors back that shouted 'ABANDON HOPE'.

Yeah, it was a fun place.

"Xolin to Sid" she spoke into her communicator. "Xolin to Sid, come in".

No response. "Great". She moved towards the nearest door, nearing one of the segmented cargo chambers, her gun practically glued to her fingers. Steeling herself with a breath, she pulled the door open with a grunt. Stepping inside, she scanned the room with her night vision—it seemed like just a normal cargo room. Er, well…except that her visor wasn't reading anything below the railing. The room, as it should have been, consisted of her on a platform, overlooking the rest of the chamber, which was sitting in a depression. But the depression wasn't there—the ladder only led to an inky blackness. It was already enough to put her on edge as she stepped closer to get a better scan.

Wait. What was that noise?

…Was that…wailing?

Sweet Trinity, it was like the cries of the damned.

And that was when hands began to rise from the void, stretching out unrealistically, their bloodied and mangled forms wildly reaching for something to grab. She stepped back in horror as some of the hands began grabbing at the platform. This was…oh gods. This couldn't be…her parents had been right, all this time. She turned and ran for the door, but found it to be locked shut when she pulled.

She felt the hands grabbing her.

"NO!" she cried, as more grabbed her, pulling her back. She held on to the door as long as she could, but they were too strong. "NO NO NO NO NO!" she was drug forcedly along the floor, towards the edge of the platform. She grabbed the railing for dear life, again grasping at it as long as she could as her body was sucked down into the blackness. She screamed in horror the whole way, even as her vision went dark. Even as the wailing got indescribably loud. Even as she was covered by the hands dragging her right into hell.

* * *

Trok bounded down the hallway in sheer unadulterated terror. It was after him. He hadn't seen it, not really, but he knew it was there, in the darkness. Even his night vision wasn't enough to save him; he could only see in one direction at the time. It was too bad about Sel; dying at its hands. They shouldn't have split up. Had he known, had he been next to her and helped her to run, instead of being cut down while he had still been waiting for Capricorn. Now he was alone; without friends or allies. How could he hope to survive?

Oh god, where was it. Oh god, it could have been *anywhere*. He fired wildly behind him, hoping to at least get a glancing shot off.

He didn't land a hit even once.

* * *

Sid made his way down the hallway, keeping his gun at the ready. This wasn't right; the hallway to the bridge was a straight-down affair. And by all rights, he should have been there by now. But here he was, twisting and turning around in what he could only describe as a maze. And his attempt to backtrack had only made things *worse*. It was like the walls were shifting on him.

Damn. What kind of madman built a ship like this?

Wait…what was that on the floor? Another body? He'd seen a few scattering the floor, but…this one…still had flesh. Wait. He knew this body.

Xolin. No. No, it couldn't…

But there was Trok, also lifeless. And Sel. Oh god, all of them. He shouldn't have split from them. He shouldn't have…oh god. Oh god, what had he done. It had happened again. He'd failed them. His team was dead again. He looked around; no sign of their killer. He checked his morpher's sensors. The lifesign was gone.

No. His only lead, gone.

No. Nononononono.

Sid dropped to his knees. And as his mind snapped for a second time, he issued a bloodcurdling howl.

* * *

"What do you want?" Sel hissed, instinctively backing away. Something felt…off. Worse than usual. Capricorn grinned, but it wasn't his normal grin. She couldn't explain *how*, but…something radiated off Capricorn like pure malevolence. Sure, he was an evil pirate lord, but he'd *just* been an evil pirate lord. But now…something was worse.

"What do you think I want?" the goat bleated with maniacal glee, "After all this time, I have you right where I want you. The others won't save you this time; he's seen to that". He nodded to behind Sel, and he hesitantly turned around to see what he was motioning at.

"I told you I'd come for you, Sel" the man with the briefcase said. She instinctively stepped away from him as well.

"No" she whispered in defiance, shifting to a defense pose.

"You have no choice" the man said, stepping forward. Her friends were gone; disposed of. Her enemies surrounded her, ready to take her away, elsewhere. Both felt so wrong, so evil…very different from before. The man had always felt…wrong, but this was a different kind. This was…everything was wrong; not how it was supposed to be.

Sel lunged, striking out at the man. She wasn't great by any means in melee combat, but the man's response was still impossible; he just evaded with impossible reflexes. And then he did it again. And again. Without even moving, it was like he wasn't even there. How… She struck again, and again. But he would not be hit. She breathed, becoming slightly worn out from her attempts, but kept striking to no avail.

"Give it up, Sel. You cannot defeat us" the man said. Why wasn't he attacking back? Sel panted, warily watching both of her foes. Perhaps it was time to take a different tack.

"…Why do you want me so bad?" she asked the man, "Where would you have me go?"

"Oh, you'll find out soon enough" Capricorn bleated. The two step forward again, towards Sel, but this time she didn't budge, instead initiating a detailed scan of both opponents. Nothing came up for the man; not *too* surprising, she figured he was a bit different anyway; but Capricorn, again nothing came up. There were no life signs on her sensors, and nothing coming up on the scanners about him—as if he wasn't there at all.

Curious.

And the more she felt his evil, the more she realized it wasn't actually *there*. In fact, it was as if the evil was everywhere, and he…it felt like he *wasn't*, if that made any sense. She shrugged off the buzzing feeling.

"Who are you?" she demanded to know.

"Excuse me?" asked 'Capricorn'.

She turned to him, "If you were really Capricorn, your bio-readings would match the files we have on record. You don't have anything. In fact, the computer is convinced I'm trying to scan the wall. So who are you, really?"

The two glanced at each other, seemingly annoyed. The man turned to Sel, "Enough questions. You will come with us now".

Sel's eyes narrowed; she decided to test her suspicions. As her fists balled up, she began walking forward. "No, I don't think I will" she said, passing through the two as if they weren't even there.

Success. The two foes vanished, evaporating like smoke. She allowed herself a satisfied smile, though now she found herself worried; something was here. Something malevolent, that wanted something from them. Hallucinations didn't just happen like that, and she *did* feel a presence, here. On this ship.

"Trok?" she called out, "Where are you?!"

No response. She spoke into her morpher, "Trok? Xolin? Sid, come in". Still nothing. She pondered; if she was suffering from these illusions, then…oh dear. And as a xybrian, she at least had natural mental resistance against psychic attacks; probably one of the big reasons she'd been able to push through it, even if she wasn't really trained or had ever really even used her powers. If the others were being attacked too, then they were in trouble.

She had to track them down; *now*. Using her morpher to scan for lifeforms, she headed off towards the nearest one, just down the hall.

* * *

Sid sat there, broken. He should never have gotten involved, never have let Iota manipulate him into becoming the team's leader. Here they all were; dead. Dead, just like the rest. They lay sprawled across the floor, lifeless and bleeding. Just like…back then. Oh god.

"I never should have taken the job" he heard himself say. No…not him, but his voice. He looked up, and his eyes widened with a gasp as he saw himself. Or rather, the red ranger, as he approached himself.

"Who—" Sid began to ask, baffled, but was quickly cut off by the other.

"They just got in my way; slowed me down. So really, it was a mercy".

"What…what did you say?!" Sid gasped, anger growing in his pit.

The other Sid chuckled, "Only what you really feel, deep down. Now I can finally get back to doing what I do best, on my own".

Sid staggered to his feet, enraged. "Don't you dare…"

The Other continued to chuckle, "What's wrong? Angry? Or just afraid of your true feelings?"

Sid roared in rage, charging at his doppelganger with all his might.

* * *

"SID, STOP!" Sel cried out as she narrowly dodged his first attack, but to no avail. More hallucinations; she'd been right. And Sid was in no way prepared to deal with a heavy psychic attack like what was going on. Even now, she felt its presence trying to seep into her mind. And unfortunately for her, Sid was a *much* better melee fighter than her, even while crazed and insane. She flipped away, narrowly dodging his (fairly clumsy) assault, backing her feet in the wall before launching forward.

Time for some quick thinking.

She flew over Sid, her bow materializing in her hands as she flipped over. She managed in three shots, each hitting not Sid himself (she didn't want to harm him) but rather the floor around him, causing explosions that did a good job of both distracting him and knocking him around a bit. Landing behind him, she was unprepared for his sudden counter-assault, a spinning kick aimed at her. She was barely able to knock it away with her bow, before being hit by the other foot. She staggered back, before once again leaping back to give herself more room, opening another volley as Sid charged, himself cutting through each one with his axe.

Sel had a brief half-second of dawning shock as she realized just how screwed she was, just before Sid slammed into her, his charged up weapon cutting through her suit with a shower of sparks. She fell to the ground, rolling away—only barely able to get to her knees so she could block his next strike with her bow.

This was bad. She needed an upset. *Now*.

* * *

She felt her form being torn apart; ripped asunder by the clawing hands. Not physically, but mentally. Emotionally. She felt her three forms being forcedly separated; the core of her being on the cusp of annihilation as she was rended apart. This was hell; the extinction of her concept, the refusal of her reincarnation.

Xolin screamed. She screamed as long and as hard as she could; until her voice began to give out. But it made no difference. She was in hell; and now she would suffer for her sins.

* * *

He was alone; abandoned. The others were gone, having been taken by It. He was going to die here; he knew that now. He was going to die alone and frightened, far away from home. Balled up in the corner, gun aiming in the darkness, Trok waited for the end.

* * *

A sharp pain shot through Sel's mind as she struggled against Sid's axe. She could *feel* them; all of them. Xolin's screams, Trok's sobs…and of course Sid's rage. She definitely felt Sid's rage, especially as another swing from the axe threw her bow aside. And that damned buzzing; it distracted her. She reached for her side arm, but it was too late; Sid's follow-up kick, and then another strike from his weapon sent her flying into the wall. He then thrust his weapon into her stomach, knocking the wind right out of her. One more swing, and she'd be done.

"Sid, please! Stop; it's me, Sel! You're hallucinating!"

Sel grabbed his axe by the top of the handle, and with her other hand pulled out her blaster, opening fire on the red ranger directly. He yelped, stumbling back. She hated having to hit him directly, but times were desperate. Gripping his axe, she tossed it aside, deciding to charge right at him with a kick. He hit the far wall hard, but grabbed his own gun and prepared to fire.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" he roared.

She had to get out of here.

Quickly knocking his weapon aside, she aimed her own at the floor and issued three shots, creating a shower of sparks and a cloud of smoke—one in which she was free to vanish in, opting to quickly slide into the nearest vent. She had to get away. Had to get away. Had to get away… She was no match for Sid; she had to get away and try another way.

Entering a larger room in the vent system—probably a maintenance hub—she panted, curling up into a ball as she attempted to recover from the ordeal. She could still hear the others in her head, screaming…and she couldn't do anything to help them. For all everyone had told her she was a welcome part of the team; for all the training they had given her, she was still the load; the one that needed saving. She was useless, and now that was going to cost everyone everything. Tears formed in her eyes.

What could she do? She'd tried to snap Sid out of it, but had only gotten a few bruises to show for it, and she doubted she'd fare much better against the other two, if the illusions really were that strong.

"Sel to Iota, please respond" she spoke into her morpher, though she knew the chances of him replying were slim to none. Even if the ship was up and running again, the gas giant probably did a good job of jamming her small personal-based transmission. And if the planet didn't, who knew what kind of powers the Presence had. "Please, Iota…come in".

Nothing. And none of the others would last much longer; she could feel their minds beginning to fray. She put her head in her hands. What an abject failure she turned out to be.

…Wait. The comms had been out just a few days before too, when they were stuck in that game. Sid had used that morphin' grid trick to send that…what had he called it? 'Morris' code? Yeah, that thing. If she could just remember what Sid imputed…no luck. Maybe random blinks would work? At the very least she could get his attention.

Maybe.

So she sent the signal, as base as it was. She had no way of knowing if it would even make it to Iota, much less if he would even notice. Figures she couldn't even get a distress signal right.

* * *

Final checks were done; lights were coming back on everywhere. Iota issued a small sigh of relief; after how many times they'd had to reboot the system as of late, it was nice that this time at least, there had been no complications. But not all business had been accounted for yet; it was time to check in with the team. He moved over to the communications console on the bridge.

"Iota to team, what's your status?"

Nothing. Hrn. That's when he noticed it; the slight blinking variation in the morphin' grid, flashing on his console. It was almost like Sid's Morse Code, except without the code part—but it was far too random to be any actual sort of message. Yet the source was still coming from the location of the SOS. Switching over to the science console, Iota decided it was time to check on a few things with that. He wasn't disappointed; something *weird* was going on over there; energy readings were off the scale.

Time to investigate.

* * *

Sel kicked out the grate blocking her exit from the vent, and pulled herself through the hole. Xolin was somewhere around here; she could feel it. Like, really *feel* it. Waves of terror and anguish were rolling off like the tide. Normally Sel didn't feel too much from other people (though her senses had been growing slowly since her rescue a few months back), but this…this was impressive. If it wasn't horrible, that was.

Moving into the cargo hold, she quickly caught sight of the blue ranger whimpering, sprawled out on the ground, her sobs occasionally punctuated by more screaming fits. Oh god. Sel recoiled as another screaming fit started, her body distorting slightly as her three forms struggled to remain united.

"PLEASE STOP!" Xolin shouted in desperation. Sel looked around in a slight panic for something, *anything* that could help. What could she do? What could she say?

"Xolin, please snap out of it!" she said, finally and hesitatingly crossing to the blue ranger's struggling side, "This is just an illusion! A hallucination! You've got to listen to me!"

No dice. Xolin just screamed louder, trapped in her own private hell. Tears welled up again in Sel's eyes; what was she supposed to *do*?! Xolin was dying right in front of her, and she was completely helpless to do *anything* to stop it.

"Please" she whispered to her, "Stop screaming. Please wake up. I can't do this without you".

Xolin kept screaming. And that's when the door slid open, and Sel found the red ranger standing there, axe at the ready.

"There you are" he said, his voice full of bitterness and hate, "Thought you could run from me!? You killed them!" his voice cracked, "You killed them all! And now I'll KILL YOU!" For a moment Sel thought he was still after her; but soon the truth dawned on her as he closed in, and it was far worse—he was after Xolin.

"SID, NO!" she shouted, rushing to cut him off. All she got for her troubles however, was his axe swinging down on her body. Her shoulder caught the weapon, sparks exploding as she cried out in pain, her arms gripping the tool as she bent down to her knees, fighting all the way. "No…"

"You're alone" said the man with the briefcase, standing beside her. He adjusted his glasses as he continued, "Useless. You're going to die here, alone and afraid. Going to die, and no one will ever know, or care".

"No, you won't die" Capricorn said, on her other side, "We'll find you. Don't you worry".

Sel gasped in pain, trying her best to shut the voices out, but her concentration was flagging as the blade cut into her. Sid pulled his weapon up, before knocking her aside and preparing for his strike on Xolin.

"NO!" Sel screamed, pushing herself back up to her feet. She barreled into Sid's side with all her force, knocking him off the entrance ledge and into a broken crate down below. She tumbled to the floor, just in time to hear Sid's rage-fueled roar. As she scrambled to get back up, she felt another cut from the axe into her back, and then her side. She screamed in pain, dropping back down.

"And stay down while I finish this" Sid grunted, hobbling back over to the ladder that would take him up to Xolin.

"No…no…" Sel struggled to get up, to move at all, whimpering as she did. Everything hurt, but Xolin….Xolin was going to die. Already her screams were beginning to subside. She had…had to stop… Somehow, she forced herself back up to her knees. Then, somehow, to her feet. Then, somehow, she managed to move forward, pulling herself up the latter. And there he was, waiting, axe in hand, about to strike.

"NO!" she shouted, as he swung down on Xolin's prone form.

In one clear instant, Sel lunged, once again forming a barrier. And as she crossed his path in mid-flight, his fully-charged axe cut through her midsection, sparks going everywhere as her suit sputtered and smoked, the flame from his weapon coursing through her body. She crashed on the floor, a few feet away, moaning in pain. Had to…she had to…

But Sel was done. Her body was done. She tried to get back up of course, but she couldn't. More sparks emanated from her costume as she tried to move. Xolin was going to die. NO. NONONONONON-

Unbeknownst to Sel, her eyes under her helmet flashed with a brilliant aura, as her outstretched hand encompassed Sid with a blazing light brighter than the sun…

* * *

The Megaship hovered over the gas giant, just over where the SOS had originated from. From here, Iota could tell the energy levels were off the charts, with readings the computer couldn't even decipher. That was a bad sign. A *very* bad sign.

So, options. Attempting to contact the team had proven futile; so the easy way was out…as usual. He could go down there…and risk getting *himself* caught up in whatever was going on. If only there was some way to neutralize the energy interference that was clouding the other ship, even if only for a short time.

Wait.

Morphin' grid 'communication' still worked, which meant that whatever was going on here didn't impact the underlying morphin' grid energies of the universe. Which meant that supposedly…what if he…hrn. It was extremely dangerous, flooding that much morphin' energy into the ranger's suits, but at this point, Iota didn't see much of a choice. The results could be catastrophic; up to and including the entire ship self-destructing. But again, no choice. Working quickly, Iota shot over to the power console and got to work, shutting off the system limiter and most of the other safeguards. Then, he began increasing energy output; slowly, but steadily.

"Iota to team" he called to them, "Please respond. Iota to team…"

* * *

Trok blinked. Was it just him or…his mind felt clearer. Better. He was still jittery, but it was sort of like waking up from a bad nightmare; within a few seconds his mind had deduced that nothing was actually out to get him. Probably, anyway.

Wait, but then…what happened to the others?

Still shaky and a little freaked out, the green ranger stood up, feeling remarkably lighter than usual. And faster; he almost threw himself into a wall just by standing up. Brighter too; his suit was almost…glowing. Woah, weird.

"…Guys?" he called out.

"_Iota to team, please respond"._

"Iota? Uh…Trok here" the green ranger responded, just a *little* confused on what was going on.

* * *

"Nnnng…"

"_Iota to team, please respond"._

Xolin's breaths were shaky and ragged, her skin flushed with sweat. She'd just been pulled out of hell, and now just…gods, what had happened. Sitting up, she found both Sid and Sel lifeless and scattered around her. Also, she was um…shimmering.

"What…"

She tried to get up, but every muscle in her body hurt. Probably from…whatever had just happened. It wasn't real; couldn't have been real. …Right? It had sure *felt* real, but…not. So why were they all down?

She shuddered, her emotions threatening to catch up to her. She attempted some ad-hock meditation to try and stabilize herself, while Trok replied to Iota over the comm.

"…Xolin here" she said, her voice ragged. "I uh…I have Sid and Sel here. They're both out cold".

"_Understood"_ came Iota's response, _"Both of you, get them to the entry point. We need to get you out of there as quickly as possible; I'm bypassing your morphers' safeties and flooding your bodies with morphin' energy; the consequences may be extremely dangerous if allowed to go on for too long. The sooner you can get out, the better"._

Xolin glanced over at her fallen friends, a frown appearing on her face. This would be difficult.

"_What *exactly* is going on?"_ Trok asked, over the comm.

Iota's response came just after, _"Something on the ship is interfering with comms; something that's exhibiting excessive power levels. This is the only way I could find the communicate with you"._

"Well, whatever you did, it stopped the nightmares" Xolin muttered.

"_Nightmares?"_

"Long story" she replied, "I'll explain once we make it back. Xolin out". She sighed, looking over the other two as Trok walked in, then looked up at him.

"I uh…" he stammered, "It's…been a long day".

"Yeah" she nodded, holding herself together by sheer will and a helping of shock, "Yeah, it has". The other two were beginning to stir now. Trok rushed over to Sel, taking care to avoid the damaged sections of her suit as he helped her up. Xolin meanwhile grabbed Sid's hand, allowing him to stand.

"Oh god" Sid said, the memories flooding back, "What…"

"Nightmares, right?" Xolin asked. Sid nodded. "Yeah, it's like that".

"I thought you were all…" Sid trailed off when he caught sight of Sel's condition, "What happened to…oh god" his eyes widened as he put two and two together. "…I thought I was fighting…I thought I was fighting myself" his voice became more subdued.

Sel looked at him, her arm slumped over Trok's shoulders, "…I'm sorry" she said dejectedly, "I wasn't good enough".

"We uh…we need to deal with this all later" Xolin managed, knowing that succumbing to all this at the moment would send them all spiraling the drain—when what really they needed was to get out of here before something really *bad* happened, "Right now we need to get back to the ship. Come on". She motioned to them as she staggered out of the darkened room, the other three following in a haphazard formation. Today had been a very bad day.

* * *

The sight Iota caught was not a good one. After re-engaging the power safety controls for their powers, he'd arrived at the Megaship's launch bay just as the rangers were disembarking from their skycycles, taking their helmets off as they did so. Their expressions and body language were…well, they weren't good. Each seemed distraught; preoccupied, distant. It was a sign of utter defeat from each of them, and Iota wasn't even sure why. Normally he'd have been able to follow their progress, but this time he'd been almost completely in the dark.

Er, literally.

"Report" he said, "What happened down there?"

The four rangers seemed to warily regard each other through side glances, each dejected. Finally, Sid spoke, his voice subdued, "We uh…there was no one there. The ship's been adrift for well over a century".

"And the SOS?" Iota asked, a little annoyed that he was having to pull the information from Sid bit by bit.

Sid shrugged, "All systems were down. We have no idea how it transmitted. We uh…our suits have the recordings".

"We think the people onboard went crazy. Killed each other, maybe" Xolin added, her voice equally drained and despondent, "Whatever did it to them, it…came after us too, I think".

"…How?"

"Hallucinations" Sid replied, "It…wasn't good".

The abject expressions and postures of everyone convinced Iota to hold off on more questioning. He could allow them a few hours to regroup and clear their heads; it wasn't like this mission had been vitally important. And it was a wash, anyway. "Very well. All of you; get some rest. We'll have a debriefing in twelve hours".

"My advice?" Xolin said as she and the others began to pile out of the room, past Iota, "Destroy the ship. Whatever lives there is evil. We shouldn't risk it drawing anyone else in". And that's, predictably, when the ship came under fire; the entire deck shuddering under the impact.

"What was that?!" Trok exclaimed.

Iota was already on it, checking stats from his wrist computer. To his surprise, the other ship, the freighter, had escaped the confines of its prison within the gas giant, and was now on an intercept course with the Megaship; it had already opened fire with its primary cannons. But…freighters couldn't stand a chance against Megaships. Another hit shook the ship.

"Well, that's curious. Looks like your haunted ship came to us" he said, tapping his controls to get a better view on the holographic screen. Another shake. Noting that none of them were in any shape to pilot, he sighed. "I'll deal with it. It's just a freighter. The rest of you, get some rest before you keel over".

Iota rushed to the bridge, leaving behind the shattered team, who seemingly made no objections. He'd deal with them later.

Sigh. This was *not* part of the scenario.

* * *

Another shake greeted Iota when he entered the bridge, taking his seat in the captain's chair. Pressing a few buttons, he redirected all controls to his console, and began returning fire with the main cannons. Within a few shots though, something began to happen. The opposing ship began to…well, the best way he could describe it was 'radiate energy'; a dark aura seemed to surround it as its form began to shift and distort. Iota's eyes narrowed as he watched the transformation, as the hull began to buckle and bend, breaking apart into some sort of vaguely humanoid beast.

…Probably a good time to shift to Megazord mode. The Megaship quickly transformed; and not soon enough, as even as the final components were shifting into place, the beast charged in full-bore, grappling with the giant robot as they tumbled in low orbit. Iota struggled to keep hold of the ship's controls as the inertia pulled him along, even with the ship's dampeners. A knee to the crotch sent the monster spinning back.

How annoying.

The Megazord summoned its sword, then propelled forward with its boot thrusters with the intent of ramming its blade right into the monster's chest. Instead, several long, black, aura tentacles unfolded from the monster, striking back at the Megazord. It was knocked back, sparks emanating from the points of impact, even as the tentacles faded again, replaced by more. As mere auras, they didn't even look real, almost like they were just ruined sections of a photograph; black empty regions superimposed on reality. Or maybe reality was superimposed on it; some sort of vacant window into the underlying darkness that creation hid. And the areas of the opposing ship that weren't connected anymore were the same; simply black abysses where hull and metal should have been. Its head was a chaotic mess of shrapnel and smokey aura black, the metal arranged almost like a maw of mismatched teeth.

It was unnatural, even Iota recognized that. Another tentacle lunged forth, which the Megazord barely parried with its sword. A second tentacle shot out, ramming itself into the Megazord's midsection. Almost immediately, the area of impact began to darken and spread, and alarms went off all over the bridge; the monster was beginning to infect the ship, corrupting the hull somehow.

This was bad.

A third tentacle shot out, disarming the Megazord by knocking its sword out of its hand. Then came a fourth tentacle, aimed directly at its chestplate. Iota was so concerned about its attack he was completely unprepared when it suddenly exploded.

"What the—"

The next thing he saw was the Red Guardianzord flying by, opening another load on the tentacle that was corrupting the Megazord's side. It also evaporated under the assault, as the Guardianzord turned its attention on the main opponent.

* * *

"Sid to Iota. We got this".

"_Are you certain?"_

Sitting next to Sid in the Megazord cockpit, Xolin nodded, her teeth gritted, "Yeah. Time for payback".

"_Understood. Relinquishing controls to you. Good luck"._

"Yeah, right" Sid spat out, his voice rough. "Warrior Mode!"

The Red Guardianzord folded over the Megazord, forming armor and its signature twin-axe blades over its fists. The two axes detached, their chain whips launching themselves at the offending monster. They cut through the tentacles, causing the monster to scream in pain. There was no witty banter here; no wry quip. Normally they'd make comments about how utterly messed up this creature looked, how…wrong he was. But not today. Today they only had a job to do, and then they'd scurry back to their rooms so they could finally lick their wounds.

"Xolin?" Sid asked.

"Got it!" she replied, summoning her own zord, "Lightning Mode!" The red Guardianzord detached from the Megazord, soon replaced by the blue one. The Megazord grabbed its new guns and lit its boot thrusters charging in on the monster. Two more tentacles lashed out, but with the blue zord, the Megazord was quick enough to avoid as it opened fire, causing the beast to stagger. Both blasters converted to blade mode as the Megazord closed in, shoving both of them into the enemy ship hull, before landing its feet on it. Then, igniting the boosters again, pulled away, ripping the swords out and pushing the monster away with its thrusters as it flipped about back into a fighting position, its swords having converted back into blades. The two guns ripped through the enemy hull, sparks exploding all over.

"Alright, time to wrap this shit up" Sid muttered. Then his eyes widened as the black void filled in to where the blasts had hit; it was regenerating. Energy collected in front of it, as it seemed to prepare to fire back. Then suddenly, more explosions as it staggered back. The green and yellow Guardianzords flew past, back and around the monster, as Sid and Xolin suddenly found Trok and Sel in their seats next to them.

"Glad you could join us" Sid said, attempting some level of light-heartedness. No one else took the bait though, with Trok just nodding brusquely. Sel for her part kept her focus on her console. Sid slumped back down, focusing once again on the fight.

"The monster's regenerating" Xolin frowned, "No matter what we throw at it, it won't die".

"The monster might be, but look" he pointed at the remains of the ship that the monster was using as its skeleton and armor. Notably, he pointed at the damage marks from the battle, "The ship itself is mortal".

"The thrusters!" Trok realized, noting that the monster was maintaining its altitude via the ships' engines, which were located on its feet, "We take those out, and it'll fall back into the clouds".

Sid nodded, "Do it".

Xolin locked on to her controls, "Azure Sniper!" The Megazord combined its two pistols into a single larger weapon and aimed at the monster's feet, even as it flew in towards them. One shot fired off, breaking apart the left foot. A second shot soon fired, just before the monster grabbed them, smashing the right. It was too late though, as the beast grappled with the Megazord, beginning to corrupt its shoulders as its claws dug in, the two titans spiraling around in low orbit. The rangers struggled, the inertia once again overpowering the internal dampeners.

"We need to break free!" Sid shouted, "Trok, Sel, counterattack!"

Immediately, the green and yellow Guardianzords swung back around alongside red, each opening up a volley on the monster's backside and arms. For a moment its shoulders evaporated, causing it to lose its grip on the Megazord as the arms disincorporated temporarily, the debris from the ship itself scattering to the cosmos.

"Sel!" Sid commanded.

The yellow ranger nodded, "Assault Mode. Advent Barrage". The blue Guardianzord disengaged from the Megazord, replaced by yellow's. The guns covering its hull primed, aimed, and opened fire on the monster, the kinetic force pushing it further and further away. And without engines to support it, it was powerless as it began to hit friction from the upper atmosphere; just before it was lost beneath the clouds. It was over. Well, at least, the battle was over. But the atmosphere inside the cockpit was awkward and distant. Sid glanced over his team. There was so much wrong here.

* * *

His room was quiet; had been since he'd arrived. He'd tried tinkering with his many would-be inventions, but any drive he had was just…gone, so now his chosen toy just sat on his bed next to him as he laid down, staring at the ceiling.

He'd left his friends to suffer. He'd abandoned his position, ran and hid because of a simple hallucination, while he left his friends to die. Everything Xolin had tried to teach him, everything he'd tried to live up to…it was all for naught. He wasn't a hero; he was a child. And the truth was, he only had confidence when in the simudeck, or when surrounded by others.

What an utter coward. It wasn't even about what the others thought about him—he knew well enough at this point they didn't think this way. No, this was all about him. And he knew he was a disappointment. He fought back tears.

* * *

She shivered, alone in her room. The memories of her hallucination haunted her; the pain she felt, deeper than any normal, physical pain. She felt the pain in the core of her being; in her soul. She had felt violation as her aspects were unwillingly ripped from her piece by piece.

Most triforians reincarnated, after being released back to the source; their aspects being remade and combined with other reincarnating aspects. But some souls were deemed beyond salvaging—those souls were sent to…well, the word didn't exactly translate into English, but 'Urthal', sort of a triforian hell. There, degraded souls would be torn apart into nothing; torment was the order of the day there. Eternal torment. Hell.

It was something that had always nagged at the edge of Xolin's mind; the idea she was wrong. Her parents; hell, her whole clan was convinced her soul was destined for Urthal. What if they were right? What if she was *wrong*? What if her entire worldview, her whole concept of being was false? How could she ever really know before it happened?

She curled up in a ball, wishing the world away.

* * *

She was a fraud; a mistake. They said she was a useful part of the team; but all she ever managed to do was mess things up. Whether it was forcing Sid and Trok to yell at each other in a misguided attempt to help repair their friendship, or simply not being good enough to save them from the hallucinations…god, she was useless.

The holographic quantron took her clouded mind to its advantage and knocked the bow out of her hands as it closed in, her shots having missed or been deflected by its own weapon. A second quantron hit her in the side, knocking her down as the group swarmed her. The yellow ranger's fist hit the dirt in a fit of anger as she flung herself back up. She had to become better. Another scuffle though, and she was soon back in the dirt.

Elder Sesh had told her to make new memories, a new life; but she was failing, and she couldn't figure out how *not* to fail. Why was she so bad at this? The image of Sid almost killing Xolin kept replaying in her head. Xolin's screams, Sid's cries. All the horror. Capricorn and the man with the briefcase mocking her. All the fears. Make it stop.

She was grabbed by the quantron and was pulled up. Her hands glimmered as tears began to trickle down behind her helmet. In a scream of rage and frustration, light shot out into the quantron. It seemed to glitch, just before the entire simudeck scenario collapsed on itself, the computer's systems shorting out and shutting down. Sel fell to the floor in an exhausted heap; the energy attack having cost her most of her strength, though the ever-present buzzing at least had momentarily faded. She gasped, exhausted.

What *was* she? Why…how did she do these…things?

Why did it feel like the universe was out to get her? She slammed her fist on the ground again, forcing herself to stand, even as her shaky legs protested.

"Computer" the yellow ranger seethed, determined as she steadied her breath, "Restart last save point".

* * *

Sid scrolled through the local net hub, searching sites and forums for answers on the holographic terminal. Search terms had included 'ghost ships', 'nightmare monsters', 'alien hallucinogens', among many others. None had given him any sort of trail to follow; just unrelated urban myths and conspiracy theories.

Sigh.

But, the fruitless search was keeping him from his real thoughts, and that was what counted.

He'd almost killed Xolin. And Sel. All because he'd been hallucinating about…about them. His old team. Between this and the whole thing with Trok…god, he had no business leading this team. None at all. He had way too much baggage.

God, what had he done. Er, almost done. If Sel hadn't stopped him…god.

He didn't want to think about it.

"Can't sleep?"

Sid turned to see Iota standing in the doorway to the computer lab he was in. It was a small room, only a few computers; not much use for a lab when every room had a terminal system, but SPD engineering was always good at a bit of redundancy. And right now, Sid needed to not be in his room, just to clear his head.

Sid nodded, "Trying to figure out what attacked us".

"Anything?" Iota's voice seemed genuinely curious.

He shook his head, "Not a clue. There's *nothing* here, except maybe a conspiracy theory or two". Sid sighed, then looked back at his commander, "Any ideas?"

Iota said nothing at first, instead opting to sit down, studying Sid's various holo-windows, "There are many wonders in the universe, in my experience. Our civilization is a thin veneer, a surface of order that we use to forget that there is depth. And in that depth, there are many, *many* places for things to hide".

"…What are you saying?" Sid asked, slightly creeped out.

Iota continued, idly skimming through one of the browser windows, "I do not know exactly what you faced, but I do know that there are things in this universe much older than you or I. Much older than our civilizations. They slumber, deep in the cracks below our notice. They swim in the void, far beyond our knowledge".

Sid gulped, a chill going down in spine as his prior worries were forgotten, "…So what, like…Lokar? Dark Specter?"

Iota seemed to regard him for a moment, before returning to the browser, "Older".

"What *exactly* are we talking about here?"

"Just be glad that it seems our friend wasn't able to leave orbit. We were likely little more than a source of food for it. Our civilization is little more than anthills they step over".

"Yeah, that's not awful at all" Sid replied, his voice quiet and subdued as he rubbed his arms in contemplation.

Iota shrugged, "The universe is almost fourteen billion years old. The modern age of civilization only goes back a few dozen millennia. Even the Morphin' Masters, at the 'dawn of time', only existed a few million years ago. The universe is filled with mysteries and unknowns, with wonders and horrors hidden from us. But I wouldn't worry too much about it; we've been around this long without anything stepping on us".

"Maybe" Sid said, staring unfocused at his holoscreen, "…Maybe not".

Iota stood up, turning to leave, "Get some sleep. You need it. Everything will be clearer tomorrow".

Sid didn't watch as he left, instead remaining focused on his screen, it's glow casting a soft light on an otherwise dark room. Thoughts filtered through his unfocused mind, both from his own demons, and those Iota had left with him, "…Maybe not".

_To be continued…_


	11. 1x11: Advent

**Author's Note:** _Holy shit, an actual review. I'd sort of gotten used to broadcasting to an empty room. I would have responded to you in personal PM, but you've got that locked off, so I'll have to do it here. First off, holy shit you appreciate the worldbuilding; I can't tell you how much that means holy shit. You *get it*. So thank you for that._

_Secondly, sorry to scare you. The synopsis change wasn't me getting ready to delete the story, it was just an attempt to gain more readers. I figured if wordy synopses didn't work, maybe a more irreverent one that reflected the characters would. If not well, whatever. Third-edly, you don't have to worry if Peacekeepers will be deleted or not; it won't be. It's not like other things I've written where I had an idea and decided 'well, what the hell'. Peacekeepers is special. It's something I've worked on and off with for over a decade now, and it's grown up along with me through both my best and worst times. And it's only now, I feel, that I have the skill required to pull it off. Also, at this point it *needs* to be completed before it'll allow me to continue on and do original fiction that I can maybe sell to people someday. So in this, it's also sort of become a final test/practice for any novels down the road I plan to write._

_Now, there *will* be a couple hiatuses that were planned into this from the getgo. The first, actually, is only a few weeks away. Season one has two more episodes after this one, which will be posted here on 9/20/15 and 10/04/15 respectively and amount to the season finale. Then I'm going on break, as well as preparing for the next leg of the journey and building my backlog back up. Season 2 will begin on 01/17/16 (Mid-late January next year) and will also consist of 13 episodes (the last season, season 3, will also contain 13 episodes). I may or may not have some post-series stuff planned, but if I do it'll be a sideproject of mine, instead of my All-Consuming-Need like right now._

_So yeah! No need for panic, this fanfic isn't going anywhere, because it's sort of a personal quest._

_ANYWAY, EPISODE START:_

* * *

**1.11 Advent**

To the unaware, one could be forgiven for thinking this planet was lifeless. All around Capricorn, the wind howled, sweeping over the empty expanse of ice and snow. The white frontier extended in all directions, all over the planet. It was an ice world in the purist form of the term; a giant snowball the size of Mars well outside its system's habitable zone. But that's what made it so lucrative for the colonists. An ice world this big was filled to the *brim* with geothermal activity, and under this thick sheet of ice existed a temperate world ocean, hidden away in the shadows. See, this was an aquitian world, even though the only thing that could even hint at the massive metropolis laying just a kilometer beneath the surface was the faint red light he could see atop one of the mountains in the distance—one of several entrance stations scattered about the area.

This was exactly where Capricorn wanted to be; away from prying eyes while still being in the middle of the action. Chuckling to himself, he pulled four small devices out of his belt and tossed them out into the snow in front of him. Immediately, they began to grow and transform—as if they were unfolding from nothing, assuming full-sized humanoid shapes—though it was clear they weren't human at all, instead some sort of…android or something, each possessing a full bodied black suit of armor.

Capricorn then pulled out a small data pad, imputing some last minute information and instructions into his new toys. This plan *had* to work; it *had* to. He'd waited too many efforts at this point, and his…er, well 'handler' had stopped communicating with him, probably deeming him useless after too many losses—which was probably a bad thing, considering his employers. His life may or may not have been in danger.

But more than that, his reputation was in the shitter. He'd lost his entire fortune and infrastructure to those damned rangers, and now any goodwill he'd gained, any standing he'd achieved within the criminal underworld had long since been swept away. He was a laughing stock, and he couldn't abide by that. Only one thing would fix that.

The rangers had to die; his honor depended on it. He'd managed to track their position; why they were here on this world he hadn't a clue, but it didn't matter. They'd be dead soon, and he'd be back on the path to reclaiming his lost glory.

"Go" he said to his troops, "You have your orders".

The androids made no indication of affirmation to his orders, but instantly did as he said, warming up their boots as they began to burn a hole through the ice. Capricorn watched them descend, a grim smile on his face. All his remaining cards were on this one.

Soon.

* * *

She was never really any good at this. Xolin liked *punching* through her problems to victory, not talking. In fact, the more she ignored everything deep down, the easier it was to keep going. But this…she had no way to fight through this.

Sigh.

Iota had 'encouraged' them after their mission to the ghost ship, coming here to Thessalia, an aquitian colony, and pretty much directing them to the Tethya Institute, in the capital city. Eugh, aquitians. Everything about them; their weird bio-crystal technology, their enigmatic and aloof culture, their longevity, it all just creeped her out a bit. Nothing against them personally, but Xolin found them…unapproachable. Eerie, maybe.

Sigh.

Deep down, she knew she needed this. The nightmares had been fairly steady since…well, since the incident. But that didn't mean she *wanted* this.

Sigh.

"Just try to relax" the female aquitian in the chair across from her said, "The more to struggle, the harder it will be for the crystal to get a lock on your emotions. Let the water flow over you".

Xolin half-laid half-sat in a pool of aquitian water—apparently stuff with healing properties, though so far she hadn't felt anything. A number of small crystalline structures sat suspended just over her head, for…something about centering one's mind, she couldn't recall. She felt silly about this whole setup; why couldn't this be like *most* psychology settings where she'd get a sofa and be surrounded by bookcases?

Sigh.

"I understand you've been having trouble sleeping since the incident".

Xolin nodded. She exhaled, "I've been having…nightmares".

"About what, exactly?"

Man, this was *not* going to be a fun conversation, "You uh…read the reports, right? About the mission I mean. About what we all…what I saw".

The aquitian nodded, "Your trip to…triforian hell?"

"Urthal" Xolin corrected her, "It's uh, well…it's not so much a place as it is the end of triforian reincarnation, where the trash goes when it can't be used anymore. It…well, yeah…" she trailed off, not entirely sure how to proceed from here.

"You fear going to hell?"

"Yeah. I guess I do" she sighed, "I thought I was fine when my family excommunicated me, but…it eats away at me. Sometimes I think I should just go back; beg for forgiveness".

"Would that would fix things?"

She shrugged, "What if *they're* wrong? Most mainstream triforian religions say what we do with our bodies is defilement". She chuckled darkly, "And who even knows if any of them are right. Most species don't have multiple physical aspects of being".

"So who do you think is right?"

Xolin shrugged helplessly, "I don't know. How *can* I know? I feel like no matter what choice I make, it'll end in the same way. One day, I'll be dead, and I'll be gone. Everything I was; even my soul, will be gone".

"So then, would inevitability be a good word to use to describe this?"

She thought for a moment, then nodded numbly as she stared at the crystal hanging above her, "…I don't want to die".

"That's a very normal sentiment".

Xolin snorted derisively.

"It's true. Fear of death is a very normal thing. Few people really look forward to passing away".

"So what am I supposed to do then?" Xolin asked her, a note of desperation in her voice, "I hate feeling this way".

* * *

The window out was eerie, yet still oddly comforting. The entire city rested on the underside of the icecap, terraced against its many 'peaks' and valleys. As such, the organic aquitian pods were far more symmetrical than usual, pre-planned like building blocks as they lay atop one another. It was a big city too; the pods stretched out in all directions, far beyond the pitiful sight distance available underwater. The pods lit up the otherwise pitch-black ocean, giving it an oddly comforting dark blue hue. Tubes crisscrossed various areas of the city—methods for mass transit between city sections. And of course with the lightning outside, animals had been attracted; numerous native alien aquatic lifeforms. Right now Sid could see a school of something that looked like giant versions of Earth's prehistoric ammonites.

Behind him in the waiting room, the vid-screen had a news program on. It was something about how tensions were on the rise—yet again—between the Alliance and the Confederacy. It was business as usual; the civil war still left scars between the two powers. His attention shifted somewhat though, when 'uncertain reports' of incidents on Arkilla and 'various SPD bases' were brought up as points of grievances against the Confederacy—which of course was denied by the latter. Uh oh.

So, y'know, that was great. He could add 'multiple intergalactic incidents' to his list of failures. He hung there, at that window, despondent as he waited his turn with the shrink. Xolin's reflection behind his in the window told him that the first session was over, at least.

"How'd it go?"

She shrugged, listless with a can of soda in her hand, "We talked. Found out I'm a coward".

Sid's eyebrow rose as he turned to face her, "...er, what?"

"Nevermind" she said, shaking her head as she leaned up against the window, "I just want out of here. Aquitian cities give me the creeps. And I don't much like being stuck underwater in the first place".

"But being out in the void of space on a regular basis is fine, right?" Sid deadpanned, a wry smile on his lips.

She scowled at him, "There's a difference between out in space, and being crushed like an ant beneath the weight of the planet". There was also the fact that aquitian worlds didn't jive too well with triforian physiology, so this whole planet sort of put her on edge. It wasn't *dangerous*, unless you were already weakened, but it played havoc with her three aspects; she could feel them *not quite* fitting together right. It was a weird and unsettling feeling and just sort of helped to put her on edge.

"Sure, sure" Sid replied, his sarcasm leaking through. But before Xolin could retort, Sid asked, "So, who's up next?"

She took a sip from her drink as they both leaned up against the window, watching the mostly empty common room they were in, "Trok, I think. I passed him on the way out. When's your turn?"

"I think I'm going last" Sid replied, his eyes suddenly becoming downcast.

She looked away, sorry she had asked, "It wasn't your fault, you know. It had all of us". He'd almost attacked her, almost killed her. She'd been out of her mind at the time as well, but…if it hadn't been for Sel…

He didn't look at her, instead standing straight up as he prepared to leave, "It was always my fault". Just as he began to walk away though, both of their morphers beeped.

"_Iota to rangers. There's a…situation in the Aolii Sector of the city. Who's capable?"_

The two rangers glanced at each other before Sid answered, "Uh, we think Trok just went in for his session. I dunno where Sel is right now. What's up?"

"_We've had reports of some sort of incursion by armored figures. The police have the area sectioned off, but we've gotten the green light from the higher ups. They won't interfere. I'll contact Sel and have her meet you there"._

"Understood" Sid said, "Sid out". He nodded to Xolin, and the two raced off, to save the day once again.

* * *

Aolii was much like the rest of the city; a miniature pocket settlement in its own right, walled and domed off, and linked to the other sections via various tunnels and connecting points. Inside the dome lay numerous large buildings; arranged how you would expect a city to be laid out. The buildings themselves were of the aquitian variety of course; large bio-crystaline pods of various shapes and sizes, growing almost organically, except when necessary, like some sort of bizarre topiary set.

Up ahead, the three rangers found their targets—four black armored figures who were busy breaking shit left and right. The police hadn't been an issue, they they'd been *very* confused as to why their superiors were allowing civilians into a combat zone and not allowing them to follow. But well, weirder things had happened.

As they approached, the rangers made sure to morph, and instead of civilians, it was the red, blue, and yellow rangers that closed in on the presumed enemy. Several shots went out from Sel's bow, striking the ground next to the four figures. They stopped what they were doing (at the time, two were punching through the wall of a building, while the other two had been unloading laser blasts from their wrists at indiscriminate targets) and turned towards the rangers.

Sid sauntered up towards them, "Sweet, got your attention. Look, could you guys just go back and tell Capricorn or whoever, we *really* just don't feel up to playing this game today?" The androids seemed to regard each other wordlessly for a moment, before turning their gauntlets on Sid. His eyes widened just before he barely flipped out of the way, landing next to the other two rangers.

"Guess not" he sighed, taking a fighting pose. The other two did likewise. But then, to their surprise, three of the four robots matched up against them, seemingly regarding *them* now before…well, that was interesting. The three arrayed against them changed, colored neon lights lining across their suits, each a color matching the opposing ranger. Sid's eyes widened as he realized the situation, "Ah, shit".

"What?" asked Xolin, "What is it?"

"We've got a Psycho Ranger situation. Everyone, defe—" his orders were cut off as the red android charged in, knocking him clear through another building. The two girl rangers stood surprised and confused at the situation for a split second, just before their own doppelgangers rushed them, forcing them to defend themselves.

Xolin found herself dealing with an opponent just as evasive and maneuverable as herself, it quickly dodging her attacks and counterattacking with furious speed. The two grappled, the android flipping over Xolin's head and landing behind her, before tossing her over and back. Xolin rebounded, kicking off a wall as she lunged back at her opponent—just in time to feel the android's fist in her face. She rolled across the ground, bringing out her lance. Fury coursed through her veins.

"Okay, you want some of this, you—huh?" she paused upon discovering that her opponent now held a lance much like her own. Her face bunched up in momentary confusion, just long enough for the android to attack again. Xolin barely parried, continuously on the defensive as her doppelganger kept hitting.

"ENOUGH!" Xolin shouted, swinging low and finally forcing the android to give her some space. She charged up the end of her lance with cool blue energy as it cooled the surrounding air. Xolin then thrust forward, sending her lance toward the enemy. Unfortunately, the android had rebounded and knocked it aside before thrusting her own back, striking Xolin dead-square in the chest. Sparks exploded as the blue ranger was knocked back to the ground.

Sel, meanwhile, was faring just as poorly. She couldn't get close; she'd been hit from the side while watching Sid fight, and the next thing she'd known her doppelganger was opening fire on her with her own bow. The yellow ranger had been forced to jump side, rolling beside a pile of debris, just before it was blown up, causing her to keep running in circles around the battlefield as her opponent kept shooting. Finally, the shots hit their mark, and Sel was sent flying into a wall. As she pulled herself up, the yellow android came down on her, swinging her bow down blade first. Sel barely managed to block with her own, still crouched in the ground, but didn't anticipate the kick to her chest. She rolled away, blocking again as she got up, and then backed away, evading its continuing strikes.

Bad move.

Sel was now in the android's point blank range, and suffered the consequences as the laser attacks hit her dead-on.

Sid found himself being flung through a wall, crashing inside an empty…what was this? Some sort of office? The weird crystalline-organic setup made it hard to figure this kind of shit out. Whatever, this didn't matter right now.

What DID matter was the fact his doppelganger was getting back up after they had both tumbled to the floor. Sid scrambled back to his feet, launching into a flurry of attacks, even as he knew it wouldn't work. This was bad; the others had no experience with mirror rangers. They had to regroup; they had to pull back and reassess, maybe even a tactical retreat. He thrust himself up, leaping up on top of his opponent and over, kicking him in the back as he came down, before swinging around and landing another blow before it could recover, sending it into a desk…thing.

That was key; keep it off balance.

"Sel! Xolin!" he called, running out of the hole in the wall, "We gotta regr—OOF" the wind was knocked out of him as his doppelganger charged into him from behind. Rookie mistake on his part. The two rolled across the ground, the android landing on top of him.

SHIT.

* * *

Trok took a deep breath, relaxing as best he could in the water. "It's just…I always wanted to be a hero. Even back when I was back on Horath, I grew up with myths of our old heroes, and we'd get stories from merchants about the power rangers and riders, and all the other superheroes out in space, and I just…I always wanted to be more than just some guy trying to figure out which oasis was a bit more hospitable this season".

"Seems you did fairly well, considering" the aquitian said reassuringly.

Trok chuckled bitterly, "I'm a fraud. I didn't understand; I thought it was all fun and games: I get the glory, I get the girl, I get the awesome adventure. But I watch Xolin and Sid, and even Sel and I just…" his hands clenched as he watched them, "They don't do things for glory. They throw themselves into deadly situations time and time again, and get nothing for it. We can't even reveal ourselves to the public. They only do it because it's the right thing to do".

"And you don't?"

Trok sighed glumly, "I'm a coward. When it comes to actual sacrifice, I just turn and run away. I was fine leaving people to die on Horath. And now I run and hide just because I was afraid of ghosts. My friends were suffering, and I hid away because they weren't protecting me".

"Everyone on that ship suffered from hallucinations; you can't blame yourself for that. Everything we've got on the entity suggests that it could easily overpower minds".

"Yeah…" Trok muttered, looking away, clearly not convinced at all.

"_Iota to Trok. I hate to interrupt, but we have a psycho ranger situation on our hands. I need you to assist the others in regrouping and retreating"._

Trok glanced at the morpher on the counter beside him, then at the therapist. She nodded encouragingly, and he reluctantly but determinedly took his morpher, sitting up out of the water and being careful to miss the crystals hanging above. He sighed again, hoping to any spirit that might be listening that he could help this time.

* * *

Sid struggled in vain against his android, barely keeping its fists off his face. He couldn't grab his gun, or summon his axe…and he was getting tired-his android wasn't.

A blur of green threw itself into the side of Sid's opponent, knocking it off the red ranger, and causing both figures to tumble away. Sid pulled himself up, grinning as he saw Trok taking on the red android. The green ranger's hammer slammed into its abdomen, sending it flying into the far wall.

"Trok!" Sid laughed, "Way to go! Keep him distracted, I'll get the others and we can—" his words died in his throat as the last android charged in, green glowing lines forming over its hull as its fist made contact with Trok. The two duked it out as red rebounded, coming back after Sid.

Shit. So much for *that* plan!

Trok and his doppelganger launched their hammers at one another, transforming them into mace mode and swinging down on each other. The two weapons interlocked, and Trok soon found himself in a tug-of-war with his enemy—one he quickly lost as he found himself being flung through the air toward the green android…who had just retracted his hammer.

Oh boy.

Almost comedically, Trok's body was knocked aside like a baseball to a bat, being thrown through the air and through a wall. Sid winced in pain as he watched the green ranger go, he himself busy locking swords with his own mirror. To his right, Xolin and Sel were having similar luck; the blue ranger was trapped in a deadly dance, both figures twirling their lances about like whirlwinds. The two yellows, meanwhile, were running and gunning, with Sel getting the worst of it. Sid grimaced; they needed to withdraw *now*.

"Sid to team!" he called out, speaking into his morpher as he kept the android's sword occupied, "Everyone regroup! We need a tactical retreat, NOW!" Bad move; the opposing sword cut into him, forcing him back.

Immediately after that, Sel was shot over to Sid's position, her suit smoking as she rolled over to him. Xolin soon followed, also stumbling to him. Then as they prepared a new defensive perimeter, Trok staggered over to them, limping from an injury he had sustained in the crash.

"That's…one way to do it, I guess" Sid muttered, cocking his head slightly.

Xolin's reply was a bit crankier as the four enemy androids moved in, "Right, okay. We're all here, so *what's the plan*?"

"Defender Cannon time" Sid replied, brandishing his sword.

"Won't that just cause them to fire back?" she asked, a bit indignant.

He glanced at her knowingly, "I've got a plan. Trust me".

She nodded reluctantly, and immediately the cannon came together as the four weapons slid into place. The weapon aimed at the enemy group, each ranger grabbing a different part as their morphin' energies charged it up.

Sid's eyes narrowed, "Defender Cannon…ready and—"

"FIRE!" the team shouted together, as a beam of multicolored light blasted forth. As expected however, the four androids banded together, combining their own weapons into a makeshift cannon and returning the favor. The two beams collided, light filling the sector as the energies intertwined and flowed out. The more the rangers pushed their own energy supply though, the more they knew they couldn't keep this up—their own bodies were tiring fast.

"Now!" Sid shouted, "Roll out of the way and hit them with your sidearms while they're busy!"

The other rangers turned to him, just briefly as first confusion, then dawning realization swept over them. That was *brilliant*. All three of the other rangers did as they were told, letting go of the Cannon as they pulled their blasters out. As they did, their colors vanished from the beam, leaving just Sid's vibrant red—not enough to stand against four enemy hues. Sid knew this of course, but kept pushing as hard as he could; delaying the oncoming advance for as long as possible while the others got into position.

Three smaller flurry of lights shot out from the blasters of the other rangers, cutting into all four androids. Their attack vanished, giving Sid's Cannon its chance to plow through to them. They were blasted back, and Sid then turned the Cannon to the ground, carving a shallow trench between him and their foes—and creating a thick dirt cloud to obscure them.

"NOW!" Sid shouted as he lowered his weapon and turned to run, "RUN!" The other rangers quickly followed his cue, not stopping until they were well out of sight from their lesser halves.

* * *

Sid slumped against the chair, taking a moment to catch his breath now that they'd pulled back to the Megaship. Currently the four sat around the circular table in the briefing room, going over footage from the battle. Iota had so far declined to join them; when asked by Xolin on the way in, he'd muttered something about being busy in a meeting over the comm channel.

Typical Iota.

"Ohkay, so that didn't work. New plan time" Sid said, putting his legs up.

When no new plan seemed forthcoming, Xolin shook her head at him, "…Okay? Any ideas?"

"As a matter of fact, I do!" Sid replied gleefully, putting his finger up in a gesture of confidence. Xolin's face deadpanned when she realized he'd just been waiting for them to bait him. "SPD has numerous regulations on Psycho Ranger scenarios. For the robot subtype, the answer is simple; we confuse them".

"Confuse?" Trok asked, looking for clarification.

Sid put his feet down, sitting forward as he typed up a few commands on the table's computer. Hologram representations of the four androids and the rangers appeared in the center, each matched up against their colored counterparts, "They've been programmed with our moves and abilities, but from what I've seen, they don't seem to be too good at free will. They aren't *true* AI. That means all we need to do is…" he typed up a few more commands, and the rangers' positions on the board changed, "…Change colors".

"Huh…that's…actually not a half bad plan" Xolin blinked, a bit taken aback the solution was so simple.

"It's an old tried and true operation" Sid replied, turning off the holograms as he got up, "So who's ready to go for round two before our friends try to lure us out again the hard way?"

"I can't" Sel muttered, "I uh…have…"

"Ah, right, it's your turn, isn't it?" Sid said, knowingly. She nodded in response, and he smiled, "It's fine, we can handle this one. If I'm right, yours won't fight us until you arrive, like how Trok's stayed back last time. We can take ours out, and then yours will be easy pickings".

"…Yeah. Right" she said, mustering a smile as the turned, "Good luck". Her face fell as she exited the room, unbeknownst to the others. Useless. She was useless.

"So, we ready?" Sid asked the other two. They nodded as they got up, and he responded in kind, "Then let's do this".

* * *

"No matter how hard I try, I can't catch up".

"How do you mean 'catch up'?" the aquitian asked Sel.

The xybrian lay still in the pool, eyes closed as she worked to center herself, "I…no matter how hard I train, or how much effort I work, I am always the weakest. I can't hold my own in a fight, and I can't do much to support the team. They're constantly saving me".

"But your team seems to care for you".

"I don't want them to care for me. I want to help support them" Sel countered, her voice subdued and low. It was clear her self-confidence was nil.

The therapist took a different track, "Your experience on the ghost ship…"

"I couldn't stop him" Sel muttered. Water collected at the edges of her eyes, "I tried. I was the only one who could snap out of it, and I still couldn't do anything. It was up to me and I failed".

"If my reports are accurate, there's not much anyone could have done. And they say you might have actually done some good—you knocked him out with your…" the therapist hesitated, "…powers?"

"I don't know what they are" Sel sighed. She opened her eyes and moved her fingers in front of her face. The faintest glimmer of light danced between them, "It just…happens. And it's started to happen more frequently. I can feel it; building. This morning I woke up and my hair was full of static". She quietly chuckled in bitter amusement at that last bit.

"Have you had any tests taken?"

"Results have been inconclusive" she sighed again, laying back down and closing her eyes. "Iota says it's nothing to be too concerned about; it's just an unusual outgrowth of my psychic abilities. Some sorta…mutation. The Elders said I was fine too. But it's just…it's one more unanswered question. One more liability".

"Do you feel any different?"

Sel clenched her hand, "Maybe? I don't know. But I keep feeling…a buzzing feeling. And it's getting louder".

"Like a sound?"

She shook her head, "No, like, a vibration maybe? A non-auditory vibration, I mean? No, that's not..." she trailed off, unsure.

The therapist decided to switch topics, still trying to get a full picture of Sel, "Let's talk about your friends for a minute. How are they?"

Sel paused, thinking. That was an interesting question. "I…" she hesitated, then nodded to herself, "I like them. They rescued me, they brought me into their lives and they've treated me like a family I don't remember. Way better than I really deserve, I think. But…" she trailed off.

"Yes?"

Sel hesitated, not sure how to put this into words, "…When I've seen Xolin and Trok's rooms, I see who they are. In Xolin's room I see her spiritual side from home and her workout and training stuff. In Trok's room I see his hobbies and game collection".

"And Sid?"

She frowned, "I've only been to his room once, when he was looking for a book he was going to lend me. There's almost nothing in there. He doesn't have anything. He plays games with Trok, but only casually. I couldn't tell you anything about him as a person. It's like…" she paused again, as if realizing something, "…It's like he doesn't exist. Like he doesn't really…live, I guess.

She opened her eyes, looking up at the crystal above her head, a sad, but contemplative expression on her face.

"Like me".

* * *

The connecting tube between the two city sectors was large; easily wide enough for the mass transit system that ferried inhabitants back and forth; and then some, as Sid discovered as they ran alongside the *very* wide pedestrian pathway that lined both sides of the many tracks that crossed back and forth. The tube itself was open; one could see out into the ocean that surrounded the city, and the underside of the ice above them. Even as three rangers ran toward their enemy, Sid stole a glance at a large whale-like creature as it gently glided along, issuing a low song as it passed.

Then, his attention was back on the mission.

"Up ahead!" Xolin shouted, pointing at the four black figures. They seemed to have noticed the rangers, stopping their almost casual stroll toward the next sector and turning back around. Three of them lit up—red, blue, and green. As expected, the would-be yellow bot stayed behind as they approached the incoming rangers.

Excellent. Just as planned. Inwardly, Sid grinned. "Stick to the plan!" Sid ordered, "Remember your targets!"

Sid launched himself at the blue android, his kick to its head knocking it off balance. This was…not the correct program. This was wrong. The red ranger didn't wait for the android to respond, instead following up with a volley of punches as he attacked the prone body of his opponent. The targets he'd chosen for each of the rangers had been calculated; Xolin was fast and agile, and thus would be able to easily outflank Trok's doppelganger. Trok, whose skills were more heavy-set and defensive, would pare off against his own android, who wouldn't be up to the task of taking on a tank. And as for himself, the all-around warrior of the team, Sid might not have been quite as *fast* as the blue android, but he could definitely strike harder.

As he proceeded to smash through his foe's defenses, he caught a glimpse of the other two fights going on—things were well in hand there too. He'd been right, the androids weren't true AI (otherwise, why would the fourth one sit out just because its counterpart was missing), and so free will was winning the day when it had the opportunity to seize an advantage.

Excellent.

That's when it happened. Just as Sid's leg reached up for another attack, the blue lines on his adversary switched to red.

Wait what.

The android grabbed him by the leg, anticipating his movement, and then swung him around like a toy, causing the red ranger to crash into the track. It then leapt up, and down on top of him.

The other androids had reverted too; Xolin suddenly found her foe much faster and agile then before, now easily evading her attacks. Trok's hammer met with another hammer, instead of the axe he had intended to smash apart.

This was bad.

"Sid, the plan's not working!" Xolin cried out, just as her body was shot back by a kick balanced by the android's lance, sending her tumbling into the side of the track. As her opponent neared her as she tried to scramble to her feet, she momentarily thought about using her powers; splitting apart to get the drop on the android. They were only mimicking their powers and moves, right? They couldn't replicate her triforian biology.

Then she remembered about what it might cost her. Y'know, long term. No, not worth it.

Sid rolled out of the way, barely avoiding his doppelganger's fist as it came down on him. What had happened? The plan was toast, and he had to come up with a solution fast, or everyone was going to die. He shook aside the flashes in his mind. Not *now*. But there wasn't a solution. The red android charged up its dual axes, flattened them together, and then swung them in Sid's direction. The red ranger dodged out of the way, and the crimson energy cascaded into the side of the tube wall, causing a rather impressive explosion.

That was worse.

As the smoke cleared, Sid noticed cracks winding their way up the…well, it wasn't *glass*, but whatever clear material was separating them from the untold gallons of water all around them. And the cracks were getting bigger.

Oh, this was the worst.

Xolin saw the cracks too, as she parried her opponent's lance with her own. Her heart skipped a beat. Oh trinity, this was bad. Subconsciously, she flashed back to her fears. She didn't want to die. She *definitely* didn't want the planet to collapse around her.

Trok also noticed, even as he had the android's hammer up in a chokehold up against his throat. He tried his best to escape, but the hold was too solid.

"Sid to Iota!" the red ranger commanded into his morpher with a panicked tone, even as he evaded his android's attacks, "Transport tube six! We need IMMEDIATE pickup! This whole place is about to come down on us!"

"_Understood. Megaship enroute"._

Water began to pour in from the cracks, and Sid could see the tube being sealed off via section doors at each end. That was that dealt with at least, though really it just made him feel a bit more claustrophobic as the water began pouring in more freely. Sid watched frantically for any sign of the Megaship.

Come on, come on…

Then, he saw it. It came around the side of one of the icecaps's underside mountain, flanking the terraced city pods as it raced in against time.

"NOW!" Sid shouted, drawing his blaster and firing on Trok's android, freeing the green ranger even as he kept his blade matched with his own opponent. Trok kicked the green android back, just as the tube finally gave way and the flood swept in.

"OH shi—" Xolin and the blue android let go as the water slammed into them. Momentary panic coursed through her veins as her body was thrown into the side of the quickly-filling tube. But then she felt something wrapping around her waist—Trok's hammer! And just in time, as even with the chaos of the water, she could tell the entire tube was self-destructing under the water pressure now that its integrity had been compromised.

The Megaship came right in under the crumbling bridge; Sid grabbed Trok and leapt off as the whole place came apart and imploded, diving down into an open hatch on the top of the ship. As soon as they were inside, Trok issued one final mighty heave, drawing Xolin inside just before the hatch closed and the ice-cold water drained away. The three rangers slumped to the floor of the small auxiliary hatch they found themselves in, privately reflecting on their near-death experience and their collective failure.

* * *

"The truth is…I shouldn't even *be* leader. I think I've messed up enough times now for that to be absolutely clear to anyone".

The therapist smiled mildly at Sid, "In that case, who do you think should be?"

Sid shrugged, "I dunno, really. Trok's too young and inexperienced. Sel lacks self-confidence and is still preoccupied with her sense of self. I think Xolin'll make a really good leader someday, but right now she's way too emotional and bull-headed. She needs to mellow out, deal with some of her own demons". He chuckled sadly, "I still don't know why Iota worked so hard to recruit me. There has to have been other, better people for the job out there. My team deserves someone who can treat them right".

"You care for them".

He pondered, "…Yeah, I do. Way more than I thought I would" he smiled, but it quickly vanished, "But caring just isn't enough".

"What more do you need?"

Sid thought for a moment, then moved his arms slightly as he tried to come up with an answer, "I…". Strategy, maybe? Tactics? What WAS he missing?

"Allow me to ask a different question" the therapist said, upon realizing Sid was at a loss, "You've talked a lot about stepping down as leader, but not a lot about leaving the team. Can I assume you would? Or would you stay?"

"Is there a problem with staying?" Sid asked.

She frowned slightly, "Won't there be a problem if there are effectively two leaders? You may not wish to lead, but in the heat of battle, team dynamics are hard to change, for all parties. What if you think the decision is a bad one? In the middle of a firefight, are you really just going to go along with it?"

"…What are you saying?" Sid asked, uncomfortable with where this was going now. "Are you saying I should just give up? What if I'm not there and something happens?"

"Do you not have faith in them?"

Faith. Of course he did; what kind of stupid question was that? But Sid had also had faith in his old team. He always had faith, but he also knew that there were often circumstances beyond their control. And if he was there, he could help, somehow. "…I could lose them" he said quietly, "It doesn't matter if I have faith; none of us are infallible".

A brief uncomfortable silence settled. The therapist spoke, gently yet directly, "Or perhaps it's an obsession".

"I'm sorry?" Sid asked.

The therapist clarified, "You're torn. Part of you wants it to stop; you want to leave but you can't bare to leave the obsession alone".

"You're calling my friendships an obsession?" he asked, annoyed.

"No, I'm calling your overprotectiveness an obsession" she replied.

Sid almost bit back, but thoughts crossed his mind: his messup on Horath had been because he'd been overprotective. And the mild freakout during the simudeck mission. He was at a bit of a loss for words; was she right? Was his presence just making things worse?

* * *

Trok and Xolin brooded, stuck back in the briefing room with Sel. The xybrian sat on the opposite side of the table from them, lost in her own problems.

"So, Sid's plan didn't work" Trok frowned, his face supported by his fists with his elbows on the table. He watched the holographic screens in the center of the table listlessly.

Xolin gave a shrug, then leaned forward as she supported her forehead with her hand, "They just…switched on us. Somehow".

"The programming hopped from android to android" Trok murmured, as if his response was more for himself than anyone else; "The software was capable of switching modes".

"Is there any way to negate that? Freeze their programming, somehow?" Xolin asked him. She wasn't a tech expert, so she was just throwing out whatever came to mind.

But Trok recognized a feasible idea when he saw one, "Uh…hmm" he thought, "…Might take me a bit, but I think maybe, yes. I'll need any scans the ship and our suits made of the androids while we fought them. Like, grid wavelength patterns, power regulation, chromagraphic-"

"Just do it, please" Xolin grumbled, cutting him off before he could dip *too* far into the Big Words. He stuck his tongue out at her, causing her to roll her eyes, before he began to get to work on the computer, directing all necessary files to his workstation. He began studying them, when he felt a presence sit down next to him. He turned; Sel had broken out of her own introspections and was now viewing her screen. She noticed he was looking at her offered an awkward smile.

"I uh…can I help?" she asked, hesitant. It was an awful thing; needing to be needed. Needing to be useful. She'd so far managed not to be so in combat. But maybe if she helped elsewhere, and just kept helping? Maybe she'd do something right eventually.

Trok returned the smile eagerly, and began transferring some of his files over to her workstation, "I need to be able to lock down their software protocols, essentially matching their powers so we can hack in…"

As the two of them began lobbing technobabble at each other, Xolin just sort of sighed to herself, instead opting out of this one. She leaned back and closed her eyes, leaving the kids to their work. She must have dozed off for a few minutes though, because it seemed like just as she closed her eyes, Trok was waking her up.

"It's done!" His tone was triumphant, though with a hint of caution to it, "I think. Can't really test it until we try it" his jubilant face fell a bit towards 'uncertain' at his own words. He typed up a few things on his workstation, downloading the final product to everyone's morphers, "Sid's plan should still work. We just need to get in close and the program will activate automatically. It'll act a bit like the dampening field we used on the shapeshifter".

Xolin frowned. She didn't like the sound of 'I think'. "How likely is it to work?"

Trok shrugged, "I haven't a clue. Fifty-fifty, maybe? It's all up to if the specifications are what I assume they are. If they're more advanced then they let on, then we might be in trouble".

"I just don't know if we'll have a chance to pull out a third time if things get hairy" she replied, wary about the whole thing.

Trok nodded, "Yeah…" he mused, "…We should wait for Sid".

No sooner had he said that however, then the alert system started going off. Xolin's eyebrow arched as she toggled the alert, letting it show up on the table's central holographic display. The androids were at it again; only now they'd circumnavigated the police perimeter. On the screen they could see the four machines entering the city's central government sector, even as the populace ran the other way screaming as the four left a trail of destruction in their wake.

"…I guess it was too much to ask that the robots could have drowned" Trok grumbled.

"…Sid can catch up with us" Xolin frowned as she watched the footage, "The plan should still work with just three of us. Come on".

Trok reluctantly followed her out of the room, with Sel bringing up the rear. He managed one last glance at the chaos on the holo-screen as left; he *really* hoped this was going to work.

The central city sector was…well, *big*. Also, it was upside-down. Well, relatively speaking anyway; the central government…well, 'spire' stretched from the ceiling downward, with numerous organic pods sticking out of it at various intervals. It pointed down, from the icecap towards the arctic abyss below. Around it were supported platforms for smaller buildings, interconnected by various bridges and streets. All around them, people were screaming and fleeing for their lives

"Uh…should we really be out here, right now?" Trok asked, "I thought we were supposed to be doing the whole 'low key' thing".

Xolin cursed. Trok was right; they weren't supposed to be seen. Not that they'd really done a good job at that, considering the number of incidents they'd caused, but they'd never been *this* blatant. But…people were in trouble. And there was no way the police could get everyone out of here in time; not in a pod that was so vast. She didn't even see police forces yet. It was quite clear that they'd completely circumnavigated the blockade.

A moderate explosion a few platforms down alerted the rangers to the position of their targets. Sigh, it couldn't be helped.

"Xolin to Iota. Targets are in the central governmental pod. Civilians are everywhere; blockade is breached. It's a madhouse down here. Orders?"

A few eternal seconds ticked by, as another explosion went off. Her whole body tensed…and then the reply came.

"_Engage targets. I'll deal with the fallout"._

Xolin nodded to Trok, who returned the gesture, just as a third bomb went off.

"Well, at least they're not hard to track down" Xolin muttered. For a brief second she hesitated; she knew once she committed, that was it. There was no promise they'd be able to escape. And what if…she noted the existence of the same transparent material in the upside-down dome protecting the sector as had been in the tube. Her mind raced back to the water crushing down on her. Her fists tightened.

She didn't want to die. Really, she didn't.

Steeling herself, the blue ranger summoned her lance and jumped off, down and over to the source of the chaos. She felt the other two following in step with her, as they raced across the next platform, and off again.

"Take your targets!" she shouted, "Fast and hard!"

She prayed as hard as she could that Trok's program was going to work. As usual, only three of the four androids activated towards them—green, blue, and yellow. She took yellow, Trok took blue, and Sel took green. Her lance charged up, freezing the air it came in contact with as she spun it into yellow's form—she was already much too close for its long ranged attacks. Yellow slid back upon impact, its chest sparking a bit from the attack. It readied its bow blade, thrusting it down on Xolin as she rebounded, and the two weapons met. She parried, pulling the blades down as she leapt up and slammed her foot into the android's head, following up with her body flipping around, and her lance cutting through its chest again as she landed on her feet a foot away from her starting place.

No sign yet of the android programs switching colors. That was good, very good. She was hesitantly optimistic. This could work; as it was, yellow couldn't keep up with her movements—the sharp shooter was simply no match for her rapid close-ranged attacks. It hopped back, opening fire on Xolin, but the berserker blue ranger simply charged forward, deflecting the laser arrows by spinning her lance around rapidly, before cutting in again. She sliced by, before turning back behind her opponent and issuing a charged up frozen swing. The yellow android doubled over.

Trok's fight was going similarly. It didn't matter how fast the blue android was; as soon as it got within range of Trok to use its attacks, he'd swing his hammer in, crushing it aside with ease. Powering his weapon up with green energy, he swung down—hard. Seismic forces ripped through the floor, the shockwave sending his opponent flying into a railing a few feet away. The green ranger went on the offensive, rushing forward and issuing another swing. The android was flung right off the platform, landing in a heap on the nearest one below—near some sort of small office building…er, pod. It scrambled to get back up as Trok leapt down to finish the job.

Sel was actually holding her own! Green was a tough one up close, but like Trok was almost entirely a short-ranged fighter—and relatively slow. This was good news for the long-range operator of the team. It was still deflecting as many of her attacks as it could with its hammer, but it wasn't fast enough, and she was quick enough to keep out of its range. Sooner or later, she'd bring it down with a thousand cuts.

…Okay, maybe two thousand. The point was; she was making progress.

…And that's when the red android slammed into her from the side. She cried out in both pain and surprise as she tumbled, then got hit by multiple strikes from the axe.

"SEL!" Xolin shouted, instinctively moving to defend her, but quickly realized her mistake as she parried yellow's assault just in the nick of time. "What the hell?!" she demanded to know, "Why is red online?!"

Trok plunged another blow into blue, "The AI programming must be adapting! It can't use its switching trick, so it's trying something different!"

Xolin cursed under her breath; even from here she could see Sel wasn't doing well two-on-one. Figured; it'd be right their luck to break the enemy program to make it *harder*. "Sel, hang on!" she yelled at the yellow ranger, as the xybrian cried out from another blow. Her bow slid across the ground, well out of Sel's reach.

Sel tried to try and summon her powers; the light that sometimes danced from her fingertips. She wasn't quite sure what gave her the idea to try that, but if it had both saved her from the shapeshifter, and saved Xolin from Sid on the ghost ship, maybe, just maybe… She wasn't sure what it would do to *her* if she kept using it, considering the toll it took on her body each time. And unfortunately, right now she was far too busy keeping just ahead of both enemy androids; she couldn't focus enough to try, even as she got more and more frustrated, and as the faintest glimmers danced across her—unbeknownst to her. She could almost hear the buzzing, though. It was distracting, and helped to keep her from focusing.

Again Xolin debating splitting herself into her three aspects, but even as she locked weapons with the yellow android, she hesitated against it.

But...

Xolin winced as Sel let out another shout. But she couldn't leave her fight with the yellow android. The two weapons rubbed against each other as Xolin struggled furiously with herself…

* * *

"_It's true. Fear of death is a very normal thing. Few people really look forward to passing away"._

"_So what am I supposed to do then?" Xolin asked the therapist, a note of desperation in her voice, "I hate feeling this way"._

_The therapist smiled sadly. She put the data pad she had been using aside as she leaned forward, "My species is effectively immortal. Thanks to the eternal falls, and technologies we've derived from it that allow us to purify any water, we don't age. Our elders are thousands of years old, and while I guess that means I can't *quite* relate to your situation, mine does come with some psychological baggage of its own"._

_Xolin eyed her curiously, as if to beckon her to continue. She did so, "We become so accustomed to life sometimes, that we take it for granted. We come to fear anything that might take that away; it's why Aquitar has never fielded a very large military force, despite the fact that we easily could otherwise. We become fearful; we close ourselves off. We get stuck in our ways. It's even worse sometimes, for those who *want* to die because they've felt they've lived long enough; they've still grown up in a society that fears it, and it sticks with them, like indoctrination. So they stick around in a half-dead state, simultaneously tired of their lives, and fearful of ending it"._

"_How do you guys deal with that?" Xolin asked, genuinely curious. She'd never really thought about how a long-lived species might think differently, but it made sense._

"_There are meditation techniques, though I'm sure you already partake in several of them. Some go on pilgrimages; soul-searching journeys away from aquitian society to discover themselves and face their fears. Sometimes they go out into the wilderness; sometimes they go to various sacred sites; sometimes they go to other nations. In fact, there are entire aquitian religious orders dedicated to that. But one of the things many tend to realize is that they're wrong. That you're wrong"._

"_I…what?" Xolin cocked her head at the therapist, a bit taken aback by the sudden shift in conversation._

_The therapist smiled wryly, "This universe is vast, and everyone in it has a different opinion. The odds that you're right about everything in your life is…well, it's absurd. Same for me. Same for everyone. But we still stand by our convictions; not because we know them to be true, but because we take that risk, that leap of faith"._

"_But what if I *am* wrong?" she whispered quietly, glancing down at herself, unfocused._

_The therapist shrugged, "Then at least it was a decision you made for yourself, because of your own convictions. And no one can fault you for that. We all exist but for a moment; but what's important is what we do here, and now. Not what might happen tomorrow"._

* * *

Xolin gripped her weapon tightly, and with a mighty heave and a roar, pushed the yellow android back, before throwing a wide swing with her lance at it. She turned to Sel, who was currently being knocked into the building's wall by an axe. "Hold on, Sel!" She couldn't let Sel die; she *wouldn't* let Sel die. She had a power; and she was going to use it to everything she could to save everyone else.

At the very least, her actions would have an impact.

Even as her three forms split, and two went after Sel's oppressors, she knew she couldn't hold on too long; her facets would be working at one-third strength; the most she could do now was keep everyone off-balance long enough for either Trok to take his target out and shift the tide of battle, or wait for Sid.

Fun choices. Xolin of Courage rolled out of the way of the yellow android's laser bolts, drawing her pistol in her free hand as she did so, before opening fire. The battle quickly descended into a game of ranged cat-and-mouse, with Xolin still being too fast for the yellow android to get a direct hit on—most of the time, anyway.

The other two aspects, Mind and Spirit, raced off towards Sel, each taking one of her opponents. Mind took on green, her lance piercing its exposed chest as she then used it as a jumping platform, leaping over its head and cutting down the backside in mid-flip. Spirit ducked red's axe, delivering a punch to its midsection, before following up with a sweeping kick.

"You okay?" she asked Sel. The yellow ranger nodded numbly as she got up, despondent that once again she'd proved unable to hold her own, to carry her weight, as the two Xolins took both of her opponents.

"…Yeah…" she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

* * *

"_Iota to Sid; the others have engaged the androids. Trok's managed to prevent them from shifting programs, but they've run into some…unexpected resistance. They need you"._

Sid eyed his morpher. The others needed his help. But…

The therapist sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose idly as she checked her notes, "Sid, I'll be blunt. Your psych profile has displayed multiple symptoms of PTSD, not limited to bouts of irritability, sleeplessness, obsession, and most importantly your ever-present flashbacks to the death of your former team. By your own admission, you've spent the last several years 'floating' on the edge of society without any sort of goal or purpose. And most recently you got sucked into a vibrant hallucinatory situation that played on those issues".

"So I shouldn't go?" Sid asked her.

"Throwing yourself into combat situations that could trigger a possible condition would probably be a bad thing, yes" she deadpanned. "You shouldn't be a ranger; and if you continue, you could do serious damage to your psychological health".

Sid glanced at his morpher again, then back at his therapist. For a second, he almost considered it. He almost considered giving up, like he'd tried to on Arkilla. Like he'd done for years. But what if his team HAD needed help? The one time they did, and he wouldn't be there. What if they still died?

The alternative, then, was much worse to him than some sleepless nights.

Sid pulled himself out of the shallow pool, making sure to avoid the crystal as he sat up and grabbed his morpher off the table beside him. "I'm sorry. They need me".

The therapist shook her head, "You're making a mistake. You're just shoving it all back down and ignoring it for the sake of your obsess—"

Sid cut her off, turning around with a determined look on his face, "No, for the sake of my friends. Yeah, I'm probably pretty messed up and I might be overbearing, but they still need me".

The therapist watched him step out of the pool, drops of water still falling on the floor, still very disapproving of his decision, but also there was a hint of…admiration, maybe? "You'll go, even knowing you could destroy yourself?" she asked skeptically.

He shrugged, strapping the morpher to his wrist, "Every time I go out there, I could die. Often times I nearly do. This is really no different to me. But if there's a chance I can save them, then the risk is worth it". He stared out the window behind the therapist, at the deep blue ocean and the other pods in the murky distance, "…And it's not just them. There's some crazy evil robot rangers out there, and unless somebody stops them, they could hurt a lot of people. And it might even be because we came here—there's some bad people after us, and we have a responsibility to keep them from hurting others".

"You can't ignore the problem forever" she said, "Eventually you won't be able to run anymore, and you *will* be forced to deal with it".

"Then that'll be then. But this is now, and they need me" Sid replied. His mind was made up, and she could tell from his expression. No further convincing could be done.

A small smile of admiration crossed the therapist's face as she and Sid locked eyes, "You know, when I was a child the power rangers were heroes. We used to look up to them, like paragons of virtue. They kept us safe from the very real and literal monsters that threatened us". Her nostalgic expression became a bit more downcast, "Then I think somewhere along the line we started to take them for granted; we turned them into our own monsters so we could use them to police us and fight wars. We made armies and organizations and regulations and business contracts, and then wondered where it all went wrong". The last part was spat out particularly bitterly.

Sid turned away, unable to keep eye contact; for what reasons even Sid wasn't completely sure about—he hadn't been expecting the *therapist* to lay her soul out. But she continued when he said nothing, "I guess what I'm saying is…as your therapist, I can't condone what you're going to do and I think you're a fool for doing it…but all the same, as a person I *can* admire it. Good luck, Sid".

Sid made one last side glance toward her as he moved to leave the room, "I'll do my best" he said, genuinely, before exiting through the door. He'd figure out his inner demons later, even if he *was* just playing along with them.

Right now he had a city to save.

* * *

Green's hammer rammed into Xolin of Mind's side, and she found herself being flung over a railing, landing with a tumble next to the office building. As she limped to her feet, she knew she was in trouble; even with her 'free will' advantage, she only had a third of the strength and power of her full form. She simply wasn't up to par in this state. The blue ranger's aspect backed up as the green android moved in.

They needed a fourth ranger.

"Heeeeey, batter batter!" came the call of a familiar voice; Mind looked up in expectation, and was not disappointed as a blur of red connected with the android's head. Sid landed on the android's arm, using it as a staging point to deliver a spin kick before leaping off. It stumbled back, allowing Sid time to summon his axe *and* his sidearm saber and cut into the hammer's hilt, breaking the object in two.

"You're not swinging!" Sid grinned, before bringing his two weapons in to meet with the android's body. As the android wheeled away, Sid turned to Xolin of Mind. "You okay?"

"I can't tell if you have the best timing, or the absolute worst" Xolin of Mind muttered, though her gratitude could be felt even through her biting sarcasm. She rubbed her arm, finding it a little sore from the battle.

Sid shrugged flippantly, "Well, you're not dead, so I'm gonna go with 'best'".

Xolin just shook her head, stifling a laugh as she headed past him, "Hang on a second, gotta take care of something real quick".

That was fine by Sid; his attention was currently being drawn to the fact that green was rebounding—but several shots from Sel's bow caused the red android to topple into it. So much for that threat. Turning his attention back to Xolin, he saw the three of them leaping up and straight-up rider-kicking the yellow android, before she recombined into herself.

"Hey, Xolin, toss her over here!" Sid called over to her. The blue ranger nodded, and as yellow staggered back to its feet, she sent it flying with her own into the quickly-growing dogpile between Sid and Sel-joined seconds later by the blue android that plummeted out of the sky. Trok had evidently used his hammer-mace to swing his opponent back up to where the others were. Another split moment later, and the mace swung up again; the hammer head latching onto one of the railings before Trok retracted the hammer, turning his weapon into a makeshift grappling hook. The green ranger landed with an almost graceful aura—y'know, except for the mild stumbling at the end.

Sid eyed him incredulously, "…What are you, Batman?" Trok gave off a very self-satisfied noise as he scratched the back of his neck. Xolin made her way over to the group, taking a moment to stab her lance into the writhing pile of metal and plastic and whatever else next to them—with not a little bit of prejudice.

"I hate copies. Never as good as the original".

"And thank god for that" Sid said, gratitude in his tone, "Shall we finish this?"

* * *

No. No, no, no no.

Not this time.

Capricorn pulled out a small remote. There was no anger, no rage. There was no petulant temper tantrums, no anguish. He was far past that; this had been his last gamble. The very last of his savings had been funneled into this, and now it was all for naught.

He had nothing left. Sel was lost to him; and with her, his honor and his empire. There was no recourse left, except for scorched earth. It was time for everything to burn, and to hell with the consequences.

He pressed the button.

* * *

Sid brandished his axe, "Alright, you all know the drill. Defender Can—" his words died in his throat when he caught sight of…something. He blinked; not entirely sure he understood what was going on. At first he thought it was just a trick of the light, or that he'd gotten something in his eye. But…no. Everything was getting fuzzy, or…melted. The bodies were all folding into each other, their colors and forms all blending and swirling each other like a messed up Dali painting.

What the hell?

"Uh…" Trok cocked his head, "Is anyone else seeing the crazy melting thing?"

As the remnants of the androids dissolved into goo, the undefined mass began to grow, and spread. And as it began to fill around and pooled around the railings and odd alien sea-weed bushes and ornamental statues and whatever else, they began sinking into it, dissolving upon contact.

"Oh…that can't be good" Sid stepped back, and the others followed suit. The goo then began inflating into a bubble, expanding out in all directions slowly but relentlessly.

"Uh…" Sid grimaced, "Trok, I need readings, now".

Trok scanned the bubble, at first finding himself perplexed by the data coming in. This didn't make…oh. Oh dear. "Uh…" his tone was anxious; unnerved. Sid knew that couldn't be a good sign. "I'm…guys, this is…this is nothing but nanobots".

All heads turned to Trok. Sid's reply was a flat "What?"

Trok kept scanning, the readouts appearing on his helmet's screen. This was…this was bad. "And it's growing. They're replicating. They'll consume this entire dome within a matter of minutes. If it keeps going, the entire planet will be nothing but a nanoswarm within a day or two".

"A nanobomb" Sid hissed, putting two and two together, "Looks like Capricorn or whoever finally got tired of dealing with us".

"How do we take it out?" Xolin asked worriedly as they kept stepping back. Soon they'd be out of room on this platform. "There's hundreds of millions of people on this planet. We can't evacuate them all!"

Trok nodded towards the crowd that had established itself at a safe distance around the dome's central governmental building, "Yeah, not to mention the more immediate victims".

Sid glanced over at where Trok was motioning towards. Civilians; great. Well, this whole job had gone right to hell, hadn't it? Iota was going to burn them alive when they got back.

If they got back, anyway.

"Can you hack them somehow?" Sid asked Trok, "Keep them from replicating?"

Trok shook his head, "I'd need to get back to the ship and work on a virus or something. I…I dunno how long it could take". More than a hint of panic could be heard in his voice.

"We don't have that kind of time. This'll be everywhere in just a few minutes" Xolin countered. She drew her blaster, issuing a pair of shots at the blob. The lasers cut right through, but the holes soon evaporated as the blob kept growing.

"You killed some…I think" Trok said, "But not enough. They're just repurposing the dead material for new units. We'd never be able to kill them quick enough. We need to kill all of them at once".

"EMP blast?" Sid asked.

Trok shook his head again, "The outer shell is shielding the inner regions; we'd never get very far".

Sid gritted his teeth. This was bad, and they were rapidly running out of room to stand. The small office pod on their platform was in the process of being devoured now, quickening the growth of the goo. They needed an idea; anything.

Sel watched them arguing and debating, herself standing just off to the side, as always. She watched the goo rise and bubble over as it continued to grow and consume…and she was silent as the others worked the save the day. She had nothing to contribute; again. The faintest glimmer of light danced across her fingers.

Maybe not.

She'd felt something growing inside her since her visit to Xybria; a presence perhaps, or…no, that wasn't the right word. And whatever it was, it had escalated over the past couple of days, since her freakout on the ghost ship, when she'd hit Sid with her, well, 'powers'.

…No. It wasn't so much *inside* her, it was more like…around her. The presence was, well…*everything*. It was like she was almost feeling more of everything around her. Its energy, its underpinnings.

Maybe she *did* have something to contribute.

"I have an idea" she said in a soft voice. It was enough to stop the argument dead in its tracks as everyone turned their attention to her. She cautiously approached the goo.

"Woah, Sel, what are you doing?!"

"Don't get too close!"

She paid no heed to their warnings however; they were out of ideas and time, as she could tell by their increasingly frantic arguments—and she had the power to end this…probably, anyway. So she knelt down, near the encroaching goo. She could feel the power growing from it; but she couldn't explain it. It was almost like she could peel the fabric of reality away, see its underlying truth. Energy swirled about her, even as she was unaware. She focused, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. She reached her hand out, summoning all her strength…

"SEL!"

"NO!"

Everything exploded into light.

* * *

Iota looked up from his desk. He *felt* that. He grinned inwardly.

It was time.

* * *

A massive, swirling vortex of beautiful, holy light filled the city sector. But not a single shadow was cast, not a single area remained dark. It was as if its source came from every direction at once, its pure unrelenting power pushing the rangers back, to the very edge of the platform, as Sel's form lifted up into the air, above the goo—and into it. The mass seemed to writhe momentarily, churning and boiling as it seemingly tried to escape, in futility, from the force inside, and outside, and all around it. Then it seemed to almost lift up, becoming fuzzy, as if the nanites were being…separated. They were! It was ceasing to be goo, and quickly becoming a cloud.

And then, just like that, the nanites *evaporated*, as if they were debris pushed aside by the solar wind. All that remained was the storm; the ever-raging tempest of light and power, and at the center of it all, beyond the blinding heat that the others couldn't even look at anymore, was Sel.

For Sel, everything happened so fast. She'd invoked her powers, and now everything was completely out of control. She screamed, feeling her entire essence on fire. It wasn't just her body, her soul *burned*. Everything that she was felt like it was being consumed by the ever-present light.

"SEL!" It was Trok's voice.

"I CAN'T STOP IT!" she screamed in panicked horror, "IT WON'T STOP!"

"You have to calm down!" Xolin called back. She had no idea if meditation would work, but she had to get Sel to try *something*, and she had no other ideas. "You have to focus yourself! Like in our training sessions! Breath in, breath out!"

Sel's only response was to issue an agonizing scream.

Sid tried pushing forward towards her, but the sheer amount of power she was emanating meant he couldn't even get close before his powers began sparking and glitching. He'd be dead long before he could even touch her. He crumpled under the weight of the storm, dropping to his knees.

Trok scanned the storm, desperately looking for any way through. What he found didn't make sense *at all*. He'd been expecting Sel to have somehow been causing the event; like she'd be the source of the energy. But…she wasn't. The source of the storm was *everywhere*, and it was…woah. It was Morphin' Grid energy. All of it. It was like the underpinnings of reality were boiling, agitated beyond all comprehension. It was as if someone had shattered a grid conduit, like a morpher, but it was *everywhere at once*.

"…What are you?" Trok gasped to himself, staring in awe and wonder as the storm continued to intensify. Another gargled scream from Sel brought him back to reality.

Wait, morphin' energy. Then the solution was simple! He quickly scanned the storm's frequency, and…there! "Sid, Xolin, I have an idea!"

"I hope it's a better one than the last one we had!" Sid grunted, noting the storm.

Trok nodded, "I do! The storm is made entirely of Morphin' Grid energy! All we need to do is resonate with it! I'm sending you my scans; attune your frequencies to it and guide me in!"

"…Morphin' energy?! But how?" Xolin asked, even as she did as she was told. But her question would go unanswered for now.

"Done and done" Sid said, doing the same, "We'll triangulate from here. Good luck. Bring her back".

Trok nodded back at the red ranger, completely understanding. Sid was *letting* him go. Sid was trusting him. He wouldn't let Sid—or Sel—down. With a deep breath, Trok moved forward, still struggling and bracing against the force of the storm, even with him resonating with it—but at least now he could push forward at all. His suit sparked and sputtered, and he maintained careful vigilance over his power levels. But he had to do this; she was counting on them, all of them.

Sid and Xolin struggled to keep pace with the storm, electricity swimming over their suits as they pushed their powers to the limits, and both knew if their morphers blew, they'd likely be swept away into oblivion. But neither one wavered, neither one stumbled in fear of losing the other half of their team.

"SEL!" Trok called out, reaching the yellow ranger's location. He stretched his arm out, reaching for her arm. He had to; he had to make contact with her to resonate herself with the rest of them. If he could do that, they might be able to cut the storm off from the source. "GRAB MY HAND!"

Sel broke from her agony just long enough to notice him. Trok, her friend. Her teammate. And she could…feel the others, in him, resonating with him. They were here for her. She reached out.

The storm vanished, just like that. A single pillar of light in the center lingered for just a moment longer, before it too faded away into nothingness. At the center of it all; at the center of the crater caused both by the nanites and the storm, knelt the green ranger, holding the limp form of yellow in his arms.

"SEL!" Xolin cried out, racing towards them now that she was free, "TROK!" Sid followed behind, quickly hurrying over to the two downed rangers. They dropped to their knees beside her.

"…I'm sorry" Sel whispered, clearly exhausted.

"'Sorry'?" Sid shook his head, laughing in disbelief at the girl, "You just saved the entire planet. You have absolutely *nothing* to be sorry about".

"How did you…what did you *do*?" Xolin gasped, in an almost stupefied tone. She couldn't believe what had just happened.

Sel shook her head, "I…I don't know. But the buzzing's gone. I don't feel it anymore". She looked at her hand; there wasn't any trace of the dancing light. Not right now anyway; she felt *something* in the back of her consciousness, but it was so far distant now she could almost forget about it.

"Can you stand?" Sid asked her gently. She nodded hesitantly, as the three of them helped her up, "Come on; let's get you back to the ship". Sid made one last glance back at the crowd down around the central building. Even from here, he could make out expressions and body language. Some were happy or grateful, others were still in shock. But many were disapproving, or in fear. Not that that was unusual to Sid; since the war, rangers had been seen as a symbol of SPD oppression, after all. Rangers were a tool of the enemy. That was why the Peacekeeper Organization was supposed to be covert and under wraps—ranger teams had been illegal within the Confederacy since the end of the war. Well, the cat was out of the bag now.

Oh man, this was going to be a *fun* debriefing.

* * *

He was alone, abandoned on the surface of this godforsaken ice planet. Capricorn was spent; he had nothing left. Even revenge was beyond him now, all because of that one damned little girl, who was apparently some kind of god or whatever. He'd never stood a chance to begin with.

So he sat there, alone, battered on all sides by the endless snow and ice and wind.

He screamed in impotent rage.

* * *

Sid's brow furrowed, frustrated by his lack of progress. He laid back in his seat as yet another test ran negative. Not that he was even sure what he was looking for, mind you, but that just made this whole thing even weirder and more frustrating.

"You sure you don't feel it anymore…whatever it was?" Xolin asked Sel, sitting across from her. Sel rested sitting up on the central bed in the medbay, a fair number of wires stuck into her as test after test had been ran; all of them inconclusive.

She shook her head, "Everything's…clearer, I guess. Before I reached out, I felt a buzzing or…something, like the world was full of static, or maybe I could just…feel the universe…" she trailed off, trying to remember the feeling as she focused on her flexing hand, but like a fleeting dream, it slipped through her grip.

Sid frowned; that sounded ominous, "Why didn't you tell us you were having issues?"

The xybrian shrugged, hesitant, "I just…it didn't seem important".

Sid snorted in bemusement, "Next time something is out of the ordinary, tell us. It could be important. And that includes the normal bad stuff too; like the flu. Or kidney stones".

"…Kidney stones?" Xolin asked incredulously, her eyebrow raised. Sid shrugged noncommittally as he continued his scans of Sel on the computer next to them.

He shook his head, "I got nothin'. Like, I'm not a med student by *any* means, and I don't even know what I'm looking for, but I got nothing". With a large sigh, he slapped his hands down on the edges of the computer.

"Iota said there was never anything there either" Sel said, more than a hint of concern in her voice, "We ran several tests. Nothing".

Sid grimaced, looking at her and then back at the computer screen. "Yeah, well…not that I don't trust Iota, but…" he muttered to himself, intently studying the Nothing on the screen. Xolin eyed him knowingly, but Sel's reaction was a bit perplexed, if curious.

Trok however, apparently hadn't caught the remark. Instead, from another computer on the other side of the room, he spoke up, "I'm not sure medical tests are where we should be looking first anyway".

Xolin's ears perked up as she turned around towards him, "How do you mean?"

Trok pulled out one of the computer's holographic displays, before walking over to the rest of the group and sitting down next to them. He enlarged the window, giving them a better view; it was footage taken from the storm. He asked, "What do you guys know about the Morphin' Grid?"

Xolin shrugged, "Source of all ranger powers?"

Sid's answer was a little more direct. He wasn't a physicist either, but the academy had done a good job of rounding out his education (it was no surprise that SPD curriculum would consider the Grid an important topic to cover). "Off the top of my head? Fifth fundamental force of the universe, alongside gravity, electro-magnetism, and the strong and weak forces. Unlike the others though, it seems to exist in a 'background state', a grid of energy that covers everything at all times, instead of simply a force that appears when conditions are met".

Trok lit up a bit, "Right! It's also the pre-requisite for all life as we know it".

Xolin frowned, "But, can't we shut off the grid? Like, morpher dampening tech and stuff".

"You're only shutting off a direct connection" Trok explained, "Not the grid itself, hence why you need a frequency, or why severing one connection won't do anything for another set of powers. Like, we could turn off the Megaship's gravity systems, but gravity as a force still exists everywhere in the universe". He paused, pondering his words, "Okay, that's not a *perfect* analogy, but…"

Sid waved him off, "Right, so what's the point?"

"Right, so" Trok pulled himself back on track, "During the storm, I did some scans, and found some very interesting things. For one, the storm was entirely comprised of Morphin' energy; all of it".

Sid and Xolin looked at Sel surprisingly, then all three looked back at Trok. Xolin spoke first, "What are you saying? That Sel is some sort of…grid connection?"

Trok shook his head, "No, you're not getting it. Look at these readings" he pointed at the holo-screen, "She wasn't emanating Grid energy; there's no extra power anywhere; by all rights the storm shouldn't have even existed".

"There's no storm nexus" Xolin breathed, realization dawning.

"Exactly" Trok nodded, "All that energy was pre-existent; background. But something got it all riled up. It's like the Grid itself was *boiling*. It would be like if, I dunno, all the atoms in a given region randomly decided to start up nuclear fusion. Or if gravitational wells just vanished".

Sid took the holo-screen, looking over the readings himself. He didn't understand most of the numbers, that was Trok's specialty, but he understood most of the implications. "…Someone who can manipulate the grid at its very base, and not just draw power from a connection?" everyone looked at Sel, who simply watched the video on the screen with distress. Sid looked back at the screen himself, "My god. With this kind of power…"

"If something like this were employed large-scale, make no mistake" Trok's voice became grave, which was very unsettling considering his normally upbeat and irreverent personality, "This would be a doomsday weapon. And I'm not just talking in the 'burn everyone on a planet alive' sense. I mean in the 'you could destabilize the grid and collapse space-time if the attack is strong enough' sense. This could be *very* bad". He paused, again considering, then sheepishly turned to Sel, his hands up defensively, "Not that you're a doomsday weapon".

"Classy" Xolin deadpanned, rolling her eyes.

But Sid wasn't distracted, "So then, I think we know why everyone's been after Sel". She was quite possibly the most important person in the universe.

"…I'm a weapon" Sel whispered, dumbstruck. All this time, she'd been trying to build an identity, a life. But…dear ancestors. She was a weapon.

"No" Xolin glared at her determinedly, "You have a gift. And all gifts are a two-edged sword. It's all in how you use those gifts. Do you understand me? You're not a weapon".

"We'll help you try and help you keep your powers under control" Sid said to her, "I promise. I'm not sure *how*, but…well, we'll work on it. Take things as they come, one at a time. That sound good?"

Sel nodded, still a bit wordless.

Sid nodded back, a reassuring smile forming on his face, "Good".

* * *

"…_Tensions are once again on the rise between the United Alliance and the Confederacy of Worlds, as recent events have strained the already cool relations between the two historic enemies. New footage from Thessalia's capital city suggests that the Confederacy may have begun employing ranger teams—a move so far unconfirmed by government authorities, but already decried by many Confederate citizens as 'betraying' all those who fought and died in the war for independence from the Alliance"._

"_But more interesting, is that these mysterious rangers are using old SPD suit designs, and are allegedly responsible for several hit-and-run attacks on SPD property according to Alliance officials. The Confederacy has denied these claims, but issued counter-accusations that the Alliance and SPD has conducted similar operations against their own holdings. Already, there have been unconfirmed reports of mobilization on both sides"._

"_Numerous other regional powers have issued statements cautioning against the use of violence when peace can still be achieved diplomatically. Certainly, the economic effects on the intergalactic community from two of the larger alliances could be 'severe'. Nations that have offered their assistance in helping to mediate this dispute include the League of Worlds, the Rian'th Republic, and most surprisingly, the Neo-Machine Empire…"_

* * *

"This is intolerable! Unconscionable!"

Iota put his hand up at the undefined male hologram pacing in front of his desk, "Please, this can all be—"

"NO!" the hologram howled, "Do you know what you've done!? You've just revealed our entire organization to the universe! The government will *have our heads*. And that's not even getting into the fact that you've just jumpstarted the next war, or the utter shitstorm that's going to ensue now that the enemy knows that Omega One is active!"

"Zeta, please" the female hologram cautioned, "Cool heads must prevail".

"If we hadn't intervened, the entire planet would have been devoured within hours" Iota said calmly, "And at any rate, the situation is actually to our gain".

"How do you figure?" the female asked, sternly.

Iota grinned under his helmet, "Simple. The war was always coming; considering the…odd moves made by the Alliance of late, I have no doubt the enemy has their tendrils in them and—"

"You have no conclusive evidence of that!" Zeta shrieked, but Iota put his hand up again and continued.

"I have enough to convince me. I have no doubt that the rising tensions are part of the enemy's smokescreen to hid their efforts; we can use it as well. Make no mistake, what happened today was not my plan, but what's done is done. What we can do now is use it to our advantage. Sel has activated, fully this time, that much is true. But all we have to do now is sit and wait for them to come. We have all the time in the world; they do not. And it is best to wait in the light, where we can see them coming".

"So your plan is to sit there, like bait?!"

The female spoke up, "Simple strategy, Zeta. Never allow your enemy to dictate the field of battle. They have to come to *us* if they want Sel". She sighed, "My inbox is already flooding from the fallout from this little…'incident'. The government wants answers. They may cut us off, defund us".

"Unlikely" Iota leaned back in his seat, "Despite what they might say, most of the Senate's been secretly hoping for Round Two for years, and the continual covert probing by SPD has only intensified their bloodlust. They feign outrage to play the part, but make no mistake, they are benefiting from this just as much. And at any rate, they need us, now more than ever if war *does* happen".

"We only have fifteen ranger teams, only thirteen of which are duty-ready and active. We can't fight this war for them" Zeta countered.

Iota replied, "We don't have to. The militaries of the various member worlds will fight this war. Our ranger teams are built for specialist operations, and that is what we will continue to perform as. And, if we do get the green light to go public, we can ramp up our recruiting substantially as well".

"All just as planned, hmm?" Zeta asked cynically.

Iota shrugged, "Never let a good opportunity go to waste" he turned to the female, "Are we done, Gamma?"

Gamma sighed, "For now, yes. I have a lot of immediate damage control to see to. Shall we reconvene in…four hours' time? We need to lay out a detailed groundwork for the next few weeks and months".

"Agreed" the other two said.

She seemed to nod, "Good. Oh, and one last thing, Iota?"

"Hmm?"

"Last time we asked, you said the team wasn't ready. That was several weeks ago".

Iota nodded, "I believe the time is right. I will prepare to receive him".

"Excellent. His training has exceeded all expectations; I think you will be very pleased".

Iota nodded, "Understood. Four hours, then". With that, the two holograms blinked out of existence. Iota's grin resurfaced as he pondered. Yes, all just as planned.

* * *

"One new message"

Curious, the black and blue armored figure opened the call. It was audio only; but then her boss had always had a flare for the dramatic. "Yes?"

The voice on the other end came through, "It's time. Begin phase two".

She exhaled in satisfaction. Finally. "Understood. What should we do about the goat?"

"Capricorn?" the voice seemed to consider, "He failed in his primary objective, but he did a good job of keeping everyone distracted. That said, I feel his his employment to us is ended. If he interferes again, terminate him".

"Understood"

"May forgiveness be found" the voice said.

"May forgiveness be found" she repeated, like a well-worn mantra. One that had kept her sane for a long time. The connection was cut, leaving her alone once again. Well, then, time for phase two.

She had a lot of work to do.

* * *

_To be continued…_


	12. 1x12: Secrets and Lies, part 1

**1.12: Secrets and Lies, part 1**

Iota hated politics, even if they were like second nature to him. Sure, he could make anyone do what he wanted, between manipulation, blackmail, and even legitimate diplomacy; but really he'd rather everyone leave him alone and let him do his job. It was almost like the universe didn't want to be saved.

He'd known this was coming though, long before he'd even flipped the proverbial switch to reveal his team to the universe. Zeta had been right; this WAS a trap he was springing. They were all fairly certain the enemy had their hands in SPD, even if they didn't have direct evidence (yet). It would explain their recent erratic movements and easily-caught 'covert' incursions into Confederate space—including the mission that had gotten Xolin and Sel captured several weeks prior. But if Iota knew anything, it was that you should always pick the battlefield. Sure, they could have tried to remain undercover; they could try to put off the war as long as possible. But then they'd be on the defensive, fighting a battle they hadn't chosen. And eventually, the enemy would win and the war would start anyway. This way they weren't going to lose resources delaying the inevitable. And anyway, if the enemy could use the war as a smokescreen for their efforts, so could Iota. If anything, they'd only given Iota more ammo for his campaign.

Not that Zeta would ever see it that way, but whatever. His concerns had been noted and ignored.

"Welcome" came Gamma's familiar voice. The black armor-clad warrior stood opposite him as he walked through the doors to the bottom floor of the Confederate Senate Hall on KO-35; one of the central buildings of the capital city of New Karovia. The vacant chambers' normal occupants were missing—the government was currently out of session. Not that it mattered much; everyone knew the Senate was a toothless country club for old career politicians who wanted an easy election into a safe job. They didn't actually *do* much; mostly argue about trade regulations and then propose bills that they hoped their homeworlds would ratify. The Confederacy was almost hilariously decentralized as everyone was terrified of it becoming like a repeat of the Alliance—hence why there was no SPD counterpart or even a unified military service. In fact, in its current state, few even believed it was going to last very long.

Well, it'd still last long enough for Iota's purposes. So it was yet another good bit of luck on Iota's part that war was coming; what better way to unify desperate parties than conflict?

But today, the actual real leaders of the Confederacy stood inside the massive chambers. They were on the ground flood, where senators and ambassadors would make their speeches and direct debates. All around them stood the empty coliseum; ringed seats in full multiple circles, divided by pathways down at even intervals. The chambers were of classical karovian geometric style—triangles, shapely polygons, and other angles were the order of the day, filled with a dizzying display of color. The room was filled with crystalline glass; multicolored like stained mosaics. Some fragments just dangled from the domed ceiling, while others made up the chairs and windows. Everything had a very sharp and crisp feel.

Surrounding Iota now were the movers and shakers of the Confederacy. He saw representatives from almost every member state; among them and aside from Gamma he spotted King Ihara of Triforia, Elder Sesh and two of his acolytes from Xybria, and Chancellor Celpha of Aquitar—the head of the Confederate Senate. But almost *everyone*, except for, notably, the Edenites and the Free Tenga Colonies. The would-be representative for the former, King Paleagon, was busy elsewhere, and no one had thought to get the latter involved. The tenga colonies mostly kept to themselves, despite being part of the Confederacy.

But whatever.

"Shall we begin?" Celpha said. Not really a question, more of a statement. Despite not looking much over thirty, she was clearly *old*. It was how she carried herself; this was someone who had seen much, and cared for little anymore beyond her objectives. The group moved further into the center of the room, spreading out a bit as this informal meeting got underway.

Celpha spoke again, "We stand at a crossroads. Certain events have transpired that force us to adjust our course. Certain events were out of our control, while others…" she gave a sidelong glance at Iota, "…Were done deliberately without the consent of the Peacekeeper Organization or the Confederacy of Worlds".

"Yes, let's talk about that, shall we?" said one of the two karovian senators. He glared at Iota as he continued, "Let's start with how you just exposed our entire operation to *everyone*! Do you have any idea what kind of chaos you've unleashed? The populace is *terrified*!"

"It was necessary" Iota threw back calmly, "What were we going to do when the war came? Just unveil our ready-made super-secret organization to the public? They'd never trust you again. And make no mistake, we *would* have been uncovered as the war escalated. We all know there would have been no other good counter to SPD. At least this way we can say we allied with an existing but independent faction. It's good business".

""Not your decision to make!" the senator crowed, "And now we've got a terrified populace, and a hostile power next door ready to make war!"

"They were already about to make war. Or at least provoke us into it" Sesh said, his robes gliding effortlessly across the floor as he paced towards the two, "Six separate incidents in the past two months. Seven if we include the kidnapping of two of Iota's charges. The storm was coming regardless. What matters is how we handle it".

"Besides" Iota cut in again, "What would you have had my team do? If they hadn't acted, the entire planet would have been lost, and we'd have been faced with a nigh-unstoppable nanoswarm with morphing grid abilities". A lie of course, but a necessary one; Iota had of course issued the order to dive in long before the androids had erupted into nanobots—and Sel had been responsible for the morphing storm. And Iota had to protect Sel's abilities for as long as possible.

"Indeed" Celpha said, ending the debate, "Which is why placing blame is not important here, and why we're not doing it. Iota's consequences will be dealt with in due time. For now…" she pulled out a small datapad, activating a giant interactive holographic display that filled the entire room. On it could be seen galaxies, floating amongst the secret cabal. Numerous lights and dots and displays appeared, letting them know of fleet locations, economic statuses, and everything else that went on within the Confederacy's borders.

Celpha cleared her throat, "My fellow leaders; it is time to plan our next move. Gamma, may I assume the next Peacekeeper operation has begun?"

Gamma nodded, "Iota's team is en-route as we speak".

Celpha nodded, "Excellent. Shall we begin?"

Iota watched as the Triangulum galaxy silently floated past him. He hoped the rangers were finding an easier task than him…

* * *

The red ranger's axed cleaved through two drones like they weren't even there, their broken frames exploding as he rushed past, not even caring to stop. Alarms blared everywhere, but he ignored them.

"_Okay, I'm at the power junction, what now?!"_ came Xolin's slightly panicked voice over the comm. Another drone went down before he checked the map on his morpher.

"Left" he said, speaking into his communicator, "Then straight. You'll arrive at the tram station. Take the one that heads south, and I'll meet up with you".

"…_Where?"_

Sid grinned to himself, "Don't worry, I got a plan". He grinned wider when he could almost imagine her sigh of resignation at that statement. No time for that though; another drone flew in, firing lasers as he dropped down and rolled past its firing arc, before cutting it in half too on the rebound. Damnit; this was supposed to have been an easy plan too. He and Xolin were supposed to have infiltrated…well, this place. Ostensibly a mining base on the volcanic planet of Ralkesh II, SPD had assumed command of the facility about a month ago, launching a minor news incident when the Alliance company in charge, Diggers United Inc, had protested. The fact that the protest had been revoked very soon after was…unsettling, moreso even than the initial takeover, so it had been Iota's theory that this place would finally give them the information they'd been wondering about ever since the abduction incident several weeks prior.

The base was utilitarian; the area Sid was running through were some of the back-room maintenance tunnels, with vents and pipes and engineering stations every which way. *What* it was maintaining, Sid didn't much know. Or care. The only thing he DID care about was the fact that Xolin was currently powerless.

Yeah, it had seemed like a good idea at the time. He absently tapped the blue morpher strapped to the side of his belt as he ran. It was a two-person job. They'd needed someone to actually do the infiltrating and do it by blending in and without getting caught; Xolin had volunteered, and so she had assumed the position of a facility engineer. Sid was the backup, the getaway driver. He'd been waiting down here, watching her position on the map and guiding her, and when the time came he was supposed to have made sure she'd have a ride at the docking bay.

But, well, one thing had led to another, and SOMEONE had caught wind that they weren't legit. He wasn't even sure how it had happened, but the second they'd gotten far enough in…well, Sid wasn't about to start screaming that they'd known all along, but it was pretty obviously the case.

"_Where are you?! Where should I stop?!"_

"Keep going, I'll be right there" Sid reassured her, just before he stopped dead in the middle of the empty hallway. This was the place. Taking one last glance at his map, he pulled out his blaster, charged it up, and opened fire. The scattered blast blew a hole in the wall, revealing what Sid had expected to see; open sky. The world was hellfire; an inky black sky filled with soot and smoke, with the world's only source of light being the massive vats of churning magma down below, which stretched out, blocked off only by the occasional island—and the cliff behind him that the entire facility rested on the side of. Just a few stories below him ran the track, but where was—ah, there she was. He could see the tram rounding the corner towards him.

And none too soon, as more drones were incoming behind him. Come on, come on…

Sid jumped, leaping off the side of the destroyed hallway and plummeting through the open sky as he flew himself at his target. Sure, diving off at a seventy-five degree angle at a tiny moving target while surrounded by a sea of lava from a high altitude.

Easy, right?

Ducking and rolling at the last moment, Sid's body crashed right through the glass as he landed in a heap on the ground. "Ow…"

"Holy shit!" Xolin shouted, turning from the controls in instinctual panic. She let her fingers go from the gun on her hip—something she'd picked up on her way here. "How did you—"

Sid pulled himself up, dusting himself off almost comically before tossing Xolin her morpher, "I got you a present".

"Just what've always wanted" she said deadpan, strapping it to her wrist before transforming into the blue ranger, "You never realize just how naked you feel without your super-powered magic armor until you've got a dozen soldiers firing at you".

"Triforian fetish I don't know about?" Nothing mean, just their average teasing.

"Not that I know of" she said, not rising to the bait. She returned to the controls, "Where are we headed?"

"Well, forward would be nice".

She rolled her eyes, "Really. And here I was thinking of going left. On a tracked vehicle".

The cage they were in shuddered. The two glanced back, only to find to their horror another tram gaining on them, with multiple soldiers firing out the windows at them. Sid turned and began returning the favor with his pistol.

"Oh COME ON!" Xolin shouted with exasperation, as another volley impacted. Wait, they weren't firing on *them*, they were firing on the…uh oh. "Sid, they're trying to take us off the track!"

Sid felt it too, as the car began to sway back and forth, its connection to the track above now far more tenuous than it had been a second ago. Quickly he brought up his map, "auxiliary processing bay 2, NOW!" he shouted, rushing back over to her.

"What?!" she exclaimed, even as her mind made the connection by glancing down at the facility they were about to pass over—so while she had started with a genuine question, she ended with disbelief. He wanted them to do *what*?! Another volley was followed up by a sickening crack above them as the car shuddered. Sid could almost feel his stomach flying up into his throat just before the altitude began to decrease.

"This is the worst idea you've ever had!" Xolin shouted.

Sid agreed wholeheartedly, hating what he was about to do, "Yeah, probably!" With a single instinctual heave, he threw himself at Xolin's body, knocking the blue ranger out and through the window and down into one of the open…er, exhaust ports in the roof of the complex they were driving right over. He could hear her screams all the way down, even as he leapt out himself.

Man, he was going to pay for this later, he was certain of that.

Well, he'd pay for it if he survived that long, anyway. Deciding now was probably a good time to leave, Sid thrust himself out of the doomed tram car, and divebombed towards the facility below, into the closest exhaust port, witnessing the car explode in the nearby lava just as he passed into the darkness.

He hoped Trok and Sel were having more fun than Xolin and him…

* * *

Thwack.

A swing from Trok's club sent his ball flying over the green, until it was almost out of sight—aaand there it went into the water. He frowned.

"I don't get it".

He turned to Sel, standing next to him, "Me either. I mean like, wouldn't it have made sense to send us all? Like, what if Xolin or Sid got caught? It would have helped had we had another backup. Or someone else fishing for information". He'd been really disappointed when they'd been passed over for this one. The two of them had settled on wasting time in the simudeck while they waited for the others to return, though their interest was quickly waning. What was there to do when there wasn't anything good to play? I mean sure, there was that huge list, but none of it sounded good. They'd been skimming from game to game endlessly, with no real purpose or drive. Bleh.

"No, I mean the game" she replied, carefully inspecting her own club, "I don't get it. What's the point?"

"You're bored?" he asked.

She nodded, still not taking her eyes off the tool, "Very much so".

He sighed, "Yeah, this wasn't nearly as fun as I thought it was going to be. The way Sid talked about it, there was supposed to be like, windmills and obstacle courses and shit. Not…whatever this is" he waved at the open field they were standing in.

"Wanna try a different game?" he asked. She nodded, and Trok opened up his in-game menu. Different game it was.

* * *

Back on her own again. Sigh. At least she was morphed this time. Xolin made a mental note to kill Sid after she found him, because holy shit. Thankfully her powers had protected her from the fall, but what kind of asshole tossed people out of tram cars?!

Well, obviously someone who knew the entire car was about to come down and if they'd waited too long she'd have fallen into lava. But still.

The area she found herself in was strange; giant clear cases held vats of magma which were being transferred in and out via numerous pipes. How did they even keep the heat from destroying everything without any obvious dampening fields? Magic spell, maybe? Enchanted material? Hmm. At any rate, this seemed to be where the material was 'cleaned out', with the heat being funneled up to power the machines elsewhere, while the vats split the molten material up into stuff that could be mined, and regular rock that would be deposited back outside. Two birds, one stone.

Trinity, this place was hot, even while being protected by her powers. She spoke to her morpher, "Sid, where are you? I ended it up in some sort of lava museum, and all the exhibits suck".

Sid's amusement could be heard in his voice, _"Same, but it looks like we ended up in different chambers. We'll meet up in the exit chamber and head for the nearest launch bay. Use your map"._

Oh, right. The map, duh. She tapped her controls, bringing up a small holographic display of her surroundings. Easy enough. The layout of the base was large and complicated, but at least she saw the direction Sid was wanting her to take. She grimaced as she headed in that direction.

"_I don't suppose you had time to find anything"._

She shook her head, even though Sid couldn't see it. "I didn't have time. I hadn't even gotten to install the virus Iota gave us to hack through".

"_Odd they found us so fast"._

She couldn't really disagree with that, "So what do you think? Mole?"

"_Might have been something we tripped coming in. But, yeah. The fact they tracked you down so quickly tells me they were waiting for us"._

Her frown intensified. That was not a fun thought. "What if we're still being herded?" she asked, not entirely comfortable with likening themselves to cattle.

"_Bad news for us, then. The quicker we get out of here, the better"._

No arguments there. Xolin turned and made her way through the large exit at the end of the lava chamber, entering into some sort of large, empty hallway; it was at least two floors high, and even the width was a little big. Pathway for trucks, perhaps? Man, if someone ambushed her here, she'd be completely open. So, the blue ranger raced through the hall, exiting as quickly as she could. And that's when she saw a sight that took her breath away.

She stood on a wide open ledge (again, large enough for vehicles, and it twisted around back, to where she couldn't see at the moment), over the interior of a large cavern. It had been heavily built up by the facility, but there was no mistake that at least originally, it had been of natural formation. But that wasn't what had caught her attention.

It was the military.

The room was absolutely flooded with SPD tanks, and APC's, and fightercraft, and exosuits, and minizords, and…woah.

"Sid…you gotta see this" she said, any residual lightheartedness in her voice completely erased, replaced now by awe and a bit of terror.

* * *

"The problem with this plan is twofold: the first, obviously, is the lack of support from the people of the Confederacy. They'll never go for it" said the representative from Mirinoi; Iota recognized him as Admiral Drake; one of the top-level officers in its military…and former SPD commander, way back when. When this initiative had been proposed, Drake had been one of them to almost physically jump at the opportunity.

"And the other?" Iota asked.

He turned to Iota, "The other is our state of readiness. We have fifteen teams, with only thirteen ready for operations. That's not even close enough to match up against SPD's numbers. Not only that, but the organization is severely underfunded due to its off-the-books nature, and, in my opinion, is still struggling to establish itself".

Iota's voice remained even, calculated, "As stated, the war would quickly allow us to jump up recruitment".

"Besides, the Peacekeepers were never built to go toe-to-toe with SPD's militarization. We're built for more…finesse" said Gamma, not bothering to elaborate.

But Drake wasn't done yet, "Again, you're assuming that the people will just go along with it. They won't".

King Ihara of Triforia spoke up, "You would be surprised what people will go along with when their safety is in jeopardy".

One of the karovian senators scoffed, "Yes, we all know about the Gold Ranger's illegal escapades for the past few years, and how your people adore you for it".

"I'm afraid you must be mistaken" Ihara said blandly, "I have not been in service since I personally signed the Confederate treaty at the end of the war. But the legend of the Gold Ranger *is* a powerful one for my people. It is no surprise that it keeps alive even today, with no-one donning the suit".

"Hmm" the senator mused unconvincingly. He pressed his glasses closer towards his face as he responded, "At any rate, folk traditions don't hold as much sway with my world. The karovian people have a distinct distaste for super-powered warriors, and I know they are not the only ones" he nodded at both Chancellor Celpha and Admiral Drake.

"The fact that, as Admiral Drake has pointed out, the Peacekeeper Organization is not so heavily militarized, may work to our advantage in that case. Our men and women are a hodge-podge ad-hock alliance of affiliates; a group of people who simply want to defend their homeworlds from invasion. Contrast this to SPD's war machine…" Sesh trailed off, letting the others finish the thought for him.

Their fears were legitimate of course, Iota knew that. The fact that the Confederacy's entire existence owed itself to the fact that the Alliance had been heavy-handed with its use of SPD –a ranger organization—as both a police and a military organization to oppress the local worlds was a fact that lived with every citizen daily.

SPD; the savior of the universe. It had originally approached the worlds of the local group of galaxies after both the Troobian sack of Sirius and the Dark Specter War of 1998. Both sides had been utterly devastated by their respective conflicts, and in the Local Group's case, they were shattered and terrified. Up till then, at least in living memory, the most they'd had to deal with was the local Evil Space Alien warlord sending out random monsters that the local ranger team would defeat. But Dark Specter had changed everything; he'd united all the local warlords and even some of the more distant threats, like the Machine Empire and the Vile Imperium. For the first time in thousands of years, worlds like Triforia, and Aquitar, and KO-35, and Earth all understood how very vulnerable they had been, and still were. Eltar, long the near-mythical bastion of light, had fallen within a matter of hours. Most other worlds had taken even less time. And SPD needed more worlds, more manpower, to protect itself as well.

So, the alliance had seemed like a good thing. And for a time, it was. The war-torn worlds of the Local Group were rebuilt, crime plummeted, war was unheard of, and a golden age settled on the region. But the Alliance got more expansionistic, and aggressive, deciding that the best defense was a good offense. They all but crushed the Troobian Empire in a series of devastating wars, and then proceeded to get bogged down in an endless struggle in the Pirate Consortium. And that wasn't even getting into the fact that they were also annexing other unaligned minor powers 'for their own good'.

And of course, as that happened, things got worse at home. The Local Group found itself paying more and more money and souls into the coffers of the war machine; wars they didn't want. And when the local governments spoke out, restrictions came down. Rebellions and revolts simmered, but it wasn't until the Earth Incident that everything went to hell.

SPD and the United Nations had always had a rough relationship, but as the countries of Earth began to lose their independence near the end, they struck back. Numerous UN black ops programs were enacted to try and stem the tide; to try and liberate their homeworld. The result of the covert move-and-countermove shadow war that ensued was nothing less than apocalyptic; some sort of runaway viral AI intended to be used against SPD took control of Earth's systems and within a few months the UN had gotten what it wanted; SPD had retreated with its tail between its legs, in fear of being overrun by the AI.

But of course, like any Monkey's Paw, it was only a technical wish come true; civilization was all but extinguished in the war, much of it through nuclear carpet bombing as the AI turned on its one-time masters. The few surviving enclaves found themselves at the mercy of not just the AI, but also a resurgence of orgs and numerous other slumbering beasts. Earth was quarantined, with Mirinoi left to pick up the pieces of its shattered colonial empire.

Earth became a rallying cry; SPD had failed to stay and protect Earth—instead of holding the line and fighting, they'd packed up and left, and thus broken the terms of their agreement. So in the eyes of the other Local Group worlds, they were no longer welcome. And so the Civil War began, and the Confederacy was born. In the aftermath, rangers had long ceased to be seen as heroes, as beacons of light. They were a sign of the oppressors, and so even the branches of SPD that had sided with the Confederacy were willingly disbanded.

And so here they were; a barely functioning confederation of planets afraid of each other and of the only thing that could save them, so much so that even though the government *had* to use them to survive, they would hide that fact from the populace. How droll.

But still, Iota had cards to play. He could make this all work. "And it's not as if it's a complete lie anyway; there are numerous other unaffiliated teams operating covertly within Confederate space at this moment" he said.

As if to punctuate his point, numerous points appeared in the various holographic galaxies circling around them, each accompanied by a dossier. Among them, SKY GUARDIANS accompanied a world on the edge of the Tenga Colonies. TITAN DEFENDERS lit up the bio of a Horathean team operating out of one of the colony worlds. OMEGA SQUAD was listed near the human world of New Montana. And there were almost a dozen more. And that wasn't even counting the non-ranger units; several masked riders lit up, like APOLLO, PHOENIX, and BERSERKER, amongst others. And then there were others; the STORM DEFENDERS referred to a duo of heavily armored siblings in red and blue. GALACTIC SENTINEL was an android. COSMIC KNIGHT was…well, they weren't sure how to classify him; yet another in a long line of mysterious armored mystical beings. And then there was that Varox ex-bounty hunter hanging around Liaria…

"It also gives us a good chance to ally ourselves with the unaligned teams" Celpha said, glancing at the nearest team to her; ROGUE LEGION—an unknown quantity at the fringes of the Confederacy, "If we can bring them into the fold, we can both keep tabs on them *and* bolster our ranks".

"My, how quickly we become that which we hate" Sesh muttered dryly.

Celpha side-eyed him with a glare, "Keeping tabs on independent paramilitary groups is hardly the same as being an oppressive dictatorship".

"So you say" Sesh replied skeptically.

"Regardless" Gamma said, realizing this was going nowhere, "Our best option right now is to blend into that structure. The narrative will be that the Confederate government has begun 'assembling' teams as a last-ditch effort, and the populace will believe us. It should be enough to keep them from completely going crazy".

The various players looked at each other. Celpha frowned, walking over to the Confederate-Alliance border, "…How long can we expect to have?"

"That's what my team is currently attempting to uncover" Iota replied.

* * *

The sight that greeted Sid was unbelievable. So many tanks and fighters and…everything. Holy crap. Now they knew why SPD had commandeered this mining facility on the edge of Alliance space; this was an ad-hoc staging facility. And if they'd taken this one, then how many others were there?

The Alliance was going to war, and the Confederacy was its target.

"My god" he whispered, before noticing Xolin heading down the path towards him.

"So what's the plan?" she asked, "Grab a fighter and bail?"

Sid shook his head as he watched numerous technicians and soldiers wandering about down below. Both he and Xolin had crouched behind the pathway's barrier, to keep from being spotted. He nodded towards the 'end' of the chamber, with giant blast doors "I doubt we'd be able to smash our way through the wall before we got blown out of the sky by all the tanks and shit".

She grimaced, "Point. So what, sneak past somehow, head for one of the loading bays?"

"Almost" Sid said, "…Do you still have the hacking virus?"

"Yeah, why?"

The red ranger glanced around at the armory around them, "…We need to get what files we can. This just became way more than 'hey, this situation is weird, go check it out'. We NEED that data".

Xolin checked her map. There WAS a database room not too far away within this area of the complex but, well… "We'll need to find a way down there without getting caught".

Yes, that *was* the problem. Hrn. Sid checked his own map. "Hmm" he mused, before his face lit up with an idea, "You still got one of those flashbangs Trok made?"

A smile crossed her own face as she realized where he was looking; at the far end of the complex. "Just need one huh?" she asked as she pulled a small black device from her belt.

* * *

The room was silent, almost deafening in of itself. It only served to further drive him *insane*.

Trok sighed, laying down on one of the couches in the observation lounge, his feet propped up on the other end of the sofa with his hands behind his head as he looked up at the ceiling. They'd long since given up the simudeck; they'd skimmed from game to game, but nothing had 'felt' right, and they were just so restless. He looked over at Sel—she had a blank expression on her face as she sat at the foot of the next couch over, staring off through the room's windows that covered the entire far wall. The Megaship hovered over KO-35, and somewhere on the blue orb below Iota was off on some important meeting.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked. He wasn't entirely sure why he was asking truth be told, and even as the words came out of his mouth he felt a little embarrassed. But there had been something in her vacant look, just…for a brief moment she had seemed…empty?

Sel blinked as if exiting a trance, looking over at him, "I…nothing" she looked down at the floor a bit somberly, "It was nothing".

He didn't buy that, but whatever, "So…what do you want to do?"

She frowned, but finally shrugged wordlessly before returning to her vigil.

Trok may have been young and naive, but he *did* know when to take a hint. Usually. Sensing she wished to be alone, or at least not around him for awhile, he sat up as he prepared to leave, "Right, sorry. I didn't mean to keep following you. I'll let you have some space".

"No, wait" she said suddenly, her eyes widening as he began to head towards the door. He stopped, surprised—just as surprised as herself, actually. She hesitated, "I don't…you don't have to leave. It's not that, I just…" she shrugged helplessly, "I don't know. It's hard to say".

"What's wrong?"

"Everything" she said promptly, surprising even herself.

Trok stared at her, dazed. He wasn't sure how to deal with that. He wasn't sure he was *equipped* to handle that. This was out of his league, he didn't…

No.

He clenched his fist, shrugging away his doubts. He wasn't a coward. Not this time. He didn't know if he could help Sel, but he had to at least *try*. Sel dug her hand through her green hair in frustration as he sat down next to her, cautiously. "What do you mean?" he asked, softly.

She seemed to regret this, but pressed on regardless. "I don't…it's not…" she struggled with her words, "…I don't know" she said, finally putting resting her head on her knees in surrender and mumbled, "Words don't work. I can't make them work. Everything gets jumbled and just makes everything even worse".

"So you can't explain how you feel?" he asked. She nodded numbly, and he sat back and thought. A moment of silence passed between them as he digested her words, "…You know, sometimes when I get frustrated, I work on my gadgets. I can't explain it but like…it helps me clear my mind so I can organize my thoughts. Like, I put my own emotions into my work, and it just…helps".

She stared over at him for a moment, regarding him skeptically, "You're asking me to work on your stuff?"

He shook his head, "No, no. I mean…you've been looking for hobbies, right?" an idea formed together in his head as he said that, and his face lit up. "That's it! It's so obvious!"

"What is?" she asked him quizzically. But her question was met with him jumping to his feet and pulling her arm along with him. She yelped in surprised as she was dragged to her feet.

"It's so obvious! Come on, I think I've got a solution!" he said, with that intense brand of optimism that only Trok could deliver. She almost believed him. Sel followed along, but it wasn't like she had much of a choice anyway, considering the lizard man had her hand tight in his grip.

Sigh.

* * *

She stood before a large hastily put-together canvas in the workbay. Well, 'canvas'; in reality Trok had just replicated a huge sheet of paper and put it up over the wall, and then brought her a whole shitload of paints and tools, which were now sitting beside her. She skeptically pulled out a brush, fingering it as she studied its design.

"Just…take a brush and go" Trok said, sitting on a stool a few feet away. She glanced at him, then back at the brush.

"What should I paint?" she asked.

He shrugged, "Whatever you want". She frowned, annoyed that she was being given so much free reign but no direction. Kinda like life. Sigh.

Well, here went nothing. She dipped her brush into the black ink, and began drawing—seemingly a person…maybe or some sort of animal, but it was so…eugh. Within a few strokes she got fed up and in a fit of frustration scribbled it out. "It's not working".

"Don't draw what you think you should" Trok said, "Paint what you WANT to paint. I can't work on my stuff if I don't have an inspiration".

"But I don't *KNOW* what I want to paint!" she said, her voice rising in anger. "I don't even know if I want to paint!"

"Then let the canvas know that!" Trok threw back at her, "Use your emotions! Forget thinking, just...do!"

Something clicked, because Sel tossed the brush aside, and instead dipped her hand into the orange ink. She pulled it out, and regarded it for a moment, letting the liquid run down her fingers, taking note of the odd and not-entirely-pleasant sensation, before she finally decided on her move.

Splat.

* * *

The explosion went off beautifully, in Xolin's opinion. The charge had transformed itself into a small handheld drone, flying off and attaching itself to the underside of a tank undergoing maintenance on the other end of the chamber without anyone noticing, and a scant few seconds later the entire thing went up like a roman candle.

They'd, for the moment at least, demorphed so as to not attract attention from the brightly colored outfits. As quietly as they could, the two leapt down from their perch while everyone else was running around and shouting and panicking and doing whatever. Sid motioned the direction he was taking them, and Xolin followed, slipping around the corner and behind a row of VTOLs.

Finally, she saw it up ahead as they turned again, into a small hallway just off the main chamber. A few rooms down, and they saw it—a computer lab, currently only occupied by two people; a scientist who wasn't as concerned about what was going on outside as he was about his current project, and a guard waiting on the back wall. His reaction times were quick, Xolin would give him that much, but they weren't quick enough. By the time he had aimed his gun, she'd already split into multiple aspects and bull-rushed him. In his confusion, he only managed to get off a shot after she'd knocked his weapon away. And he only ever got off that single shot, because the next hit knocked him out cold.

The scientist, shocked by the sudden event, scrambled out of his seat and turned to leave—and walked right into Sid's fist. He also crumpled to the ground, silent.

Xolin tossed Sid the USB with the virus as she headed back to the door, "You hack word documents, I hack limbs".

He chuckled and shook his head as he headed over to one of the several computer terminals in the room, "Fair enough". Plugging the device into its slot, he began his work. They both knew they had to be fast; while the distraction had worked to give them time to slip in, it was a double edge sword, because they'd soon determine it wasn't just an engine malfunction, and when the guard here didn't report in, well…

Bad news for them.

…Aaand unfortunately, this was going to take a few minutes, because the network here had better defenses than they'd thought. The virus was still working, but it was going to need a bit more time to burrow through and then file through to find what they were looking for.

Bless modern technology.

Unfortunately, that meant he had time to think. And he HAD been thinking about things, for the past few days, ever since his talk with the aquitian therapist. And really, though he'd told himself he'd just been mulling it over, in reality he'd just been procrastinating. Sid leaned back in his seat, "So…there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about".

She cocked her eyebrow at him, "…Is this really the best time for a Talk?" she asked, even as she once again gave the empty hallway outside a quick glance-over.

"Yeah, because otherwise I'll just lose my nerve and put it off. Besides, we got a few minutes".

Now she *was* curious, "Okay, I'll bite. What's up?"

He sighed, steadying himself, "Remember when we first met and how you wanted to be leader?"

"…Yeah?" she asked warily, not entirely liking where this was headed.

His brow furrowed as he looked back at the computer, "What if…what if I were to hand the reigns back over to you?"

"Woah, wait. Where did *this* come from?" Xolin asked. She'd sort of seen it coming by the direction the conversation had been taking, but she didn't get *why* it had been taken.

He frowned, "I just…I don't think I've done the best job as of late. I don't think I'm capable of it in my current state, and…you know what? I think you're up to the task".

She snorted in derision, "Sweet trinity. Are you *still* being whiney over the shit that went down on Horath?"

"It's not just Horath, I just feel like—" Sid was *about* to say that it felt like he had been in a never-ending rut since then, but Xolin cut him off with a wave of her hand before folding her arms.

"You know what I don't get about you? You're all about pushing us to be better, and then you turn around and throw yourself right down the same hole. You want Trok to stop being such a whiney bitch, and then you do exactly that. You call me out on closing everyone off, and then you do EXACTLY THAT". She laughed derisively, "when I first met you, I hated your guts. You were some hotshot asshole who thought he knew everything—and more annoyingly, you did" her expression softened for a moment, then switched to exasperation, "I*hated* you. But you know what? While I was wallowing in self-pity, you were out there leading us to victory. But now here you are, being a sad sack of shit. So you made one mistake; whoop-de-do. They happen; you've said so yourself".

When Sid didn't immediately responded, she continued, a bit softer than before, "Truth of the matter is, you're way better at running a team than I ever was. I like the direct route; I like to break stuff and then go home. If I was still running things, we'd probably all be dead, or worse". When Sid showed a bit of surprise at her comment, she waved him off again, "I might be bullheaded, but I'm a bit more self-reflected than you give me credit for".

Sid glanced back at the holo-screen again, "The psych on Thessalia told me I probably have some form of PTSD" he said finally, his voice subdued. Xolin's expression shifted to surprise, and then some sort of knowing, but kept quiet as he continued, "Leading may not be in my best interests".

She grimaced, "Sid…" she shook her head, chuckling softly, "You're an idiot. If you've got PTSD, then being in a leadership position or not won't help. You should have just left the team. But you haven't, so I think you've probably already made your choice, huh?"

He didn't look at her, but she continued just the same, "…That's what you saw on the ship, isn't it?" she asked, softly and knowingly as she looked away, "Your old team, I mean. The nightmare showed you your old team".

Sid's eyes narrowed, "No. It showed me you guys".

A brief silence settled over them, "I died" she said emotionlessly. The two glanced at each other, "I mean, in my nightmare. I died, and I…well, putting it simply, I went to hell. My aspects were torn apart and never reincarnated. I died screaming, helpless, and afraid".

More silence. Xolin slid to the floor, propping herself up inside the doorway arch, "I don't want to die. I'm *terrified* that my faith, all my practices and beliefs, are wrong. And that…*thing* ripped that out of my psyche and tortured me with it".

"…Why are you telling me this?" Sid asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Because you're my friend, I think. Trinity knows that I'm closer to you guys than my own family or anyone else back home. You're all I have. And you told me once I don't have to be alone. But you don't have to be alone either, Sid. You keep those barriers up, that mask you wear that makes you seem like the cockiest badass this side of Andromeda. But in reality, you're just as broken as the rest of us". She smiled bitterly at that last part.

More silence.

"You spend so much time helping others; you never stop to help yourself, Sid. Let us".

More silence. Finally, Sid spoke, his voice just more than a whisper, "…Thank you".

Her smile got a bit wider, "One thing I've learned, I think, is that leadership isn't some magical perch. You're still just one of us. We're supposed to lean on each other".

"So I'm not stepping down then?" he asked, a faint grin on his lips.

She gave a bemused look, "You're not *allowed* to step down. Now, glorious leader" she said as she stood back up, "How much time do I have left to keep guarding your pathetic ass?"

"We're at seventy-three percent" he said, checking the screen, "Not too much longer".

* * *

An alert came up to his desk. He was an imposing figure; wide, about seven feet tall, and covered in thick black and green armor. He toggled the incoming message.

"_Sir, we've just detected an incursion into our database servers from computer lab B-6. It's using the same algorithms as you expected it would. Should we move in?"_

He chuckled, "No, just keep the perimeter clear; evacuate all personnel. I want to test these…intruders myself".

"_Understood, sir. It'll be done. Good luck"._

The message cut out as the figure stood up, chuckling to himself, "Luck has nothing to do with it…"

* * *

"Eighty-five percent" Sid quoted vacantly.

"Eugh" Xolin brushed her hair out of her eyes, "Is it just me, or is it getting slower?" she paused, considering, "…And…is it just me, or shouldn't have we had visitors by now?" she glanced down the hallway again, concerned that there was *no one* down either direction.

Sid grew concerned, "…Yeah, we should have". He frowned, "I don't like this".

As if on cue, the wall behind Xolin exploded. She almost instinctively flipped away, transforming back into the blue ranger in a heartbeat as she got a good look at what used to be the wall. Sid leaped out of his seat as well, also transforming as the dust and debris settled, revealing a large black and green armored figure.

"So, you're the maggots crawling around under my rock" the figure said humorously. He eyed the computer, and aiming his wrist gun at it, caused it to explode into a million pieces—well, so much for THAT mission. "Now then, bring me some fun. I've been waiting for my chance to test out Iota's delivery boys".

"Iota?" Sid gasped, surprised, then resumed his fighting stance, "So what, you work for Capricorn? Another one of his for-hire mercs?"

"…Me? Work for Capricorn?" The creature's laughter quickly increased; a bellowing discord of noise, as if he found something about that ludicrously hilarious.

Xolin made a step back as Sid did, both taken aback by the sudden twist, "Oh, that can *not* be a good sign".

The imposing armored figure regained control over himself, "I'm afraid you children have gotten entirely in over your heads. And now, you're going to die. Horribly".

He charged.

* * *

Iota stepped back as the debate continued, taking a moment to gather in the map that floated around them in at once within his field of vision. The image of the in-fighting between the various species of the Confederacy, within their region of space was almost symbolic, like one of those old political cartoons from back in the day.

But the debate was just about over; most everything had been decided now, and any malcontents would side with them once the war hit. And war WAS inevitable now. And by the time Iota got back, he expected his rangers to have the proof he would need to keep the Confederacy from being seen as the aggressor in the conflict by the intergalactic community. Because above all else, they needed to keep the other powers out of the fight—they were too much of a wild card.

For now, at least.

"So, are we agreed?" Gamma asked tiredly. They'd been debating for hours, and she was tired.

Celpha nodded, "I believe a final vote is in order. Elder Sesh, if you would?"

The xybrian elder also nodded, stepping into the center as he willed a small holographic display to appear before him. "Our plan is as follows: We believe war to be inevitable now, and are planning accordingly. The Alliance has been probing the Confederacy for some time, and has been using our own counter-offensives as a pretext for war. In light of current events, one week after hostilities have been engaged, we will publically assemble the Peacekeeper Organization, a group dedicated to safeguarding our worlds, formed from 'associated teams' that to the public will be unrelated, but in reality have been trained by the pre-existing Peacekeeper Organization. We shall also begin keeping tabs on and courting unaligned teams and heroes. We shall also commence mobilization of our individual member states in preparation for the coming conflict, and will begin operations to unify them more closely under a joint war command structure. We shall also begin courting other nearby powers, as well as unaffiliated worlds within Confederate space, such as Liaria".

"Yay or nay?" Celpha asked to the group.

Inwardly, Iota smiled as the vote went his way, as it always did eventually, one way or another.

* * *

The wall was a mess. Well, the canvas anyway. Color had been splattered everywhere, smeared across, slapped on, punched. Something had unlocked within Sel, something she wasn't even aware of.

And she wasn't done yet.

Sel was in full rage mode, having tapped in to something *primal* during her experiment with the colors. Trok had sense enough to step back and let her go at it; to get in the way would do nothing but court disaster. She shouted angrily as she slammed down another glob of dark crimson goo onto the paper, even as her hair virtually sparked with static.

"And no one gets it, you know?! No one! You just keep telling me, 'Sel, don't worry about it" splat, "or 'Sel, it's not your fault'!" splat, "They don't get it! They don't get that I don't want to be utterly useless! I *hate* being the one everyone's after!" splat, "I hate being the one that needs protecting! I hate that no matter how much I work, I can't catch up! I hate that I don't remember who I am! I hate that I can't even seem to figure out who I *should* be, or even anything so simple as hobbies, or likes, or dislikes! I hate that I can't explain this to anyone! I hate that I'm so utterly inept that I can't just *explain* this to people!"

Each hit of the paint splattered against the canvas with all the power and rage of one lost little girl. Sparks flowed from her hands into the ink, causing it to further spread, and even change color. Her eyes widened in shock, but then her anger doubled, "And I hate these powers! I hate being a bomb that could go off at any time! I hate being so damned important and yet so damned USELESS!" she slammed her fist into the wall, holding that position for a moment, before relenting and dropping to her knees, looking despondently at her multicolored hands. She was absolutely covered in paint from head to toe, but it didn't matter.

"I just want to be normal. I just want to be me, but I don't even know what that is" she said, far more subdued now. "…I hate being worthless" her voice had dropped to a low, broken whisper. She'd just poured her soul out; all the things she normally couldn't say because words were clunky and unreliable, because thoughts were so conflicted and confusing, now lay bare.

Hesitantly, Trok crept closer. He honestly hadn't expected this kind of outburst, and was now more than a little overwhelmed. And here there was this broken person sitting next to him crying, dealing with things he didn't even know. What should he even do?

He knelt down a couple feet away, sitting down at the base of one of the work tables. "…I don't think you're worthless".

She issued a short but embittered chuckle as she turned away from him.

Something clicked.

"…Have I ever told you about how I got hired?" he asked. She shook her head slightly, her green hair obscuring her face. He smiled wanly, and explained, "Iota and Xolin found me just after I left Horath, on a space station in the Idara Sector. I'd been an idiot and some assholes had gotten me swindled into some sort of crazy gambling scheme, and when I lost, I didn't have the money to pay them. I didn't know my way around stuff, and I was just a gullible idiot. Xolin had been getting a drink at the bar, heard the noise, investigated, and kicked their asses" he laughed to himself a bit, but Sel didn't take the bait.

So he continued, "…Anyway. I was *terrible* at my job. I was rash, naïve, and kind of an idiot. I still am, I think, but I'd also like to think I know a little bit more now. But I was *always* messing up things for Xolin, always screwing up her plans, getting in her way…" he chuckled again, to himself, "…Asking stupid questions…"

He looked at her, "Look, my point is, you're not worthless. We all start somewhere, and it's hard. And like, if I was you? I couldn't do it".

She looked at him, confused.

He shook his head in a bit of wonder, "Not having memories? Having to start from scratch while everyone's after you? I'd be a broken, sobbing mess. And yet you do all these awesome things; you're way better at researching stuff than me. And I've seen you pilot in those simudeck racing games; you're *amazing*. And like…" he looked up at the canvas; filled with haphazard color, but still gorgeous and full of life. "I couldn't do that either. Push my emotions onto a piece of paper? That's…" he shook his head in just a bit of awe, "You're *amazing*, and you don't even see it. And that's the crazy part. You can't even see it".

Silence.

"…And like, you've gotten way better in combat than you were when we first met. And you're a natural when it comes to ranged fighting. I think, soon? No one's going to be able to touch you".

"…You really think so?" she asked faintly, turning away from him again, as she regarded her 'painting'. She didn't see anything special about it.

He edged closer to her, "Look, I can't speak for Iota? But I know I don't just care about you because of your powers, or because the bad guys want you, and I know Sid and Xolin are the same way, even if they are a bit aloof. Trust me on that. They care. I care. You're our friend. I like having you around. No one else cares when I blather on about my inventions or hobbies. And no one else plays co-op in the simudeck with me as much as you do these days".

Tears welled up in Sel's eyes, and without thinking she grabbed onto him, gripping him into a tight embrace.

He'd been taken aback slightly, but soon settled into the hug himself. "I mean it. You're my friend, and that already means you're not worthless". A beat, "…Sorry, that was really corny". She issued a small snort, but said nothing. They stayed like that for a few minutes, allowing Sel time to get it all out of her system. Trok was being pinpricked by static, but he ignored it, and at any rate it subsided as her emotions calmed down.

"Thank you".

"It's fine" Trok said, still a bit overwhelmed by all this, but now feeling a bit more in control now that he was *fairly* certain Sel wasn't going to atomize him with another grid storm. Also, he was feeling more than a little proud of himself, considering. This had turned out way better than he'd thought a minute or two ago.

"No" she whispered back as they pulled away, "I mean it. Thank you. For everything". She looked up at her creation. Her wild, insane, chaotic creation. Taking a deep breath to stabilize herself once and for all, she noticed her hug had accidently transferred numerous paint stains to Trok. She blinked, embarrassed, "…Shit, I'm so sorry".

"It's fine" he smiled back, "Mostly". He innocently pulled out one of the larger brushes out of the blue paint, and before Sel knew what was happening her face had a wide blue streak going down the front of it. Her face pouted up in first shock, then child-like petulance. How dare he! But he only responded with a wide shit-eating grin.

His efforts were rewarded seconds later with a face full of orange paint from a spray can. He spit out the foul-tasting chemical and glared at his friend-turned-opponent. He dipped the brush again.

This meant war.

A second later, Sel's high-pitched squeal could be heard as she ran down the hall, firing her spray can as Trok barreled in from behind her, brush in hand. Both were giggling like children.

It felt right.

* * *

Sid's body was thrust through the wall, back out into the main staging chamber as he rolled across the concrete ground, banging up against one of the VTOLs.

"SID!" Xolin shouted, but quickly turned her attention back to the green and black behemoth that now had his fist above her, poise to strike down. With lightning-fast reflexes, Xolin backflipped away, landing just a few feet from Sid. "Sid, you okay?!"

"Yeah…just gimmie a second…" he groaned painfully as he struggled to pull himself up, "Just…rearranging my organs, no big…"

No time. The armored figure stepped out of the hole in the wall, and Xolin summoned her lance. She'd have to keep him busy while Sid pulled his body back together. With a roar, she charged, intentionally dodging his fist as she used his arm like a staging point, slamming her foot down on his helmet. He seemed to chuckle, just before his other arm sent her flying.

Sid's charged-up axe came down the figure's backside, but he seemed to barely feel it. The behemoth turned around and regarded Sid for a moment, "…Was that it?"

"Oh shi—" was all Sid got out just before he had to dodge out of the way of another strike. But it wasn't enough, as the figure's wrist cannons opened fire, hitting him directly and sending his body once again flinging into a VTOL.

"Is this all Iota's children can muster?" the figure crowed with amusement, "How sad! I shall relieve him of his failure". He grabbed Sid by his head and picked him up, beginning to squeeze the red ranger's helmet. With the kind of force applied, it wouldn't be long before the power suit gave way.

Xolin charged in frantically, alongside Xolin and Xolin. "Let him go!" The figure felt a strike against his backside, but before he could even turn, the second Xolin had leapt up behind him and struck her lance into the back of his neck. He shouted in pain as sparks flew, giving the third Xolin time to round him and bring her weapon down on his wrist, freeing Sid. The red ranger dropped to the ground as she knelt close to him.

"You okay?"

He nodded brusquely. "…We need a new plan" he muttered as the figure dispatched the other two Xolins, "He's way too strong head on". His eyes narrowed as the first Xolin dodged the figure's next attack and responded with a flurry of strikes, before outstaying her welcome and being blasted away, "…Wait. How many of those charges do you still have?"

The two glanced at each other as the new plan passed between them wordlessly.

The figure meanwhile, took down the second Xolin, and the two unmoving bodies evaporated back into the third Xolin. The two rangers pulled themselves back up—Sid a little woozy from almost having his skull cracked, and Xolin from feeling the injuries of her other two selves in agonizing clarity.

"Go" Sid ordered, charging the figure. He jumped up, opening fire with his pistol in one hand, before coming down with his axe. As he did so, Xolin flanked the fight, placing a charge on the figure's arm, and then his backside. Sid rolled under the figure's counterattack, as Xolin flipped over the figure's top, placing one on his head, then rolled by and placed one on the other arm. She then aimed for the legs, as Sid evaded the figure's arms and made another futile strike.

"SID!" she shouted in confirmation, flipping away.

"RIGHT!"

The two broke from combat, each issuing a charged up strike from their weapons to keep their opponent off his game, before they finally turned and ran, leaping over the nearest VTOL and jumping from one to the next. As the figure recovered, he almost charged after them, but then noticed the beeping…and the numerous devices attached to him.

"What the—"

"NOW!" Sid ordered, as they jumped behind the last VTOL. Xolin pressed the button, and the entire area where the figure was exploded into fire, creating a frightening blast wave that sent the VTOLs hurdling outward—as well as the rangers. They tumbled and rolled across the ground, barely avoiding the wreckage of an aircraft that passed right over them before they came to a halt. The two looked up at the devastation they'd wrought.

"Yeah!" Xolin pumped her fist in the air at the smoke and flames.

But Sid wasn't quite as celebratory, "…Wait for it".

"Hm?" she asked, glancing at him, but then kept her attention on the blastzone, just as Sid was. Then they saw it. Well, heard it at first. The thumps; it reminded Sid of the first monster they'd fought together, the tank one. What was it called? Tankor? Tankenstine?

Eh, not important right now. The armored figure stepped out of the smoke, his armor smoking and charred, and cracked his neck as he approached them, "That…hurt".

Xolin's jaw dropped, "Are you *serious*?!" she looked at Sid, "And how did YOU know?"

Sid groaned as they got up, resuming battle poses, "…Experience".

"So now what? Any other plans?" she asked a tad frantically, as they both stepped back.

"Not at the moment, no" Sid replied blandly, also worried. Boy, they were kinda screwed.

The figure chuckled, "I have one. Stand still". His wrist cannon charged up, and before the rangers could dodge again, their bodies lit up in complete and total agony, as electrical pulses flooded into their forms. They howled out in pain as electrical streams coursed over their suits, as sparks exploded everywhere, smoke rising from the points where the grid had locally overloaded with power. After several terrible seconds, the armored figure's weapon finally powered down, allowing the two rangers to collapse to the ground, their suits still sparking and smoking. Both tried to get back up, but their bodies wouldn't obey their commands; their nerves were completely fried. And so it was less like 'scramble to their feet' and more like 'flailed about on the ground'.

The figure stepped forward, now laughing as he aimed his gun again at Sid's head, now at point-blank range. "A pity you weren't a challenge".

Three well-placed brilliant white laser blasts knocked the figure back. Noticing that the attack hadn't come from either of them, and that the figure's attention was now on something behind them, the two rangers pulled themselves up enough to take a look.

Xolin's reaction was one of quickly shifting states of confusion, whereas while Sid initially was unsure of what he saw, soon realized the implications and his face dropped.

"Oh damnit".

There, standing behind them, stood a new ranger in the same design as their own suits, shining brilliantly with silver on top of the black, and the would-be silver trim on their suits replaced with vibrant gold. In his hands rested a large cannon device, with the gun barrel hiding underneath a large shield-like piece draped over the top.

"You" the figure rumbled. The blasters on his wrists retracted, replaced by two large maces that appeared in each of his hands. "It doesn't matter if Iota sent two, three, or his entire pathetic team. You're all going to burn".

The silver ranger said nothing, instead rushing forward, past the two downed rangers. He let off several more shots as he approached his opponent, but each were deflected by the maces. Just before reaching the figure however, the ranger shifted around his weapon, pulling the handle of the gun up and out, transforming it into a sword as the rest of the cannon shifted into a shield form. The figure brought his first mace down, crashing into the ranger's shield, as the silver warrior charged up his sword with brilliant white light, and thrust, like the knights of old.

"You have *got* to be kidding me" Sid deadpanned, having pulled himself up, but leaning against a chunk of wreckage of what had once been part of a VTOL. Xolin was supporting her weight on her lance.

"What exactly is going on?" she asked, a bit confused.

"Sixth ranger" Sid said with a measure of disgust, "They tend to show up well after the rest of the team has been established, mess up the team dynamic, and sort of just generally overshadow everyone because they're just too awesome for their own good. At least we got one who wasn't under an evil spell" he paused thoughtfully, "…I think".

Xolin squinted, her brow furrowing as she watched the two duke it out, "Um…wouldn't he be the fifth ranger though?"

"…What?" Sid asked, taking his attention off the fight.

"There's only four of us. Why would he be the sixth?"

Sid gave her a somewhat incredulous look, even though she couldn't see it under his helmet. "Wha? No, it's just a term. Most teams have five members to start with, so it normally makes sense".

"But a lot of teams start with three, don't they?" she lobbed back.

A slash of sparks off the silver ranger's suit from a hit by the figure pulled both Sid and Xolin back to reality. "Look, that's not…this isn't the time, okay?" Sid replied, once again focused on the fight in front of them. Silver had rebounded, and was now leaping over the armored figure with his cannon, taking potshots as he flipped overhead. He landed a kick on the figure's backside using it as a staging point for a second flip before landing a few feet away. He switched his weapon back to melee mode, dodged an attack, and struck again with his sword.

"Should uh…should we help?" Xolin asked.

The shield once again broke the advantage of one of the maces. The other got wrapped around the ranger's sword, and he pulled. As the figure stumbled forward, the silver ranger jumped up, his foot charging with white energy, slamming into his opponent's head as he once again flipped back, ripping his sword out of the chains of the mace, and cutting them apart as he did so.

"I'm…not sure" Sid replied, honestly a little uncertain about what to do here.

The figure roared; lunging forward as his wrist gun reappeared. But the silver ranger pressed a button on his wrist morpher, and the figure froze as he heard a noise—a crashing noise, and then a noise like a vehicle. The figure turned around, only to see a tank-like machine having broken through one of the walls of the chamber, which was now crashing its way through rows of docile drones, crushing them under its treads. It wasn't *quite* a tank, Sid surmised, more like an APC with a number of large guns. It was white and black in color, with a large gun turret on top, flanked by smaller secondary weapons. Large treads protected the wheels within, and it was by all rights just as much a weapon of war as any of the other tanks in the room—if not a bit smaller and more segmented in its armor design.

The APC opened fire on the figure with its main cannon, knocking him back as the silver ranger leapt over him once again, missing the APC as it swung around at the last second, slamming into the figure from the side, and crushing him within the remains of a VTOL. The side of the APC opened up just as the silver ranger landed.

"What are you doing?!" he called to Sid and Xolin, an incredulous tone in his voice, "Stop standing there and get in the vehicle! We need to go!"

"We didn't get the information we came for!" Xolin replied as they hurried over to him.

"Already gotten" the ranger pulled out a small chip to show them, before putting back inside his morpher and turning to head back to the APC.

"…But how?" Xolin asked as they came aboard, "Our storage device got incinerated!"

The ranger shrugged as he strapped himself into the driver's seat, "Iota figured you guys were too incompetent to pull this off, so he sent me. Now strap yourselves in, it's going to get bumpy".

"…Incompetent!?" both red and blue shouted at him in a mixture of shock and anger. The door behind them shut, and a second later both rangers were thrown to the ground by the moving vehicle.

"What part of 'strap yourselves in' don't you understand!?" the silver ranger shot at them as he pulled the APC back and around, heading out towards the hole it had punched in the wall. The two rangers pulled themselves up and into the seats lining each side of the APC's back section, but they weren't happy about it. Who the hell *was* this guy?

The tank almost *flew* out of the facility, coasting on air for a brief few seconds before it hit the solid rock beneath it and began its getaway. Behind it, three defense drones had been activated and were now in pursuit, opening fire as the tank weaved its way around lava pools and rivers. The interior shook as the tank soared over a cliff, a lava river below, and landed on the other bank before continuing its journey.

The silver ranger tapped the vehicle's controls, summoning the auto-turret AI. Immediately, the APC's main guns swiveled around and opened fire on the drones, taking the lead one out almost instantly. Then two small rocket batteries unfolded from the vehicle's armor, and in the resulting barrage, the other two drones went up in smoke.

But the red and blue rangers weren't concerned about that. Xolin quietly seethed with anger; being shown up was bad enough, but to be called 'incompetent'? By some asshole who'd just shown up out of nowhere? Oh, this guy had just made an enemy, and she would make sure he knew it very well. She gritted her teeth, pissed she wasn't able to show him up right here, right now. The worst feeling was being told off, and not having a chance to prove them wrong and rub their noses in it. Damn wounded pride.

Sid meanwhile, was a bit more settled with his anger, but calculated all the same. Sure, he was *really* annoyed by this new guy, but something else unsettled him. Why had he shown up? HOW had he shown up? As far as he had known, there was only four rangers on their team, yet this guy was working for Iota? And had already performed his mission while they were fighting?

Sid smelled bullshit. He didn't like bullshit.

Finally clear of the facility and now with a suitable amount of space for a makeshift runway in front of it, triangular wings folded out of the APC's sides as it sped up, before it lifted off the ground, its treads folding down and becoming anti-grav generators. The APC-turned-shuttlecraft veered off, flying up towards the sky even as nearby turrets fired at (and missed) the vehicle. Before long however, it was well beyond the range of the turrets, and well beyond the sight of anyone still on the ground.

* * *

The entire way back had been silent. The new ranger wasn't much for talking, and the other two had mostly spent the ride stewing in their own emotions, though occasionally giving knowing nods to each other. Upon landing in the Megaship's loading bay two, Sid and Xolin, already demorphed, stepped out—and were then brushed aside by the silver ranger, who demorphed in the process. The two scorned rangers saw a human male—early twenties by the looks of things, though whether he was Terran, Karovian, or some other type of human was uncertain. He said nothing to them, instead heading straight down the hall.

"…H-Hey, where are you going?" Xolin sputtered out.

"Iota" he replied tersely, clearly not one for games or casual interaction, "Don't bother coming. I only need to drop the files off".

"'Don't bother'?!" Xolin's face contorted in rage, "Just who do you think you are?!" But before she could go after him, Sid's hand placed itself on her shoulder. She caught sight of his expectant but sympathetic expression and forced herself to calm down, taking a deep breath even as the new guy vanished around the corner. It would do no good to get irrationally angry right at this minute.

The two headed off in his direction, passing the work bay as they did so and—woah. Both stopped in their tracks, instead wandering inside their normal hangout, astounded to find it full of, well, *art*. There was the big one of course, covering much of one of the walls that was filled with random paint splatters and handprints and just random actions. But then there were smaller ones; most of them just abstract expressionist, but some of the fresher ones were more controlled; obviously done with brushes and tools instead of by hand.

"What the hell?" Sid asked, perplexed.

"Oh, you're back!" Trok spoke up, peeking his head over the paint materials behind the workbench, "We're back here".

Sid and Xolin maneuvered their way around the makeshift art gallery, back behind the supplies where Trok and Sel were both on the floor working, and absolutely covered in paint from head to toe.

"Uh…you guys have been busy, I see" Xolin said, *very* surprised.

Sel stopped what she was doing, now extremely self-conscious and blushing. But Trok caught it and reassured her; "Hey, no, it's fine" he said quietly, then looked back up at the others. "We uh…had a breakthrough".

"Breakthrough?" Sid asked, even more confused now.

Trok shrugged, "It's a long story. But basically, as it turns out? Sel's way better at art than she is at talking. So uh, well, here we are".

"…You did this?" Xolin knelt down beside them. Sel hesitantly nodded. Xolin turned to Trok, "This was your idea?"

He shrugged again, a little hesitant now as it was clear Xolin was pissed off about *something*, he just wasn't sure what. Maybe he'd messed up somehow? "She uh…she needed to get some things out. Important things".

Xolin's expression softened, then embraced Trok in an unexpected and tight hug. He struggled for a moment, protesting, "Hey, what—?!"

"Don't ever stop being amazing, huh?" she said with a bit of pride, before letting him go.

Now it was Trok's turn to blush as he scratched the back of his head with embarrassment, "Uh, heh. Yeah. It was no problem".

"Are you okay?" Xolin asked Sel.

She nodded with a faint smile, returning to her work on the paper laying on the floor in front of her. "Yes".

Unbeknownst to the rest of them, Sid had stepped back, and gave them one last smile before leaving the room, his expression souring as he made his way towards Iota's office. It was time for a reckoning.

* * *

"Good work" Iota said, taking the chip from his subordinate, "I assume everything we need is on there?"

The human nodded as Iota moved back behind his desk in his office, sitting down as he slipped the small electronic device into his computer. His subordinate sat down in another chair nearby, "I checked it myself. There's more than enough in there to incriminate the Alliance when the war comes. Numerous illegal incursions into Confederate space, abductions, the destruction of several deep-space probes, the list goes on. When the Alliance finally declares war, we'll be able to appear as the underdog".

"Excellent" Iota said, beginning to scan through the files himself. He stopped though, when a chime rang at the door. "…It would seem we have company" he said to the ranger, then spoke to the door, "Come in".

The doors slid open, revealing Sid. He waved, a wide but fake smile on his face, "Hey!"

"Did you need something?" Iota asked neutrally.

Sid pointed at him casually, "…Yes, actually. There's something that's been bugging me for a while now" Sid slumped down in one of the other chairs, "And I'm not sure what I think about it".

"And that would be?"

Sid settled into his seat, resting his leg over the other as he cupped his hands together in his lap, "You know, it's interesting. We were off on a covert mission, but it felt like they knew we were coming even before we landed. Like they *waited* for us to get into position before they moved to take us out. Curious, wouldn't you say".

"Or maybe your incompetence tipped them off" the other ranger said.

Sid eyed his new rival with absolute distain, "Right. And Chuckles here" he pointed at the other human, "Just *happened* to be on the same mission as us while we kept the bad guys busy".

"What are you implying?" Iota asked, his voice even, controlled.

Sid jumped out of his seat, any lingering sign of calmness gone as his face filled itself with absolute rage. He leaned in on Iota's desk—who to his credit didn't even budge. "You set us up!" he shouted in anger, "Why!?"

Iota's voice remained just as calm as ever, "Because I needed a distraction to get the data I required. You provided it with aplomb. Is there anything else?"

"…Everything?" Sid asked, shocked by the utter uncaring attitude of his commander. Iota's tone was as if they were discussing the weather, or had Sid just handed him a grocery list. "You *LIED* to us! You threw us into mortal danger so we could play decoy for you" Sid's expression softened just slightly towards sorrow as he saw Iota's stance hadn't changed at all, "…And you don't even *care*, do you?!"

"You were never in any true danger" Iota replied. He motioned to the other ranger, "Isdilian's secondary objective was always to get you out".

"S-secondary?!" Sid's rage was rising by the second, he almost could *see* he was so utterly pissed off, "You call our safety secondary?!"

"In terms of the mission goals, yes. You go into danger every day, with no promises on your return. How is this any different?"

Sid snapped, throwing himself over the desk, grabbing Iota by the neck, and pulling him up and pushing him against the window with all his might, his armor issuing an audible 'thud' against the transparent material. "How DARE you!" he screamed, "They trusted you! We aren't pawns for your personal amusement!"

The whine of a laser pistol brought Sid back to reality. Behind him, Isdilian had stood up and had his sidearm pointed at Sid's backside. Iota issued a single chuckle, "You are incorrect. You *are* my pawn, Sid. You have always been my pawn, as is your team. Now…I suggest you let me go, least it's decided you're no longer useful to the scenario".

With absolute reluctance and disgust, Sid let go of Iota's would-be windpipe, allowing the figure to recompose himself. "I suggest you return to your quarters, Sid" Iota said, taking a seat once more, even as Isdilian kept his gun trained on Sid, "Least you make a costly error".

Sid's fists bunched up in abject fury, but ultimately decided that having his brains blown out would not be the best option right now. With extreme reluctance, he turned, forcing himself out of the room despite his best wishes. He said nothing as he left the room.

This meant war.

*Damnit*. Sid had *known* Iota was a snake from day one, and he still let him bite him. He should have been working against him all this time, but after the first few weeks, Sid had sort of just backslid, becoming comfortable, and now he was paying the price. They were *all* paying the price. Well, now he was going to end this. Permanently. The way he should have months ago.

Sid quickly backtracked to the workbay. He burst through the doors like a madman, startling the other three who were still huddled around the in-progress artwork.

"…Sid?" Xolin asked, very concerned by the expression of maddening rage on Sid's face, "What happened? What's wrong?"

Sid regarded the trio. Only Xolin so far knew of (and shared) his problems with Iota, and for a brief second he hesitated. But hesitation had only gotten him in this mess.

"We need to talk" he said with the upmost urgency, "Now".

* * *

_To be continued…_


	13. 1x13: Secrets and Lies, part 2

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** _And here we go; the final episode of season 1, and the end of the first act. We now stand at the one-third mark of the story. As I said, I will be taking a hiatus for the next three months, and will be resuming with season 2 on 1/17/16, so mid/late January. This'll give me time both to move into my fancy new house, and to rebuild my episode buffer. And because writing 45+ pages every two weeks is basically a second job, so that kind of just drives you crazy if you don't take time to breath._

_Speaking of, I'm totally open to reviews, guys. Like, don't be shy, let me know what you think, good or bad. I'd just like to know that people are actually still reading this. Because I'm not entirely sure!_

* * *

**1.13: Secrets and Lies, part 2**

She took a sip from her cup.

"It's useless, you know".

Sid looked back at Xolin, leaning against her skycycle. She watched Sid has he casually but cautiously explored the exterior of the tank that now took up a large part of the launch bay. "Hm?" he asked, pausing his informal inspection to turn his attention back to her.

"The tank, I mean" she clarified, "Why do we need a tank when we have a spaceship that can 'rain fire down from the skies'?"

Sid snorted, resuming his inspection as he rounded a corner, "It's not even a real tank. It's an APC; Armored Personnel Carrier. Fine and dandy for resupplying armies, but there's what, five of us now? We got sky cycles". It was true. And who cared if it had a shuttle mode? Certainly not Sid.

"It's redundant" she replied, her voice laced with just a twinge of disgust.

Sid nodded, "It got one good use for its debut, and now it'll sit here for the next year gaining dust". That's what the new ranger would get for being an upstaging jerk.

"It doesn't even look nice" she added flatly, taking another sip. She wasn't just saying that because the new ranger was a complete prick. No siree.

"No, it really doesn't" Sid replied with not just a hint of smugness, rounding the entire war vehicle as he headed back around to the side where Xolin could see him.

"Your opinions are noted and ignored" came another voice. The two looked over at the door, seeing their new teammate walking down into the room. He seemed to sneer at Xolin, before heading over to the APC. "Get away from my vehicle. I need to do some maintenance checks" he said, waving off Sid with an annoyed expression, "Make sure nothing got damaged when I rescued you from the mess you threw yourselves into". He pulled out a small datapad and began scanning the tank's systems.

"We did *not* throw ourselves in there" Xolin's expression shifted from general annoyance to that of genuine anger as she pulled herself off her skycycle, "You and your master used us as meat shields!"

Isdilian shrugged, not bothering to turn and look at her, "He's your 'master' too. And the next time we need meat shields, I'll be sure to rescue you with the APC if the mission allows it" he let a slight smirk leak through as he worked, "Now go…I don't know, play in the simudeck or whatever. I've got work to do".

Rage flashed in Xolin's eyes, but before she could imbed his head in the tank's hull, Sid grabbed her by the shoulder, locking eyes with her before shaking his head silently. Reluctantly she relented, and the two gave the new arrival one last look of hatred before quietly leaving the room.

"I can't *stand* that guy" Xolin whispered to Sid as they left the room. If her fists were any more clenched, her fingernails would have been cutting through her flesh.

Sid nodded eagerly in complete agreement, "Three days. Three friggin' days, and he's already managed to piss everyone off who's name doesn't start with the letter 'I'. Trok tried *making friends* with the dude, and all he got out of it was grief".

"It's like he thinks he owns the place" Xolin replied, folding her arms over her chest, "And Iota just lets him".

Sid's expression got even more acid at the mention of Iota, if that were at all possible, "Iota's taken us for granted". The two paused their aimless stroll down the hallway, each glancing at the other as they contemplated his words. They'd discussed this before; back when Isdilian had first come aboard. They needed to do something, but what?

"…Sid, what *are* we going to do?" Xolin asked him suddenly, now contemplative, "Because it's not just the new guy. It's everything. We got used, *hard*, and they won't tell us why".

"Not to mention everything with Sel, or the war, or…anything. And we haven't been able to break through the defenses in his database" Sid muttered, agreeing. They'd attempted multiple hacks into the Megaship's database, hoping to catch *something*, but Iota had apparently been ready for them. He put his hands in his pockets, grimacing in thought. A mild wry smile crossed his face momentarily, "We could just mutiny" he said, half-joking.

The two said nothing for a moment, instead pausing in the hallway as a mixture of emotions flowed between them.

Maybe it hadn't been that much of a joke to begin with.

"…Are you serious?" she asked warily.

"I…I'm not…sure?" he admitted reluctantly. "Hacking attempts are one thing; we've been masking our tries and he hasn't said anything. But taking him down? Do we even know how big the Peacekeeper organization is?"

She sighed, "…Something big's going down, and we're not safe on this ship anymore. I…they might be an enemy, Sid" he voice was more subdued now; distant. She rubbed her upper arm with her other hand, not entirely sure *what* to think anymore. "I mean, what do they need with someone like Sel? A doomsday weapon?"

Sid frowned, shutting his eyes in thought. Yeah, that was true. It could also be that they were doing just what they'd assumed they had been doing all along—keeping her from 'the enemy', but considering the situation? Blatantly triggering SPD's reactions on the last mission with war looming so close?

What if the Peacekeepers wanted to wipe out the Alliance, and only needed a pretext? What if they'd just given them that pretext?

* * *

Another quantron went down, the laser arrow piercing its chest with a single well-placed shot. It dissolved into holographic pixels, leaving the yellow ranger with just a hint of a satisfied smile under her determined expression. A second one also bit the dust, just a second before it swung down with its weapon.

That was a little close, but she *was* getting better.

"Computer, end program".

For a second, Sel was confused as the simulation vanished around her. She turned to the door as Isdilian walked in, her face shifting into a pout as she realized what had happened. *This* guy had just turned off *her* program! "Hey, what are you doing?" she protested, as he walked past her, morphing instantly into the silver ranger.

"It's fifteen hundred hours; your reserved session is over. Now it's mine" came his curt reply. She sputtered, taking a brief glance at the clock. He was *technically* correct but…what the hell!?

"You may leave now" he said, before opening up the holographic controls to the room. Sel stood there dumbfounded for a moment, her fists clenching before she turned and walked out—but not before stopping and setting the difficulty level of Isdilian's chosen simulation. With one last glare at his backside, she stormed out, both angry and a tad embarrassed at being tossed out so unceremoniously, even if he HAD been technically correct.

It didn't matter though. Isdilian quickly recognized the difficulty settings and fixed them before activating the training simulation.

* * *

Trok turned the corner, heading for Iota's office. As he approached one of the hallway doors and it slid open however, he nearly ran into Isdilian who had been exiting from the other side.

"Oh, sorry" Trok said bashfully, scratching the back of his head. Isdilian said nothing though, instead simply sighing angrily and glaring at Trok before brushing past him, nudging against his shoulder. Trok frowned as the other ranger walked past, "…Yeah, hi to you too". He watched him for a moment, then turned and headed down to Iota's door, pressing the button to signal his arrival.

"_Come in"_ came the reply, just before the door slid open. Trok stepped inside. "Yes?" asked Iota, currently preoccupied with something on the floating holographic screens that filled his desk in front of him.

"Hey" he waved awkwardly, fiddling with the small datapad in his hand.

"…Did you need something?" Iota asked expectantly and impatiently, now finally looking up from his work.

"Er…" Trok mumbled, "Well, it's those scans I took of Sel. You know, after her last major…er…'explosion', I guess" he hesitantly took a seat and began scrolling through the datapad, both to recall things and just to have something to do while he talked. "It's just, I'm a little worried. These readings don't make sense, and if they're legit, then…well, are we sure we're doing enough?".

"Enough of what?"

"I…I don't know. Protecting her?" Trok asked, "I mean, that's what that whole mission was about, right? Keeping her safe from Capricorn? But what if she gets worse? She's had at least two major events now, and they seem to get getting more intense. I just…I don't get it" he sighed, finally just letting it all out, "Like, up till now I've been fine being in the dark. We save the day from bad guys, the politicians do their thing. Fine, whatever. But…I need to know. With the war the news says is happening soon, and Sel, and that new guy, and the covert missions and just…everything. What's going on?" He asked that last bit in exasperation, utterly at a loss at the situation.

Iota regarded the boy for a moment, finally sighing with a hint of exasperation, "Strategic operations are classified".

"Yeah, but—"

Iota cut him off, "No buts. You are not authorized to know our long-term operations for a war that may or may not come. Isdilian is here because I requested him—he was always intended to be part of the team once his other assignments were finished elsewhere".

"…And Sel?" Trok asked warily.

"I've already had central headquarters run through our data. There's nothing wrong with her; she's just an extraordinarily powerful xybrian".

Trok's face bunched up in confusion. This…this wasn't right, "But…that doesn't make sense. What about the morphin' grid energy? And the—"

Iota cut him off again, "The data was a false flag. Easy mistake for a novice such as yourself to make, but to the trained professional scientists back at HQ, not so much".

Trok seemed crestfallen, and not in any way satisfied with the answer. But Iota was done with this, "Is that all? I have work to attend to".

"I…yes, sir" Trok said, hesitating at first, but then resigning himself as he stood up and made his way to the door. Iota said nothing as the door slid shut behind him, leaving him separated from his commander once again, out in the hallway. His fists clenched. This was wrong. This was *all* wrong.

Sid was right. He hadn't wanted to believe, but Sid and Xolin had been completely right. This had been Trok's attempt to see if he couldn't reason with Iota, but now it seemed as though the young horathean had no other recourse but to realize this had all gotten stupidly out of hand. He remembered the conversation from the other day…

* * *

"_What's going on?" Trok asked. They'd just been hurried from the work-bay-converted-art-gallery down the hall into Sid's room by him and Xolin, and now the two of them were busy checking the room while Trok and Sel just sort of stood there, dumbfounded._

"_Clear. …I think" Xolin said, finishing her sweep of the room with her morpher. Who really knew if that could be trusted though, considering it was one of Iota's tools too._

"_Same" Sid sighed as he came back around from the other side of his bed._

"_No, seriously" Trok interjected again, "What's going on? You guys are starting to scare me"._

_Xolin turned to Sid, "Yeah, you're worrying be a bit. What's the deal?" she asked. Certainly, she had a vague idea what this was about—Sid for whatever reason, was finally getting everyone in on the situation with Iota. But what exactly had happened to set this off?_

_With a grimace, Sid glanced around the room suspiciously. He couldn't ever be completely certain they were alone, but…whatever. He took a deep breath, and locked eyes with Xolin, "Iota set us up"._

"…_What?" Xolin asked, momentarily not processing what had just been relayed to her._

"_Didn't you wonder why the new ranger just happened to be there to rescue us?"_

_Trok blinked, "Wait, there's a new ranger?"_

_But Xolin ignored him, keeping her attention on Sid as realization dawned on her, "…We were the decoys"._

"_Bingo" Sid replied._

"_Wait, decoys for what?" Trok asked._

_Xolins's face twisted in anger as she turned away, her hand brushing through her hair, "He used us" she said flatly, more for her own benefit than anyone else's. "He used us just like always"._

"_Used you?" Trok asked, becoming increasingly annoyed no one was answering him._

"_Yep" Sid replied to Xolin, with forced mirth, "We were meatshields"._

"_Meatshields?!" Trok exclaimed._

"_ENOUGH!"_

_Everyone stopped and turned to Sel, who immediately flushed with embarrassment at her outburst. She pressed on; might as well since she was so deep in anyway, "Stop…talking *at* each other! What is going *on*?" she asked, with distinct emphasis._

_The other three rangers looked at each other, then back at her. Trok grinned, "Seriously! What's this all about? New rangers? Decoys?! Make sense already!"_

_Sid and Xolin locked eyes again, but Xolin motioned to him expectantly as if to say 'after you', to which Sid glared at her for throwing him under the bus._

"_Okay, so…" Sid plopped down on the end of his bed, as Xolin took the computer chair, leaning forward on the backpiece. Trok slid down to the floor, leaning against the door as Sel landed next to him. Sid exhaled, organizing his thoughts. "So…the mission Xolin and I were on was to get sensitive information linking numerous incidents in Confederate space to SPD actions, such as when they abducted Xolin and Sel. Well…turns out they were waiting for us" he shrugged._

"_How'd you escape?" asked Trok._

_Sid's expression became a little harder, "We got saved by the new ranger—and yes here's here on the ship, I'll get to him in a second" he said, putting his hand up to block Trok's imminent questioning before continuing, "Anyway. He was there on the same mission, and completed it when we couldn't. Then he just happened to know where we were and got us out"._

_Trok's eyes narrowed in thought, "So…you were decoys…for him?"_

"_Yeeep" Sid deadpanned, obviously not pleased with this, "And he and I just had a nice little conversation in his office. Confirmed everything, then called us his pawns. We're useful to him until we're not"._

"_But…why would Iota do that?" asked Trok, dumbfounded. He'd always seen Iota as a fairly reasonable guy, if a little stern and aloof._

_Now Xolin spoke up, also very unhappy, "It wouldn't be the first time. Iota's strong-arm psychoanalyzed me to get what he wants before. And I know he's done the same to Sid"._

_Sid nodded reluctantly, not entirely wishing to get into this now, but knowing he probably needed to, "Yeah, when I first joined. There's a reason I came back on KO-35. He hit me where I lived. Made me watch you guys lose against Trill, and then twisted my own words against me"._

"_So…you really didn't want to come?" Trok asked, the wind deflating out of him. He looked a little crushed. Sid smiled sadly._

"_At the time? No. I didn't want anything that would remind me of my old team. Now? Yeah, you'd better believe it". At that, Trok's expression brightened again._

"_Right, as heartwarming as that is, that's not the issue" Xolin said, pulling everyone back on track, "We need to figure out what we're doing about this"._

_Sid nodded, returning to the matter at hand, now addressing everyone, "Iota's got a plan. I don't know if it's the Peacekeepers' plan, or even how much of an organization we really even work for, but there's something here that stinks, and it can't just be me that smells it"._

_Xolin nodded in turn, "Sid and I have been comparing notes, and it's obvious Iota recuited each of us for a reason, as in he sought each of us out and twisted us until we agreed. Then there's the fact that despite being covert operatives, it's becoming clear our mission is anything *but*. And considering Arkilla and this last mission, we're not just preparing for a war with the Alliance, we're helping it along"._

"_And then there's everything with Sel" Sid said, pointing at the quiet xybrian, "Trok, you said yourself that her powers defy all known science and magic and pose a problem both to her and everyone else. Yet the only thing we've gotten back from Iota is that he's 'looking into it', or 'it's not important'"._

_Trok shrugged, "I mean, he *did* say he sent it in to HQ to have it analyzed. If command says it's no big deal then…" he trailed off, not exactly sure if he bought it either._

"'_Looking into it' is code for 'piss off'" Xolin replied, her face resting on the chair's back, "If she wasn't a big deal, then Iota wouldn't have had us go to such great lengths to get here—*long* before any of the four of us knew she had powers. And we certainly wouldn't have been chased all over the Local Group by a crazed goat monster looking to sell her off to his employers. And *they* certainly wouldn't have sent more agents after us when he failed"._

_That…was true, Trok couldn't deny that._

"_So then…" he asked, "What do we do?"_

* * *

Iota grumbled to himself as Trok left the room. The rangers were getting more restless. This had decidedly *not* been part of the plan. The armored figure's mind was busy turning over ideas and half-formed contingencies, trying to construct new solutions for the unforeseen events. He wasn't worried, no. After all, no plan survived first contact with the enemy. It was *impossible* to plan for every single possible event that could happen, you'd need a near-infinite number of plots and schemes. No, the mark of the true strategist was the ability to adapt, to have a number of contingencies that could be quickly altered to the evolving battlefield.

It was good he'd gotten Isdilian onboard.

His holographic display chirped an alert at him. Curious, he checked it—another failed attempt to hack through his system. The first time it had happened a few days ago he'd gotten worried, but he'd quickly traced it to Sid. Pitiful boy, trying to get involved in things well beyond him. Oh well, no harm, no foul, he had supposed. As long as Sid didn't manage to actually hack in, Iota was more than happy to let him futilely crash against his firewall until he lost his motivation. There was something to be said for venting, after all.

And since then, Sid had kept it up, every few hours. And soon after, Xolin had joined him. And then Trok, who'd actually gotten further than either of them, but still no dice. Here, he expected it to be Trok again, considering the discussion they'd just gotten into. But, to Iota's surprise, this attempt was coming from Sel's quarters.

And she was hacking through. His eyes widened as he watched her breaking through numerous defenses of his. He supposed he shouldn't have been surprised; even though she didn't have full *conscious* control over her powers, there was still something to be said for the sheer underlying power of the morphin' grid. The system's defenses weren't so much being hacked through but simply being overwritten by the power of the grid.

Well, he still had one contingency in that case. With a stroke of his controls, he shut off the power to Sel's quarters, immediately ending her assault on his database, and allowing the programs to reboot and reload. Her room's power would return, but not for a few minutes. He allowed himself a brief self-loving smirk, but knew that this was getting serious. All four rangers were in on some kind of conspiracy. So far it had been limited to forlorn attempts on the Megaship's systems—probably to gain information, but how long would it be before they realized they had to do something more to get anywhere? He couldn't allow everything to fall apart now; not when it was all finally coming together.

He pulled up a communication window to Isdilian.

"_Yes?"_ came the curt reply. Blunt, as always.

Iota replied, "Isdilian, I realize you just left, but could you please return to my office? Something's come up, and I believe I'm going to need your assistance".

"_Understood"._ The link cut out. Iota leaned back in his chair, contemplating. This was going to get ugly, but he really had no choice if the others were going to force his hand.

* * *

The door to the war room slid open, allowing Sid to waltz in. Annoying; he'd *just* started up a new round of minesweeper, and now here they were about to go on another mission. He plopped down next to Trok at the round table, waiting for Sel to enter, who sat down next to Xolin.

Noting that everyone was here, Iota passed around the table, behind Isdilian's spot, as he activated the holographic display in the table's center, "Now that we're all here…we've gotten reports of a monster attack on the world of Tarkalis, a minor fuel production location. Tarkalis orbits the gas giant Noda, and we use the moon as a staging ground". The display showed both the blue giant and a number of smaller moons—Tarkalis was highlighted and then zoomed in on.

Iota continued, "Confederate forces were able to chase it away from facility upsilon, but we're sending you in to deal the deathblow, so it can't continue to threaten our operations in the region".

"What kind of monster?" asked Trok.

The moon vanished, replaced by a spikey cyborg-ified humanoid porcupine…thing with faintly purple skin. Its arms and legs were clothed in armor, and its left eye was covered by cybernetic enhancements. "Calls himself Porcuborg. Telemetry suggests he's an average class C monster, no special attributes aside from his poison stingers. With your ranger suits, you should be fine. Any other questions?"

"Is this an SPD ploy?" Xolin asked, "Or Capricorn?"

Iota shook his head, "Unknown. Hopefully your engagement will shed some light on the subject. Any other questions?"

The others shook their heads, and Iota shut off the holograms, "In that case, battlestations. Be at the launch bay in thirty minutes".

At that, the four original rangers glanced at each other. Trok and Sid sighed, pulling out their wallets and handing Xolin five credits each. She took them quite happily with a wide shit-eating grin on her face.

Iota blinked, confused, "…Did I miss something?"

Sid shrugged blandly, "Trok and I guessed wrong. I went with 'escort mission', Trok over here said 'scouting'".

"I said 'monster attack', so I won the bet" Xolin added, counting her small collection of money as if she was filthy rich.

"You…bet money. On your mission" Iota said, slowly as if trying to comprehend.

"Yep!" Xolin giggled, putting the money away.

Iota sighed, rubbing the forehead of his helmet, then looked at Sel and Isdilian, "At least you two have more sense".

Sel coughed slightly, and then with a face flushed with embarrassment, handed Xolin another five credits. "…distress call" she muttered under her breath.

"…You have got to be joking" Iota sighed again, shaking his head. "Whatever. Be ready in thirty". With that, he turned and left.

Isdilian stood up, scoffing as he followed Iota, "Amateurs".

The other four glared at their new teammate as he vanished behind the door, but Xolin's grin soon returned as she put Sel's money away. Who could be angry when they'd just made fifteen credits on the spot? "Pleasure doing business with you guys". The fact that their glares only redirected themselves to her person just made her grin wider.

* * *

The red ranger found himself being thrust back across the wet ground, his boots splashing against the puddles forming through the mud as the monster pushed him back, its claws locked in combat with his axe. The two weapons broke contact, allowing Sid to sweep back in. Green and blue came in from the sides, grabbing the monster's arms in an attempt to keep it from counterattacking as Sid's axe came in, striking against its chest. Sparks shot off from the point of impact, just before the creature rebounded and threw the other two off of it. Using it to their advantage however, they spun around and back in, landing twin kicks on the monster's front. It stumbled backward, right into Sel's firing range. Several laser arrows found their mark, exploding into the monster's side as it tumbled to the ground.

It screeched with a high-pitched whine, "Pitiful rangers, your end is nigh!"

"…Seriously, do the bad guys have a quote book or something?" Trok asked, a little incredulous. He got no reply as the battle continued to unfold.

The planet itself was unusual; the environment they found themselves in was a muddy landscape littered with fungi. And not like, little stuff either, but huge towering mushroom towers, some of them tightly grouped together. And each were different too—some opened up to wide red and white speckled heads, while others were more aerodynamic and bioluminescent. Some had an inverted cup-like design, segmented so that each cup would grow out of the last like some alien cactus. And on the ground, large tracks were covered by aquamarine-like mossy lichen.

"We've got it on the ropes!" Sid shouted, rushing back in with his weapon in hand, "Take it—"

He didn't get to finish his command; instead the porcupine's back quills shot off in all directions like a shrapnel grenade. Flying spears struck each of the rangers, causing their suits to spark and smoke as each were thrown back to the ground, giving the monster time to stand back up, surrounded by downed rangers.

"Okay, that was…that was bad" Sid groaned, forcing himself back up to his knees. From his position, he could see the porcupine going after Trok. It had just about reached him, when several small blue lasers struck its backside—Xolin came rushing in with her sidearm gun, flowing under its arms as it counterattacked, before launching into a flurry of physical attacks. But the porcupine was stronger and grabbed her by the shoulders, at which point she used it them as a launching point to strike back with a double kick, landing on her feet a few steps away.

By now Trok and Sid were on their feet and closed in, but the monster spun about, striking each one in turn with its metal claws before cackling. "I am in command now! Prepare for your end, power *losers*!"

"No, seriously. That's not even clever" Trok groaned again as he pulled himself up, "And Umbreonella on Lashal said the same thing. *And* the toaster monster on Teraka".

Sel raced across the outskirts of the battlefield, keeping her bow primed and firing each time she got a new opening, "Toastocalypse".

"Pardon?" Xolin asked, dodging another swipe before launching a return sweep kick.

"His name" another shot from the bow. Her voice was subdued as usual, but there was a slight twinge of deadpan, "It was Toastocalypse".

Sid's weapon glanced harmlessly off the monster's backside quills, "Not exactly important right now, Sel!" he dodged another attack, flipping back to avoid the claws before he caught sight of Isdilian just…*standing* there, checking something on his morpher. Uselessly. God Damn It.

"Hey Chuckles, are we interrupting your facebookscapelistthing or whatever?" Sid called up sarcastically to the silver ranger, "Because if you just wanna stand there while the rest of us fight the ugly porcupine monster, hey, that's just fine with m—" Sid had taken his attention off the porcupine, and paid the price when its backside threw itself into him. The result wasn't pretty, and Sid's smoking form collapsed in a heap several feet away.

Isdilian sighed, putting his morpher down, "I *had* thought even the four of you might be able to deal with something this low-class, but I suppose not. Very well; stand aside". In an instant, his shield formed in front of him, and he quickly transformed it into its blaster mode, opening fire on the porcupine. He had no regard for the safety for the green and blue rangers who were currently engaged with the creature, and they were forced to dodge out of the way or be hit.

"Hey, watch it!" Xolin shouted at him.

Isdilian said nothing however, instead shifting his weapon into its shield configuration again as he got closer, and pulled out his sword before charging the beast. The sword filled with white energy as he came in close, striking the beast dead-on. Sparks exploded, and the blade slashed clean through the enemy's hide, his form stumbling back, reeling in pain and unable to mount a resistance as Isdilian flipped overhead and came down the monster's backside. The beast stumbled forward now, and the silver ranger followed it up with a horizontal cut that sent out a wave of white energy into the monster. It sparked, smoked, and crumpled into the dirt as it fell over.

Finale time.

Isdilian sheathed his blade and once again shifted his weapon to blaster mode.

"Sentinel Cannon!" he shouted, charging his blaster up with energy. A stream of silver cascading light burst forth, firing a beam of holy energy right into the monster's struggling form, and a second later it exploded in a blaze of glory. Isdilian shifted his gun's position into a non-firing stance as he watched the blaze for a moment.

And like clockwork, the remains of the porcupine began to shift and twist, growing together and larger in size until the original monster once again stood before them—only this time forty stories tall.

"Hahaha! Foolish rangers, now I'll crush you like bugs!"

"No, *seriously*" Trok deadpanned, he and the others having regrouped, "It's like he's hitting every cliché in the book".

Sid ignored him once again, instead speaking into his morpher, "Iota, we got a big one. Send the giant robots".

"Don't bother" Isdilian called to him. He pulled a small device off his belt—the others quickly recognized it as a…toy tank? "I got this".

Trok's eyes widened in realization just before it all happened. It was just like their Guardianzords! And yep, sure enough Isdilian pressed a few buttons on his morpher's holo-display before tossing the small war machine to the winds. It glowed with white power as it fell away, growing larger and larger.

"Sentinelzord, online!" With that, Isdilian jumped up into the new vehicle. It was a tank, obviously—and a real one, unlike the APC onboard the ship. It was silver and black in color, streamlined in shape with numerous guns attached—though obviously the largest belonged to the multiple cannons sitting on top of a small arm just off to the left of the cockpit on top.

"Oh, good" Sid deadpanned, "He brought his own megazord. Because of course he did".

"How do you know it's a megazord?" asked Trok.

"Lucky guess" Sid replied, still in a deadpan, "Wait for it".

On cue, the tank opened with a barrage of firepower on the offending porcupine. It staggered slightly, but pressed forward, braving the onslaught so it could get in close and strike. Realizing this wasn't working, Isdilian activated the engines. The tank thrust forward at full speed, ramming the monster head-on, impacting it in the abdomen. The monster grabbed it and wrestled with it, giving the silver ranger an easy shot as he again opened fire with all guns. The resulting explosion sent the porcupine flying backwards, over the nearby forest of mushrooms.

"Sentinelzord, Megazord mode!" the silver ranger commanded.

"Told you" Sid deadpanned to Trok, who simply shrugged and watched as the tank began to shift and change. The treads folded out into legs as the entire thing stood up so that the underbelly was the chest. The main guns flipped around to become shoulder cannons, and the arms unfolded from the top down, revealing large claws for hands and a square-like head underneath where they had been. The silver and black megazord struck up a pose, before the two titans closed in on the other, locking fists in combat. The pair traded blows, each punching the other, sometimes blocking as they prepared their next offensive.

Finally Isdilian got tired of this, "Sentinel Megazord, fire!"

The resulting barrage from the shoulder cannons knocked the porcupine back again, but he quickly rebounded for the next round.

He wouldn't get that chance.

"Sentinel Megazord, Warrior Mode!"

"Wait, what" Sid asked flatly.

A familiar red zord flew in from out of the sky, circling around the megazord once before unfolding into battle armor. It was a slightly different configuration than it would have been for the Defender Megazord, but it still worked.

"What" Sid asked flatly, again, unable to fully grasp what was now happening.

"He…he can use our zords?!" Xolin gasped, her mouth dropping. This felt *wrong*, like some kind of fundamental violation of personal space laws.

The megazord's feet treads activated, allowing it to slide past the creature as its new axe blade fists cut into it. It reeled in pain, but the megazord wasn't letting up.

"Sentinel Megazord, Lightning Mode!"

The red armor vanished, soon replaced by a familiar descending blue spaceship, which also wrapped itself around the zord, forming wings. The tank-megazord launched into the air, opening fire with all guns—including the new twin barrels in its hands. It flipped over the monster, landing behind it before impacting its side with the twin rifles. Two blasts of energy later, and the monster once again staggered back, completely outmatched by its foe.

"Bullshit" Xolin said, dumbfounded, "I'm calling bullshit. That's *bullshit*!" Her fists clenched as tightly as possible.

With a simple command from his control console, Isdilian un-summoned Xolin's zord, returning his megazord to its vanilla configuration. It was time to end this.

"Sentinel Megazord, Cosmic Blitz!"

Every gun on the megazord primed, charging up energy in unison. And before the monster could respond, it was vaporized by the barrage of several blazing beams of light. And just like that, it was over. The other four rangers could only watch in stunned silence and begrudging awe. They had been completely ineffectual, and before them stood their better.

* * *

"He used our *zords*" Xolin repeated, pacing endlessly across Sid's room, her arms folded over her chest defensively, "Without our permission! That's…that's *got* to break a rule somewhere!" she said, exasperated.

Normally Sid would have snarked at her. But right now Sid was both furious and contemplative. It was clear now that Isdilian had no intent of working with them as a team, but instead was intended as their replacement. He watched Xolin pace; behind her Trok sat at Sid's computer terminal, researching something. Sel sat at the foot of the door at the other side of the room, watching the conversation unfold. This was a full-on emergency team meeting, and from everyone's expressions, they were *all* feeling the aftershocks from the last battle. There was uncertainty in the air.

"I went to Iota before the battle. Asked him about Sel again. He just shut me down" Trok said, changing the topic, even though his voice seemed a little…empty. He didn't turn from his work at the computer station. Sel perked up at the mention of her name, but said nothing, instead resuming her own internal train of thought.

Sid's eyes met with Xolin's, who had stopped pacing for the moment, instead choosing to lean up against the far window, between Sid's bed and the computer terminal. He spoke, "Sel's the key to all of this, somehow. I don't know how. But this, the new guy, SPD, Capricorn, all of it. There's way too many threads here for them not to be connected".

"So what do we do?" Trok asked him.

"The longer we wait, the less chance we have" Xolin replied, "It's already clear Iota's going to replace at least some of us with the new guy as soon as he's got a chance. Otherwise he'd be doing more to try and integrate us".

"Some of us?" Trok asked, still focused on the computer.

Sid and Xolin both looked at Sel. Sid frowned, "Well, if he DID want to get rid of us, he'd be splitting up the team, so yeah. No way he'd ditch Sel".

In response, Sel bunched her knees up to her face, wrapping her arms around her legs. She hated being the center of it all, and everything was so uncertain now. Just a few days ago, she had been getting use to—and even looking forward to—living and working with the three people now before her. It had been almost enough to stave off the stress of everything else—the powers, the bad guys, her uncertain future, all of it. But now even *that* was up in the air, with the arrival of that new unfriendly ranger. She didn't like him one bit.

"So…" Xolin asked softly, "Do we mutiny?"

*Everyone* turned to Xolin, their eyes widened in shock at what she had just said. But a beep at the computer caused Trok's attention to momentarily shift back to the terminal. It was a news update: "Talks between Alliance, Confederacy break down. Incident at mining outpost at Ralkesh II cited" he mumbled off.

"…Ralkesh. That's where we were" Xolin said, letting the pieces come together.

Sid nodded, "As we thought. He's using us to spark a war. Getting the information wasn't his sole aim; he needed a pretext for us to mess with them. That's *really* why he let us take the fall. And where better to attack than what's ostensibly a simple mining operation?"

Silence settled over the group. Trok spoke up, quietly, "…We're responsible for a war".

That was damning.

Sid closed his eyes, exhaling as he collected his thoughts, "…If we commit mutiny, that's it. We're enemies of the Peacekeepers, possibly of the Confederacy. Almost certainly SPD and the Alliance will want us dead".

"But if we play by their rules, if we just…go along with it, can we consider ourselves decent people?" asked Xolin. She had unfolded her arms, and was now blandly examining her palms. Letting her arms down, she looked at Sid, "We're supposed to be rangers, not monsters".

"Rangers employed by a political state" Sid replied, "And I can tell you right now, SPD's never been one to shy away from committing unmoral acts for the greater good. Why would the Peacekeepers?"

Trok spun around, a determined look on his face, "And what 'greater good' are we looking at here? What greater good justifies starting a war?"

He was right, of course. Certainly, SPD had been probing Confederate space just as much, but this had all been spurred on by the events on Arkilla months ago. And if the Peacekeepers *were* planning on using Sel as a weapon against the Alliance… Sid glanced at Sel, then back at the others. They had to act.

"Fine" he said, "You're right. So, we're agreed? We confront him?"

Trok nodded, followed by Xolin. Sel stood up, and then nodded in turn, "I won't be a weapon" she said, her fists closed. Sid blinked, surprised at her quick upkeep—or was it her natural xybrian powers? They *had* begun filling in alongside her grid powers for the last few weeks, but they were still understated, and as far as he knew, only empathetic—and only when the emotion was strong.

But, who was he to argue how telepathy worked?

Sid nodded, agreeing with the other three, "Then let's do this". He steeled himself; this was it. They were crossing the rubicon.

* * *

A ding at the door to his office alerted Iota to his incoming guest. He looked up from his work, "Come in" he said tiredly.

To a very mild surprise, he watched all four rangers pile in. Sid pointed to Trok and Sel to the entryway. "Watch the door" he said, and they flanked right back out to keep anyone from getting in, allowing Sid and Xolin to approach their commander without issue. Isdilian wouldn't be saving him this time.

Under his helmet, Isdilian smirked; it looked like this was it. "Can I help you?"

"How about answers?" Sid asked, folding his arms.

Xolin backed him up, "Right, like say, what do you know about trying to start a war between the Confederacy and the Alliance?"

"Beg pardon?" the armor figure asked, amused.

"Drop the crap" Sid replied, "And how about Sel? The xybrian girl we picked up as a mission objective somehow manages to twist the very foundations of the morphin' grid, and *no one* back at HQ seems to know what that means or care? Give me a break. We're not stupid".

Iota chuckled, "Just hypothetically for my own amusement, what would you assume my master plan in all this would be?"

"Easy" Sid steadied his gun, "The Peacekeepers provoke a war with the Alliance; the Confederacy gets the revenge war it always wanted while looking like the victim, and now you've got an omni-powerful teenager who can function as a doomsday weapon. It doesn't take a master strategist to figure this out".

Xolin leaned forward, slamming her hands on the desk, "Your scheme's over. Give us answers, *now*".

Iota regarded the two of them, the anger on their faces evident, "…You don't want to do this" he said wearily, his bemusement gone, "You've been under a lot of stress as of late and you aren't thinking this through. Go back to your quarters and we'll forget any of this ever happened".

"No" Sid replied, pulling out his ranger pistol. He aimed it at Iota's head, "You used us as pawns to start a war. We deserve to know why. Now, start talking".

Iota sighed, and for a split second it looked as though he might give in. Alas, it was not to be. He pressed a button on his wrist, having planned for this in advance, "Isdilian, now".

"Wait wh—" was all Sid got out just before he and all three of his teammates faded into white light, before vanishing from the ship completely. Iota calmly pressed a button on his holo-terminal, opening up a live camera feed of the planet below. He was going to watch the fireworks.

* * *

The next thing the four of them knew, they were landing face-first into the mud of the planet below. It wasn't the same spot as the prior battle, but it was somewhere in the same general vicinity—Sid found they were deep within the mushroom forest; large green-blue coral-like bush…*things* dotted the landscape beneath the thick canopy, and the mud was pockmarked by patches of purple moss-like lichen.

"Eugh…really?!" Xolin complained, throwing some of the mud off of her body as she stood up.

"…We got…teleported?" Trok asked, ignoring the embittered triforian still making noises as she slid as much thick dirt off her as she could.

Sid looked around, "…Back down on the planet". He quickly ran the numbers through his head; none of the options sounded good. They'd mostly avoided using the teleporters since that kind of signal could be easily detected, and that wasn't good for an ostensibly 'covert' group. Iota must have been desperate. And hadn't he called out New Guy's name seconds before? "Everyone morph" he said quickly, "Now!"

The four were instantly replaced by their respective colors, and just in time—an explosion sent them flying in opposite directions. As Sid landed crouched, he looked up on the nearby ridge, seeing the silver ranger with his cannon pointed at them.

"Scatter!" he shouted, before leaping out of the next blast. He charged, "Trok, Xolin: flank him! Sel, ranged support!" Immediately the other three rangers moved into position as they flanked in.

"He teleported us!?" Trok exclaimed as they ran, avoiding the attacks as they closed in on their opponents.

"Talk later, fight now!" Sid shouted back, just before his fist came down on Isdilian. The silver ranger dodged, and Sid turned to strike again. His attempt was blocked by Isdilian's cannon, and for a few seconds the red ranger found himself unable to break through as each attempt was brushed aside or evaded. Finally however, Sid's kick upwards sent the cannon flying off elsewhere, leaving Isdilian open to attack.

Or so he thought.

Now instead of being handicapped, Isdilian was free to fight in hand-to-hand, and as Sid soon discovered, he was *fast*. Faster than him in fact, and quickly the red ranger found himself on the defensive as the silver ranger was now the one calling the shots in the fight. Sid found himself knocked away just as Xolin and Trok came in from the sides. Xolin leapt into the air, throwing her entire force into a spin kick. The silver ranger grabbed her by the foot, causing her to almost pause in midair for a split second, before he twisted, sending her to the ground. He then quickly dodged under and around Trok's downward chop, giving him access to the green ranger's chest as he unleashed a flurry of punches and finished it up with a kick that sent Trok tumbling into a mass of the blue-green coral. Several shots from Sel were evaded as he rolled to the side, grabbed his sidearm blaster, and opened fire on the mushroom tower next to her. It split apart and began to collapse, forcing her to throw herself to the side with a little yelp.

Sid was back in the fight. The two went toe-to-toe, red versus silver as each tried to outwit the other. A furious storm of punches, strikes, and counterattacks emerged, before Isdilian swung his leg out and Sid bowed in response, before issuing an uppercut—finally getting a hit in on his opponent's chest. It wasn't enough though, as Isdilian followed up with launching back and giving Sid a double-kick that sent the red ranger back a few paces, and leaving him vulnerable as the silver ranger swung in with another kick.

As the red ranger tumbled, Isdilian found himself now outflanked by three blue rangers. Each attacked in tandem; as he'd push one aside the next one would swing in and strike. They were coordinated, he'd have to give them that, but they simply weren't good enough. Soon enough one got sloppy, allowing him to grab her arm and toss her into one of her sisters. Grabbing his sidearm again, he opened a volley on the last one as she charged him.

Trok's turn. The green ranger cut in as Xolin's last aspect was impacted with laser pellets. Trok was no match at all; his attacks were far too slow to keep up with Isdilian's lightning-speed strikes, and the green ranger soon found his arm being grabbed and twisted. He struggled for a moment, before the silver ranger flipped him to the ground and slammed his foot into him.

Several laser blasts caught his attention. The yellow ranger was rushing him, sidearm pistol in hand. Heh, mistake. He let Trok's arm go, racing to meet Sel's attack. Again, he was faster than she'd thought he'd be, and before she was ready for close-quarters combat, he'd already intercepted her like a bullet, knocking her aside. She rolled away, shifting her gun to sword mode, and attempted a counter attack. In response, he did the same thing, and the two blades clashed. It was clear that he was the superior swordsman though, and she soon lost her grip—and was rewarded with several prompt slashes to her body. Sparks erupted as she cried out.

Sid and Xolin had rebounded, forming up behind him as he finished off Sel. Each now wielded their signature weapons—a large red axe for Sid, and Xolin's blue lance. Both charged up their weapons in tandem—Sid threw out a wave of red fiery energy which Isdilian broke apart with a swing of his sword, while Xolin followed up with a strike to the ground in front of her, sending a path of supercooled material towards him which he simply evaded before bullrushing them. The two were surprised by his sudden attack, and soon found themselves being used as stepping stones as he leapt over them, jumping over to where he had left his cannon. He rolled as he picked it up, aiming at them in a crouch before firing. The two rangers scattered before regrouping.

Trok's hammer nearly took off Isdilian's head. That near-miss forced the silver ranger to back off for a second, before he switched his cannon back to its sword-and-shield combo, and the hammer's next strike was parried by his blade. He thrust the green ranger back, who replied by striking the ground with his weapon. The hammer cracked the ground, and the shaking caused a number of the less-stable mushrooms to topple over, the rest of them swaying uneasily. But thinking ahead, Isdilian jumped just as the attack started, and came down on Trok foot-first, impacting his helmet.

A swing from Sid's axe returned Isdilian to the former fight, as he parried the red ranger's offense, and then blocked Xolin's with his shield. He charged up his sword, and then after knocking Sid back, struck at the red ranger, throwing a wave of silver energy at him. Sid's suit sparked and sputtered, leaving Isdilian to deal with Xolin. She was faster than the others, and for a bit she was actually able to keep up with his blade; the two almost dancing in synchronized fashion. But he was still better, and finally struck her across the chest in a lucky hit, giving him the chance to follow it up with several more blows before her defense finally caved and she fell back.

*Another* laser blast. Isdilian surmised Sel was back, and he was right. The yellow ranger pulled her bow back again, issuing another shot before he dodged and raced in, her weapon blocking his sword. Her bow was bladed on the outside, giving her the ability to fight with it in melee, which he found genuinely interesting. Too bad her skills weren't up to snuff. He quickly dispatched her, turning his attention to the rebounding green ranger.

"He's kicking our asses" Xolin muttered, clutching her injured arm as she and Sid regrouped.

Sid watched Trok and Isdilian go at it. There *had* to be a weakness somewhere. "…We need to coordinate better. You remember how we took out Trill?"

"…You sure about this?" she asked, remembering what they'd had to do to finally get the drop on the bounty hunter they'd faced on KO-35. Sid had had to play decoy while the others regrouped.

He tossed her his axe and drew his sidearm, "Trust me. Just get the cannon together; I'll hold him for a few seconds".

She nodded and the two split, herself heading for Sel's location while Sid raced right after Isdilian, who had just once again taken down Trok. Once again the two met in battle, and once again Sid was rapidly overwhelmed; his sword was struck from his hand and his body began to suffer blow after blow. But he held. His hands grabbed Isdilian's weapon by its blade, cutting into his gloves, just before Isdilian's shield smashed into his ribs. But he held. Sid redoubled his efforts, holding onto the shield for dear life as the blade from the sword struck at his side in the silver ranger's annoyed attempt to dislodge him.

But he held.

Finally though, Isdilian, seemingly having had enough, charged up his blade and knocked Sid clean from his shield, before issuing a follow-up strike that sent him reeling to the mud below. Quickly, he made his best effort to stand once more.

"Sid!" came Xolin's voice, somewhere behind him. Sure enough, there stood the blue ranger, flanked by yellow and green, with the Defender Cannon assembled and ready.

Just as planned. Sid evaded Isdilian's next attack, instead performing a wide backflip that saw him land behind the other rangers, before grouping up between Sel and Xolin. Now aware of what was happening, Isdilian switched his weapon to cannon formation as fast as he could. The rangers only had seconds to act.

"Defender Cannon!" they shouted, just as Isdilian got his into position.

"Sentinel Cannon!" the silver ranger shouted.

"FIRE!"

The familiar multicolored beam of power met the similarly silver-colored beam of power in the middle of the battlefield, the two forces at least supposedly equal. But slowly and surely, the multicolored beam began to gain ground; it was four against one, after all. And no matter how powerful the silver ranger thought he was, he couldn't take all four of them at once.

Psych.

Isdilian, having had quite enough of all of this, reached deep down, tapping the very core of his essence. The very core of everything. His suit began to glow with a faint silver charge, as the beam began to fight back, first stalemating and then pushing the rainbow of light back.

"Hold!" Sid shouted, as their fortunes began to reverse.

"I'm holding! I'm holding!" Trok grunted. He threw everything he had into the attack, *everything*. His powers began to spark and sputter from the overload, as did everyone's around him. But it was no use. And as their attempt wavered from exhaustion, the silver beam pierced through, ripping through their offensive.

The explosion was immense. All four rangers vanished within the fireball and resulting smoke, though in reality their bodies were flung through the air, each hitting a mushroom tower before collapsing into the mud. Isdilian stepped forward as the dense cloud began to clear, revealing the four rangers struggling to stand back up, each groaning at their attempt.

"Don't bother" Isdilian said, his suit still glowing with shimmering silver power, "You'll only hurt yourself".

"You know…I think…I've had just about enough of you" Sid groaned, forcing himself into a standing position, his axe being used as a makeshift walking stick to keep himself upright.

"Oh?" Isdilian asked with a hint of amusement, stopping several feet away from the group. He let the other three get back up as well, staggering as they did so from their injuries. "Then by all means: come at me". He opened his arms, motioning to them to bring it.

Sid tensed. This was *obviously* a trap, he just didn't know how. But Isdilian's suit was still shimmering, still glowing. What did that mean? Was that some sort of powerup?

"…No?" Isdilian asked, closing his arms in disappointment as none of the hesitating rangers came forth, "Then allow me".

Isdilian made a step forward and faded into a blur as he shot out like a bullet. It slammed into each ranger in turn, hitting them again and again as it flew from one end of the battlefield to the other. Each ranger's suit sparked and exploded as they groaned under the pain of each impact. But he moved too fast—they couldn't even react before another strike would send them reeling again. Finally, mercifully, Isdilian stopped and reappeared several feet away, allowing the opposing team to drop to their knees in pain as their suits were finally allowed to cool down, dark scorchmarks pockmarking their colors.

But Isdilian wasn't done. Charging up his blade with brilliant white energy, he swung outward—the blade's light extended until it cut right through the other ranger's. Then he swung again. And again. And again. They cried out, hitting the ground in a fit of agony—just as Isdilian rushed forward. He chose Trok; not for any particular reason, he just happened to be slightly closer. The silver ranger put his weapons away before pulling the green ranger up by his neck. He delivered several quick successive punches to his midsection; his fist charged up with power as he did so. Evidently growing tired of this, he then thrust Trok up into the air, summoning his sword again as he powered it up and cut him down in midair.

"TROK!" came Sel's voice. The yellow ranger had managed to stand back up, and was now aiming her bow at the silver one. She didn't get the chance though—his powered up sword extended like a whip, grabbing her weapon. Struggling to hold on as she was dragged closer, she felt a familiar…buzzing?

Yes, buzzing.

Her eyes widened, at first thinking her powers were recharging, but then realizing it wasn't *hers*. It didn't feel like hers. Then she realized the aura around the silver ranger as she closed in.

"Y..you!" she gasped, now just a foot away from him as she continued to try to pull away, "You have grid powers!" It made sense! It all made sense! This whole battle, his abilities! It made sense!

Isdilian said nothing as his hand grabbed her bow, his sword letting go…just before he plunged its light charge into the yellow ranger.

Xolin's battle cry turned the silver ranger's attention to his side, now seeing the blue ranger charging him with her lance. In an almost bored fashion, he sheathed his sword, allowing the shield to vanish from his hands, before squeezing his hand in front of him. Several points of silver light formed in front of him, and Xolin stopped in her tracks for a split second, hesitating at the new development.

A shower of dozens upon dozens of light beams cut through Xolin, causing the blue ranger to stumble back before collapsing on the ground. Isdilian then turned his attention to Sid. "Looks like you're last".

Sid gripped his axe tightly, but it wouldn't save him. One more flash-step impacted Sid, followed up by a return strike when Isdilian reappeared behind him. The silver ranger then began to levitate, hovering up above the field of battle where the defeated rangers pitifully struggled to move. His hands coursed with silver power as he prepared his masterstroke.

Lightning rained down on the rangers, silver electrical currents snaking across their suits and causing their powers to overload and explode everywhere. They screamed in agony and pain as this went on for several seconds, before mercifully it finally stopped. The four rangers sparked and sputtered, their suits in absolute ruin before they dropped into the mud again. And one by one, each demorphed in a flash of light.

"Isdilian, hold". The silver ranger, who had been prepared to finish this, looked over at where Iota now stood, at the edge of the battlefield. He regarded his commander for a moment, before gently floating to the ground next to the armored figure as his aura vanished.

"Sir?" he asked, a bit confused.

"I don't want them dead. Just beaten". Iota turned and walked toward the four beaten figures that had been beaten into the thick mud. "Let this be a lesson to each of you" he said, in a very direct and commanding tone, "Normally, treason is punishable by death. But I still have need of you, and so you have been spared. That is the *only* reason you have been spared. Now, I don't believe this kind of thing will happen again, because now you all know I have the power to end it. Am I correct?"

A pitiful murmer came up, and Isdilian nodded, "I'll take that as a yes. Also, as of now, Isdilian will be your new team leader; you will treat him with the respect the position demands. Am I clear?"

Each of the rangers looked up at Iota, rage and pain evident in their faces, but they said nothing.

"Am I *clear*?" Iota repeated.

"…Yes" Sid seethed, through gritted teeth. A series of very reluctant nods went up.

Iota nodded in return, "Good". He turned to leave, but paused, "…Oh, and before I forget. Isdilian here has ways to easily track Sel's grid signature should she leave the ship. Just in case you had any ideas of bailing". He crouched down, right in front of Sid as his voice got hard and serious, "A fun fact: you don't *need* to know my plans or my goals. Knowledge is a privilege, not a right. Nor will I allow anything to stand in my way. I demand submission, and what I demand I get, one way or another".

With that, Iota stood back up, turning to Isdilian, "Get them back to the ship" he spat out in disgust, then turned back to them one last time, "Get yourselves cleaned up" he said, before finally walking away and vanishing.

Sid watched him go, as did the others, rage and hate and pain flowing through their beaten bodies. They held nothing but utter contempt for him, and for the other ranger still standing before them. But they couldn't do *anything*, and that was the worst part.

Isdilian spoke up with an authoritative tone, "Training sessions will commence at six hundred hours tomorrow morning. Be there". He pressed a button on his morpher, and the entire group vanished from the planet's surface.

* * *

"You should have let me kill them".

Iota regarded his protégée who currently sat in a chair at the far side of his office. He sighed, "No. I assembled that group for a reason, and I still need them. They just needed to be broken, like any animal. Now the healing can begin, and we can get to work".

"Or you've just embittered yourself to them so that they'll try again" Isdilian replied, "I drained almost all of my reserves in that fight. It will be some time before I will be able to draw from the grid again".

"…That was a foolish move" Iota replied, somewhat disappointed in that revelation.

Isdilian shrugged, "It was needed. And I *had* thought that I was going to finish them".

"Well" Iota looked back at his holoscreens, "Those are facts I don't believe the others need to be informed of. As far as they will know, you are still at full power. I believe that threat will be more than enough to keep them docile".

"And if they run?"

Iota chuckled, "They won't leave without the others. One of the reasons I worked so hard to build up their relations with each other—they'll stick together to the end now. And since they know Sel won't ever be able to leave your sight…"

"Clever" Isdilian said, "But dangerous".

"There is always risk. Gambling is a natural state of life".

Isdilian remained unconvinced, but relented. The body language from Iota told him that this avenue of discussion was closed—his commander was too busy with his projects now.

* * *

She listlessly wandered down the hallway, her mind a chaotic maelstrom of thoughts and emotions. She'd tried to meditate, to center herself, but she just wasn't able to. There was just *too much*. Her body hurt, for one. Whatever Isdilian had done, it had hit the very core of her being. She ached with pains she couldn't even quite identify, and walked with a faint limp as her body tried to recover.

Xolin brushed her hand through her hair. It was more than the physical pain, though. She felt humiliated, stripped of dignity and respect. She'd been beaten to a pulp, and then lectured to like a child while face-down in the dirt. And to top it all off, her leader was now the very same person who had just beaten her senseless on the field of battle. It was *humiliating*, and the normally proud triforian couldn't take it. She was Xolin; the spiritual warrior who could withstand anything, who HAD withstood everything her homeworld had thrown at her, who HAD proved herself as a capable ranger on the team. And here she was now, laid low by some upstart.

Trinity, and the whole team dynamic was falling apart. Once again, it felt like her life was collapsing around her.

"XOLIN!" Trok's panicked voice came barreling down the hall from behind her. She turned, seeing the horathean bounding towards her in a run. He skitted to a stop, grabbing her shoulders, "You gotta come quick! Sid's packing to leave!"

"What?!" she exclaimed, shocked…but not *entirely* surprised.

"Come on!" Trok grabbed her hand, and she ran after him, suddenly forgetting her aching muscles.

* * *

Sid shoved the last bit of clothing into his bag. He didn't own much, so really his empty room was only barely more empty than it had been a few minutes ago. Yet somehow, it did. He was leaving.

He was really leaving.

He had to; there wasn't any other choice. He wouldn't be a part of Iota's schemes anymore, so if he had to cut and run…so be it. Besides, as he rationalized it to himself, he was only finally doing what the therapist had told him to do. This whole plan to get Iota to come clean had been a complete debacle and had only gotten people hurt. He knew when to throw the towel in—especially after he'd essentially been fired from his position as team leader.

"What are you doing?" Xolin asked, startling him slightly. He looked up and over at the triforian standing in the doorway, Trok standing just behind her.

"Leaving" he said abruptly, slinging his bag over his shoulders, "I know when to get out".

"So you're just going to let him win?" she asked, as he pushed through the two of them into the hallway. His shoulders slumped.

"What more can I do?" he asked, locking eyes with her, a thoroughly defeated expression etched on his face, "The new guy can crush us without breaking a sweat. Best to get out".

"So what about us?" Trok asked, despondent at the seeming betrayal.

"You're free to try and get out too" Sid replied turning to walk away, "In fact, I advise it".

But Trok wasn't having any of it, "And Sel? She can't leave. You heard Iota; Isdilian can track her anywhere, and after what we've seen? We know he won't take 'no' for an answer".

"That's a bluff" Sid replied, "There's no way—"

"You're wrong" Trok said defiantly, "I talked to Sel. She felt it; he's got grid powers, like her. And we think he's got better control over them than her".

"What?!" both Sid and Xolin blurted out, the former turning back around to the others. Xolin passed her hand through her hair, shocked by the revelation…though it made *sense*, considering how he'd utterly dominated the end stages of the fight. But it meant…they really couldn't leave. She'd actually been seriously considering it for the past few seconds—Sid seemed like he was right. But if Isdilian really could track Sel then…

"Bastard knew we'd never give her up" she whispered to no one in particular, a vacant, hollow expression on her face. Xolin leaned against the wall, sliding to the floor in a daze. All of it. All of it had been planned from the very beginning.

Sid's fists bunched up, before in a fit of rage he threw his bag as hard as he could against the far wall, before also collapsing on the floor. They didn't even have the freedom to leave. They were basically hostages. Well paid hostages, but hostages all the same. Could you be a slave if they paid you? This was all so fundamentally messed up.

Trok's expression was downcast, "I'm sorry. I won't leave her. She doesn't deserve this".

"I guess I'm staying too" Xolin muttered quietly, abject disgust lining her tone, "Damn it".

Sid remained quiet a few moments longer. "…I'm sorry. I was being selfish".

"Don't feel too bad" Xolin replied, "I was just about to take you up on the offer".

The three remained silent, Trok dropping to the floor as well now too. The tension in the air was palpable; just…the feelings of anger and hatred and sorrow and despair and…hopelessness.

"I'm sorry".

All three looked up to see Sel standing there. She too sat down on the floor, dejected and ashamed, "This is all because of me".

"No" Xolin corrected her, "This is all because we work for a psychotic supervillain". She shifted over to Sel, dropping next to her and putting her arm around her, "We'll figure it out" she looked at Sid, "We *will*" she added, with determination.

Sid met her gaze, and after a second of hesitation, nodded as his expression hardened, "We will. They aren't infallible. They can't be. We'll figure it out".

Sel nodded a bit numbly, though a bit mollified by Xolin's reassurance.

Trok was checking out the news feed on his morpher's holoscreen while they talked, "…Uh, guys? You might want to see this". They all looked at him, and he pressed the 'play' button on a news stream. All four recognized the person in the video as Chancellor Celpha, one of the major players in aquitian politics, and the main figurehead of the Confederate Senate.

"…_Repeated unauthorized incursions of our sovereign territory cannot go unnoticed—unlawful covert operations within our space, the shooting down of numerous ranged satellites; we have suffered numerous violations at their hands. All the while they have maintained that *they* are the victims. Three hours ago, an SPD contingent chasing what we assume is a private merchant vessel entered Confederate space in the Teldon system, coming into contact with one of our long-range listening border posts. When they did not respond to hails, the station responded by sorting its own defense wing of fighters and forced the contingent to withdraw with moderate casualties. An hour ago we received an ultimatum from the Alliance stating, among other things, that they demand reparations for *their* blunders and *their* breaking of the treaty that ended the last war._

_We will not be pushed around; many fought and died with the expectation that we would be free of them. And yet, already our long-range scouts have confirmed that they have already been mobilizing—they've wanted a war from the beginning._

"_And so, for that reason that I come to you now with a heavy heart. Despite our best attempts to safeguard your future and safety, they are concepts that must sometimes be defended in blood. And so that is why twenty minutes ago, the Confederate Senate authorized a declaration of war against the United Alliance. My fellow sapients; we are at war"._

Trok ended the stream, letting the silence fill the hall.

"…So that's it then" Sid muttered, watching the floor next to him, "Iota's got the war he wanted".

"And he's got Isdilian as his personal weapon of mass destruction" Xolin added.

Sid looked at her, "And who knows how many others. If both Sel and Isdilian have those powers, who's to say others don't as well?"

"We have an obligation to stop him" she replied plainly.

"We're going to have to fight, aren't we?" Trok asked, "In the war, I mean". Taking on fellow rangers didn't sound fun. He'd signed up to be a hero, not a soldier. He didn't want this.

"Probably" Xolin said bitterly, But we'll figure it out. We have to".

Sid nodded "The second Iota makes his move, we'll be there to stop him". And being right here was probably the best place to be to do that…unfortunately.

"And we'll do it together" Trok said, putting his hand out. At first he felt embarrassed when no one else joined him, but soon enough, Sel did.

"Together" she said, a faint but determined smile forming on her face.

Xolin nodded, also putting her hand out on top of theirs, "Together".

"Together" Sid finished.

They were a team, after all. Just the four of them. No matter what Iota did, no matter who he put on the team with them or put in charge of them, nothing could change that. They'd only known each other for a scant few months, but at this point, that might as well have counted as family. And now, they had a universe to save.

Together.

* * *

"Phase two is now underway" the blue armored figure said. She stepped into the central blank area of the holographic simulator she was in. It was empty; just a white floor and a black void outside of the lit area. Two other figures stood in the room with her; a large green armored figure, and another female armored figure like blue, in orange armor.

Green spoke up, "I hate all these phases. Too much dancing around, not enough decisive action".

"Everything has its place" orange replied with a bit of a chuckle. She stepped into towards the center of the room, "Patience. Soon we will have everything we need. There is no need to rush".

"There is every need to rush" blue said, turning to her, "Unfortunately our options are limited on that manner. But regardless…"

Orange replied, "Everything is proceeding as expected. Complete victory is almost within our grasp. Estimates conclude we will be victorious within the year; more than enough time to spare".

"Good" said green, "He will be pleased".

"They all will" blue said, looking up at the void, "They all will. May forgiveness be found".

"May forgiveness be found" the other two responded in unison, issuing their well-practiced mantra to the unfeeling void around them.

* * *

_**END OF BOOK ONE**_

_To be continued in Book Two…_


	14. 2x01: The Problem with Sixth Rangers

_(Author's Note: HEY KIDS, GUESS WHO'S BACK._

_First off, thanks for the comments! I'm really glad you guys are enjoying the worldbuilding going on; that's one of my big reasons for doing this. The fact that you like it must mean I'm doing it right._

_Secondly, you know the drill. It's season 2, which means thirteen more episodes, with one posted every two weeks. LET'S DO THIS.)_

* * *

A solitary shape slide against the stars, its green scaly hull gleaming against the yellow sunlight that bathed the world below. Its long, boxy shape clearly marked it as a Horathean warship, a single crevice jutting down the middle from the front which indicated the location of its fighterbay. A small wing of obelisk-shaped Triforian fighters swooped down, almost tracing the larger ship's hull before they swung over the side and under.

Right into the battle.

It was a storm of chaos and fury. On one side, the Alliance fleet of SPD vessels defended the world below with all their might. On the other, the assembled rag-tag fleets of the member worlds of the Confederacy desperately attempted to break through the blockade. A massive explosion ripped across the battle to the left of the Horathean warship—an SPD supercarrier had just gone up in smoke. Ten thousand lives, extinguished in an instant. And they weren't alone.

From behind a hollowed out husk of an SPD frigate, a much larger golden pyramid pulled itself up and forward, twin emerald beams of light blasting forth from the Triforian battle pyramid against its chosen foe; a grey and blocky SPD battleship. Joining the assault were wings of Aquitian fighters; their streamlined blue and green designs giving off the appearances of tropical fish swimming together. They swung in, peppering the offending vessel before pulling off to deal with incoming enemy fighters—boxy grey SPD craft. Above, the Aquitians' parent carrier sat, a large squid-like vessel that was fending off waves of SPD bombers with its point-defense systems.

Elsewhere, two Mirinoite warships—similar in style to the utilitarian SPD forces but still distinct by choosing a slightly more curved and aerodynamic aesthetic—found themselves engaged in a broadside against another larger SPD battleship. Below them, a Karovian frigate moved in to try and hit the opposing vessel from a more vulnerable position.

Scenes like these repeated themselves a hundred fold over the battlespace as the two large fleets fought for supremacy, the detonations and explosions large enough to be seen from the surface, had it been nighttime below.

But the focus of the battle was not the fight itself. Rather, the objective was the planet—or more precisely, the space station the Alliance had erected in orbit, which even now broadcasted an impenetrable energy shield across the entire world. This planet was a human colony; New Berlin, and SPD was in the process of blockading it into submission…the fifth world they would conquer since the war had started. And until the world surrendered, the shield would remain in place, making sure no one could get in or out.

A pack of mid-sized Karovian warships moved in against the shield for the next attempt. Their wide, dark hulls absorbed most of the sunlight that hit them, giving them an intimidating appearance as their wide almost bird-like shapes swooped in, each opening fire with all guns. A storm of firepower impacted the shield…but instead of breaking through, the shield backfired—throwing the energy right back at the flotilla; each receiving severe damage. Three of the vessels didn't make it; instead erupting into balls of light as the energy impacted their critical areas.

This was no good. Multiple assaults on the station had failed as well; it too was protected behind the shield. They were going to need a different solution if they were going to break through.

Onboard the lead Karovian warship, the commanding admiral watched the chaos swarm around his bridge; officers and crew running about in a panic as systems shorted out and fires needed containing. He had barely managed to keep himself in his chair when the impacts had hit the ship. The panels sparked, the lighting flickered, the vents vented. A quick look at his tactical display showed him that the Alliance fleet was doing a good job of containing his forces. They were going to need to withdraw and regroup, or else he'd face the very real possibility of losing the entire fleet. This battle was a wash.

"…Get me command" he gritted determinedly between his teeth, "Tell them we need the Peacekeepers".

* * *

**Power Rangers Peacekeepers**

**Season Two**

**2.01: The Problem with Sixth Rangers**

* * *

An explosion rocked the quarry. It resulted in several krybots being flung about in a myriad of directions. Sel allowed herself a small grin under her helmet; that arrow had been a good one. It'd taken a fair bit of charge to pull off, but the results had been worth it. There was no time for another such as that though; now the other krybots were moving in. She aimed, firing off a volley of lesser shots, each impacting their targets.

A far cry from the girl who could barely even aim. Quickly, the yellow ranger abandoned her post, moving further out of the way of the incoming forces. While she was *capabable* of melee thanks to constant combat sessions, the young xybrian knew her place was with ranged weaponry. Melee for her was a last ditch defense. Sid knew that too; which was why she was always placed where she was. She didn't mind of course; in fact she liked it. It was something she could do that no one else could pull off with quite as much skill. Drawing another energy arrow, she aimed her laser bow and fired again, while still running.

Another krybot went down for the count.

As she worked, the red and blue rangers found themselves moving in tandem, corralling the krybots for easier pickings for Sel.

"Xol! Thirty-six, twelve!" Sid shouted, spinning his axe into another krybot as he kept moving.

"Right!" Xolin shouted back, moving to the coordinates Sid had relayed, making sure to take out everyone in her way first, whirling her lance around like a wild dervish. Together, the two were doing an excellent job, with the added benefit of giving the last member of their team the time he needed to get his own job done.

Off to the side of the battle, Trok fiddled with the controls of his handheld device, currently plugged in via numerous wires into the skull of a downed krybot at his feet. Hacking was harder than movies and simudeck games made it out to be. And way, *way* more tedious. But, he was learning. And he had a knack for tech besides.

Almost…

Almost…

"Got it!" he exclaimed triumphantly, his fist in the air as the lights on his device lit up. He was in; and his tablet was now downloading all the files stored within.

Of course, the fates are cruel, and at that moment each of the rangers turned as they heard a loud engine noise. Sid's eyes narrowed in frustration as a large enemy walker tank began to crawl into the rock quarry, supported by six legs and crewed by numerous krybots. Each footfall caused the earth to vibrate a bit.

"Rangers, regroup! You know the drill" Sid give a small determined smile under his helmet. "Break!"

The team branched off, ignoring the few remaining infantry krybots as they fled for the hills. Sid and Trok dived straight in, playing decoy for the enemy gunners while Xolin flanked from the side, running up one of the sandy hills to get a better vantage point. As for Sel, well…

Sel closed her eyes, tapping into her latent xybrian powers. While she was still extremely new at this, she'd been training, learning to bring out her native powers of telepathy instead of…well, whatever it was of hers that could boil the morphin' grid like a pot of water. She wasn't super proficient at it, but…

There had always been sort of a misconception with xybrian powers. Those not in the know would always assume they had some sort of precognition, some psychic link to the future. This isn't quite true; xybrians were telepathic, giving them the ability to read others' intentions and plans, and extrapolate that into a 'probable' outcome. And right now, Sel was extrapolating the krybot's positions and movements.

A hailstorm of laser arrows flew out, hitting each of the gunners manning the tank. Noting her chance, Xolin leapt from her hill onto the side plank of the machine, landing two shots from her blaster into the nearest krybot, before spinning around and placing her lance between two other krybots' abdomens and legs.

"Trok!" Sid commanded.

"Right!" the green ranger's hammer switched to mace mode, giving him the ability to use it like a grappling hook, flinging the weapon about so that its head wrapped around the side rails of the tank's planks. He then retracted the mace head, pulling him up to the tank.

"Sel, target the legs!" Sid commanded.

Another volley of yellow arrows began assaulting the tank's supports, and one by one they began to falter. Sid meanwhile was racing right for the machine's front, leaping up and imbedding his axe into the cockpit's windshield. Pulling his weapon out, he then reached in and threw the opposing krybot out of its seat and into the dirt below.

"Charges planted!" Trok shouted, rounding back around from the engines in the rear, "Jump!"

All three rangers did as Trok advised, and not a moment too soon, as the entire craft quickly went up like a roman candle. Turning about to admire their work, the four rangers gathered around each other, quite satisfied with the pyre they'd just constructed.

…Aaaand then the entire scenario flickered around them and died, replaced by the empty walls of the simudeck, just as its doors opened.

"What the hell was that?" Isdilian crowed. The helmetless silver ranger marched in towards Sid with his fists curled.

"*That*" Sid emphasized as he pulled his helmet off, "Was *awesome*. What is that? Was that a new time record?" he turned, asking the rest of the team, "I think that was a new time record".

"…By three seconds" Sel murmured, a small satisfied grin plastered on her face.

"No. No that was not awesome" Isdilian continued, obviously the only one in the room *not* enthralled by the current situation, "You flagrantly disregarded the plan. *Again*".

"We did follow the plan!" Xolin snapped back, "We just…made it better".

"You" the new ranger pointed at Xolin, "You were supposed to be ranged support, and you" he pointed at Trok, "Were supposed to be part of the assault, not data retrieval".

"But…I'm the best at tech stuff" Trok replied, confused. It had been like this every time they'd trained for the last few months, ever since Isdilian had showed up. It was never good enough for him, he was way too…demanding? No, that wasn't the word he was looking for.

Meticulous? Yes, that might be it. He was meticulous. Micromanaging. Everything had to be*exactly* his way, and there was no going around it. And since he'd wandered into a team that already had a dynamic…well, this kind of thing kept happening.

Indeed, Isdilian wasn't backing down, "No, I needed Sel on the 'tech stuff'. Her abilities allow her a wider potential—"

Sid cut him off, "Yeah, 'potential', but 'potential' doesn't help in battle. Trok's the one with the skill *and* the talent. And besides, Sel's trained in ranged—".

"Xolin was supposed to be your ranged support" Isdilian cut him off, becoming more irate by the second, "She's faster".

"Uh…" Xolin put her hands on her hips, her temper flaring, "I'm better up front. And Sel's the one with the bow—"

"You have a blaster, don't you?" Isdilian deadpanned with a glare, "Honestly, try to think outside the box sometimes. No wonder you're such a sad group".

"Hey, we just *wasted* that walker" Sid growled, "So before you go off with the high and mighty routine ONCE AGAIN, just remember that maybe we already *have* a working dynamic, and maybe you're not needed".

"Except I did a pretty good job at showing you where you fail" Isdilian threw back, "A team is only as good as its weakest link, and if you only train for your strengths, then your weaknesses will overcome you in battle" He turned, "We'll try this again. And again, and again. Until we get this right".

"…Excuse me?!" Sid grabbed Isdilian's shoulder and turned him back around, seeing little more than red right now and doing everything he could not to punch his new leader in the face, "We *do* train for everything. Sel trains in melee. I train in tech support, just in case. But as a *team* we get put where we're needed tactically. Working against that is an attempt at sabotage".

"Are you implying what I think you're implying?" Isdilian growled, his voice low.

"Do you really need me to answer that?" Sid responded in kind. The other three rangers rallied around him, their faces telling the silver ranger all he needed to know.

"I kicked your asses once, I can easily do it again" he seethed, his fists clenching.

"Only because you've got fancy powers" Sid replied, "Military commander, you ain't". The two leaned into each other, about to beat the other senseless.

At that moment, Iota's voice found itself over the speakers; _"All rangers, report to the briefing room immediately"._

The five rangers turned from the speaker back to each other. Isdilian gave a smug look, "Saved by the bell" he said, before turning and leaving, allowing the others to follow in his wake.

"Pity" Xolin grumbled to Sid as she popped her knuckles, the two heading of the room, "I was so looking forward to the rematch".

Sid said nothing in response, remaining content to simply stare daggers into the back of Isdilian's neck. Xolin glanced at the other two rangers; Trok was pouting, his arms crossed and his face unfocused, elsewhere. Sel had an annoyed look on her face, her fists clenched. Months of this. There had been *months* of this, and it was starting to impact moral. Long gone were the days of the ship having a laid back atmosphere of comradary. Long gone were the days of the team dynamic being an informal, intangible thing that nonetheless bonded them all together. Now everything had a somber, military order to it all. Gone was the laughter, the jokes, the communal downtime. Now it was all about the work; the job. And it was a job they had grown accustomed to hearing about how much they sucked at it.

And then there was the war, and how every day more casualty reports came in, and how their jobs had shifted from fighting random monsters on backwoods worlds, to suddenly fighting on the front lines, or in covert ops missions. It was starting to wear on all of them. Xolin sighed, letting the tension from the confrontation flow back out. Not now; she'd knock Isdilian on his ass some other time. She swallowed in regret of lost opportunity, but refocused her attention on the coming briefing. It was time for yet another mission.

* * *

The rangers shuffled into the small, circular war room, still in ranger form. They didn't see much use in demorphing, knowing they'd probably be right back into the thick of things in a few minutes anyway. Each took their regular seats. They weren't assigned or anything, but after months of this everyone had just sort of assumed ownership of a particular chair. Sometimes they switched it up, but that was becoming less and less common.

Iota waited until the last, Trok, took his seat, then turned to the largest of the screens that decorated the room on all sides, most of them listing off statuses for various ship systems or displaying star maps of the region. On Iota's screen however, a world was depicted; a green and blue one, much like your average garden world.

"This is New Berlin, a human colony currently on the front lines. Three weeks ago, SPD forces succeeded in capturing its orbital space from the Mirionite sixth fleet. Since then they've managed to install an energy shield around the planet, blocking all attempts to re-secure the planet. The Peacekeepers have been called in, and we're the closest team in range".

A holographic display popped up in the middle of the table, showing the world and a representation of the shield around it—as well as the space station just underneath that was supplying it.

"So…how do we get through?" asked Trok, "I mean, if a fleet can't…" he trailed off, just as the replay of the battle on one of the screens got to the point where several karovian warships found themselves at the mercy of the energy shield's counter-defenses. He grimaced; that didn't look like a fun thing to go through.

"We've been studying the shield harmonics" Iota continued, as more readouts appeared across the table. "While the station has been placed behind the shield, and the shield itself reflects all attacks and attempts to bypass it, it does have on critical weakness".

"…It's a kinetic shield" Sid mused, watching the replay again. He'd seen these before, back during the war. Er, well, the first war. The old war? The prior war. Boy, this was going to be awkward if he ever had grandkids. He grinned inwardly, thinking about how when he told war stories, the topics were going to have to be multiple choice.

Iota nodded, "Exactly. While large ships and weapons are deflected by the shield, we believe small craft or persons may be able to, if careful, slip through with minimal damage.

"…The sky cycles" Xolin nodded.

"Exactly" Iota repeated.

Trok frowned, "Wait, we're going to throw ourselves at that?" the footage was replaying again, "Without a ship?"

"It's the only way, I'm afraid" Iota replied, switching off the footage, "If you're slow and careful, you should be able to slip in. Your mission is to slip through the shield, assault the station, and disable the shield. You will have elements of the Mirinoite sixth fleet, the Karovian fourth fleet, and detachments from various Horathean, Aquitian, and Triforian battlegroups backing you up, providing you with a distraction while you infiltrate. Once the shield is down, they will proceed to destroy the station and re-occupy the planet's orbital space".

"So what's the plan?" asked Xolin.

"The necessary files and readouts of the station have been uploaded to your morphers. The plan is up to your commanding officer" Iota glanced as Isdilian. A wave of distaste settled over the group, enough that even Iota felt it, though he didn't bother to comment on it—it would pass, after all. "We will be arriving within the hour. Dismissed".

The mood in the launch bay was somber, as it had been for months now. Each of the rangers remained quiet as they worked on their assigned tasks; whether it was last-minute maintenance of the sky cycles or going over the station schematics again. In times past, the group would have eased the pre-battle tension with humor; needling and harassing one another as they had come to do.

Those times were over now. Isdilian wasn't big on playing around, and he'd made sure everyone knew his stance on it. It was a 'waste of time and resources'. Besides, they hadn't felt comfortable letting him in on their lives; talking about each other could just lead to him or Iota having more ammo to use against them, and they had quite enough already.

They were prisoners aboard their own ship, and each of them knew it. They couldn't leave; Iota would never stop tracking down Sel, and she'd be easy enough to trail with her unique morphin' energy signature. And none of them would consider leaving the others to their fate. Iota had played his cards perfectly.

Isdilian brought up a holographic display of the station from one of the work consoles on the wall. He spoke, causing everyone to turn to his attention. "The plan is simple. After we bypass the shield, we'll land in the main docking bay".

"The front door?" Xolin asked, "Won't that just attract unwanted attention?"

"That's why I'm bringing along the Sentinel Megazord. We'll activate it once we're past the shield. Trok, you're piloting. Keep them distracted".

"Me?" the green ranger asked, confused, "Er…"

But Isdilian continued, unabated, "From there we'll make a bee-line for the shield generator. Probably…here" he pointed at the holo-schematics, "Sid and Xolin will take the device out, while Sel and I will keep everyone else preoccupied. Questions?"

"Er…yeah" Sid said, "Why isn't Trok the one taking out the device?"

"Yeah" Trok folded his arms, concerned and nervous, "Besides, Xolin's a way better pilot than me".

"…I'm part of the defensive line?" Sel murmured, a frown forming on her face.

Isdilian sighed. He was becoming *incredibly* tired of having his command decisions questioned at every possible turn. This…team had no respect at all for the chain of command. It was like they WANTED to fail because of intra-unit bickering. But once again, he resisted the urge to pound their faces in as he explained as briskly as possible why his plan was better than their ideas.

"Because we're not hacking a device, we're breaking it" he said, looking at Sid, "And since you're heavy hitters, I need you and Xolin close by so we can escape more easily afterward. Sel's good for the defensive line because she compliments my short-ranged power set and are we done questioning my decisions yet?"

An uneasy quiet settled over the group. Each of the rangers remained bitter, but said nothing.

Isdilian spoke again, taking the silence as he answer, "It may come as a surprise to you, but I *do* know what I'm doing. Now, any questions about the *actual* mission?"

A series of strained and defeated 'no's came. Isdilian nodded, and slowly the small crowd of multicolored heroes dispersed again, returning to their work.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

Iota took a seat in the captain's chair on the bridge. Normally he didn't anymore; he liked to remain very 'hands off' when it came to the day-to-day affairs and missions of the rangers, letting them run things while he kept tabs on them, rather than leading them overtly. After all, doing so would have attracted attention that he'd much rather keep away from. But for today, the plan meant that he'd be taking a more active role in the fighting—in this case, keeping the Megaship in one piece.

They would be exiting hyperrush speeds shortly. He quietly watched the small timer on the armrest next to him silently tick down. It was a countdown in more ways than one; he'd already signaled ahead to the fleet their ETA and they were matching to compensate. The moment the Megaship dropped out of FTL, they would already be right in the middle of a gunfight. He timed his response, then spoke into the ship's comm system to the rangers once he was synced.

"ETA is ninety seconds".

* * *

Xolin rubbed the handlebar of her skycycle, already onboard and waiting for the doors to open the second they dropped out of FTL. It was strange, when she stopped to think about it. A few months ago, they wouldn't have been doing this. A few months ago they would have still been part of a clandestine 'black ops' sort of group, working behind the scenes were ostensibly no one could see them (even if they hadn't always been the best as the 'covert' part). They were deniable by the government, an arm it didn't acknowledge and didn't fully trust.

But then war had been declared, and everything had started to change. Within days, the Peacekeeper organization was being redesigned from the ground up; becoming public as it was 'formally' initiated as if a brand new government program—their way of still covering their tracks while at the same time making the rangers the front and center of their counter-attack against the Alliance. Money flooded in, and suddenly more teams were getting funded. They weren't anywhere near *liked* by the populace—they still normally had to keep their distance from civilians, but recruits were still flooding in compared to before.

Also everything was just more…well, 'open', in a respect. Which was weird, considering you'd think the war would tighten everything down further. But before the war, while they'd occasionally hear references to the handful of other teams operating, it would all be very hush-hush and second hand. It felt like they were really on their own. But now, well…there had been multiple engagements now where they'd been fielded along with another team or two. They'd never gone so far as to *work* with anyone, but she HAD caught sight of them on occasion. And as a whole everything just felt more…cohesive, maybe? Like there was an actual military organization at work here.

That both comforted and worried her. Comforted because they weren't alone. Worried because this wasn't what she signed up for—or any of them, really. Trok especially had been taking this a bit hard, He was doing his best not to draw attention to it, but she could always tell when he was angsting about something. Poor kid only ever wanted to be a hero; slaying the dragon to save the village—not being a soldier in an ugly war.

In truth she wasn't sure *what* she had signed up for, but she had been pretty sure it wasn't front line military combat. It also certainly wasn't taking orders from some asshole who had nearly killed her and her friends within a day of meeting him as some sort of object lesson. It *also* certainly wasn't working for some sort of sociopathic puppet-master who may or may not have been planning to use one of her friends as some sort of doomsday weapon against the enemy.

Sigh. Such was life.

"_ETA is ten seconds"._

That would be Iota's last warning. Xolin crouched; ready to strike. A sudden feeling of slowing; the pull of inertia along with the sounds of the ship's mega accelerator engine winding down, told her it was time a split second before the launch bay doors split open. Sid went first, carrying Isdilian behind him—boy, she bet he loved having to ferry the asshole around. She grinned; better him than her. For a split second she wondered why the silver ranger was hitching a ride on the red ranger's cycle, then realized that the transport-tank-ship-thing of his was probably too big to push through the shield.

Her grin grew wider. Useless as usual.

Trok and Sel went next. Xolin pulled up, the cycle detaching its antigrav locks from the hanger floor as it floated for a second, before firing off into the raging storm outside.

Xolin remembered the first time they had been deployed into a battlezone; a real one, not the minor skirmishes they had been a part of before. Beforehand, a 'large battle' to their team (minus Sid of course) had been like the incident several months back when she and Sel had been abducted by SPD forces, and they'd been forced to deploy their entire force of zords against a couple of SPD carriers and their fighter compliments. She'd only seen a glimpse of the fight as they were leaving, but it had been breath-taking…and terrifying.

Then the war had begun, and suddenly they were facing off against hundreds of ships. They'd even grinded themselves through training for a week beforehand to try and desensitize them, and it hadn't helped much. Sapient minds simply weren't built to take in that amount of information all at once; watching all those ships moving about, exploding all around them, their HUD displays registering so many dots it was hard to pick just one out—were they being trailed by fighters? Was a stray shot or chunk of shrapnel about to cut through them? Were they being targeted by a beam cannon? You could never know. It was the kind of thing that could blow someone's mind.

Figuratively speaking, of course. Well, unless one of the above happened, anyway. They'd so far managed to avoid that of course. Obviously.

Four. This was their fourth deployment like this. Nine if you counted the five planet-side assaults, though even *large* ground engagements were childs' play to the mind compared to the sphere of utter chaos that was space combat. At this point none of them were *completely* freaking out over the insanity, but it was still just so much…everything. Even for someone who meditated and trained as much as her, Xolin was still finding it all she could muster just to focus on the task ahead.

An SPD battleship exploded somewhere overhead, the twin energy beams of an Aquitian warship lancing through it like some cosmic rendition of a knightly joust. A wing of three Triforian obelisk fighters flanked around them, heading down and around their left. A moment later, an SPD fighter duo followed them up, trying to take them out with pulse energy cannons.

Up ahead lay their destination; a large vaguely cylindrical grey and silver object hovering over the green and blue world below, masked behind the shimmering effect of the energy shield that covered the planet.

"We're going in" Isdilian shouted to them over their comm systems, "Remember that it's a kinetic field. The more physical effort you force on it, the more it'll throw back at you. Slow to one quarter speed before entering and have your shields at maximum. After that, Trok, you'll split from the group and assault the main hangerbay. Everyone else; keep going".

With that, the four skycycles danced among the stars, weaving and bending with the stream of the combat around them, making sure to dodge and evade every attempt on their lives, both intended and accidental. An energy beam from an SPD carrier meant for a nearby Karovian battleship nearly cut them apart; they split like a school of fish, fleeing in radial directions before reassuming formation, their travel time only mildly extended.

They were almost upon the shield.

"BREAK!" Isdilian commanded. Each reversed thrusters, slowing their momentum as quickly as they could, as the shield loomed as an omnipresent force around them.

"NOW!"

Sid exhaled and steeled himself; now or never. Hoping his faith was proven right, he nudged his craft forward, pushing against the object that wasn't even really there. It was strange; he felt the push back and yet…not. Within seconds he was through the bubble, and was soon followed up by the others, encouraged by his success. Each now flew for the station's mouth; the fighter bay.

"Trok!" Isdilian ordered.

"Got it!" the green ranger pulled a small white model of a tank out of the front compartment of his cycle. Thank the spirits for microization tech. "Sentinel Megazord!"

Even as the words were leaving his mouth, the tank flew from his hands, growing larger and larger as it flipped around and transformed into the silver ranger's megazord, landing with a powerful THUD as it skidded across the floor of the fighterbay, its feet taking several docked fightercraft with it as it went. Trok soon followed as he landed inside the cockpit, his skycycle having switched to autopilot and folding itself within one of the megazord's backplates—a convenient auxiliary launch port. The tank-like megazord issued a battle pose, even as the defenses of the chamber had already begun to lay siege to the intruder, the entire hanger lighting up like the fourth of July. The megazord responded by thrusting its powerful fist into the ground, the shockwaves rippling through the rest of the room as fighters and military craft were overturned, sparks and explosions going off as the behemoth marched further in.

Then Trok noticed; each of the people down there were in uniform. Were people. Were *people*. He wasn't fighting krybots or giant rubbery…*things*.

"Guys!" he called to the others with a hint of panic in his voice, "We're not fighting monsters!"

Xolin cursed under her breath as she looked down as the rest of them flew by. They'd done well enough up to this point keeping Trok out of the worse parts of the conflict—almost always SPD substituted its main military force with machines like krybots; they were after all easier to build and replace, than training soldiers. They were easier to command too. But here…there weren't any krybots. Of course there weren't; this was 'behind the front lines' so to speak. They were attacking the rear front operations.

Shit. Double shit. Triple shit.

"Doesn't matter" Isdilian said, "They're the enemy. Keep them busy, take them out".

"But—"

"Switch Trok with Xolin" Sid interjected, even as he blasted through the wall into the base itself, tracking where the energy signature was coming from, "She can do this, and I could really use Trok at the generator anyway".

"No. We're already committed and I've already given my reasons" Isdilian replied, then spoke to Trok, _"Just suck it up deal with it"._

Trok grimaced, watching the non-krybot troops piling in as the non-krybot workers fled. He brought up the megazord's arm in defense, blocking the shots from his cockpit, but he couldn't do anything. He couldn't *do* anything! Anything he did would risk killing more people.

"But I can't!"

"Just do it!" Sid shouted back to Isdilian, "There's no use endangering the mission!"

"The only ones endangering the mission are YOU two!" the silver ranger bit back, "Now carry out your order!"

As if to make a point, Isdilian severed the link to Trok, pushing Sid slightly forward as if to tell him 'faster'. The sooner they were done, the better. Isdilian couldn't believe he was having to put up with such childish antics. He wasn't about to jeopardize the entire mission just because someone had a weak constitution. He shouldn't even be here on this team if he was so useless.

"Sorry, Trok" Sid replied, making sure his link to Isdilian was temporarily severed. His tone was one of defeat, "Just…" he sighed, "Do your best. Keep them occupied, and keep yourself in one piece. We'll be out soon, and then we can go home. Okay?"

"…Yeah. Sure" came Trok's hollow reply. Sid's face narrowed with disgust as he flew harder, blasting through another wall. He banked—hard, choosing now to take the hallway itself, his skycycle devastating it as he skidded by, soon followed by both Xolin and Sel. It wasn't like any of them liked slaughtering people either but...Trok was more sensitive. More innocent. Even if that innocence had taken a number of heavy hits since they'd met. It was that childlike wonder and enthusiasm that always got Sid—Trok wasn't the only person who'd ever had dreams of being a hero when they were younger.

They turned another corner. They were close.

Very close.

He now plummeted, down an elevator shaft after blowing the door open with another well-placed laser shot, not even bothering to turn down, instead simply dropping horizontally, before resuming forward twelve floors down.

Secretly, Isdilian wondered if Sid was simply trying to get back at him in some childish way by making him nauseous. Even more secretly, Isdilian noted that it was working.

Up ahead however, their luck was finally running out. The hallway opened up into a larger chamber, and the base defenses had finally started to organize. Twin tanks, folded out into a turret assault formation, sat on each side of the hall, backed by numerous armored troops. None of them rangers, thank god, but still somewhat of a threat in numbers. The first tank opened a salvo on Xolin's skycycle. As it veered off and crashed into the wall, she leapt off, flipping onto the back of the tank and rammed her lance into what she knew was a weak spot as she landed, charging it with her energy, before leaping away again as the tank exploded. As she landed again, the other tank locked onto her position—

Only to be blown away by Sid's craft as he flew by, Isdilian dropping down and immediately ramming his shield into somebody's face. Another shot from Sel's craft sent a few more soldiers flying. She quickly landed near Isdilian, slashing her blade bow against the nearest opponent, before realizing they were surrounded. They weren't *supposed* to be surrounded, but she was supposed to support Isdilian. But this…this was *bad* news for a ranged fighter. She clenched her teeth in frustration. Was he *trying* to get her killed?

"GO!" Isdilian shouted to Xolin and Sid, "Remember the plan! The generator is in the next room!"

Sid's cycle came to a hover next to Xolin, and the blue ranger took the opportunity to swing her leg over before the red ranger took off again.

"We need to get this done fast" she said to Sid as they shot off once more, "I'm worried about Trok".

"Preaching to the choir" Sid replied, catching sight of their quarry—directly ahead. It was a large orb-like…well, generator…*thing*, spinning around with red lights in what looked to be a wider chamber. Even if it wasn't what they were looking for, he was sure it was important. "Hold on to your helmet".

Sid unleashed another salvo on the quickly approaching generator, just as they left the hall and entered the wider dome room. Too late he realized the air was shimmering around it. Too late did his eyes widen in realization as the energy blasts impacted the shield. The shimmering field retaliated, flinging the energy back a hundred fold.

Sid banked, *HARD*. Harder than he ever had in his life, narrowly avoiding being boiled alive. The resulting beam was so close, he'd *felt* it, even through his suit. The red skycycle took a moment to land, and both rangers quickly leapt off.

"It's got a second shield" Xolin muttered.

"Yeah, I got that *now*, thanks" Sid grumbled, eyeing the large device in annoyance, looking for some other way to solve this. Carefully, the two of them pushed themselves through the shield, then drew their blasters and fired.

...Not a scratch.

"The hell?" Xolin gawked, "What is this made of!?"

Sid groaned as he checked the readout from his morpher, "...Neo-Plutonium. Of *course*it is. Because why wouldn't it be?"

"...Are you serious?" Xolin asked, her shoulders sagging in disappointment and disbelief.

Sid nodded, "Yeah. Meaning nothing our blasters can throw at it will make a scratch.

"So what now?"

the two rangers eyed the computer terminal next to them inside the shield. Sigh. They were going to have to shut it down the old-fashioned way after all. Damn. Both looked at the other knowingly—then turned upward as they heard noises. Sure enough, several sliding panels above them had opened, and human-sized arachnid-like robotic creatures had begun crawling out.

"Oh. That's *great*" Sid said, "Ideas?" he asked, turning to Xolin.

"Yeah" she pulled out her lance and readied herself, "I got one. You hack, I *hack*".

* * *

Sel's arrow cut down another soldier, but was met with laser fire on her backside, causing her to tumble forward. Her suit thankfully absorbed most of the damage, but it was clear as she rolled away, that she was in a *bad* tactical situation.

"I need more cover fire!" Isdilian ordered, slashing away another foe. He spun around, his blade holding against two bayonetted rifles that were swinging down on him. Pushing them back, he swung wide and cut both soldiers down.

Sel dodged more lasers, rolling behind one of the ruined tanks. *He* needed more cover fire? She gritted her teeth For a brief second, she considered giving him exactly what he had requested—right though his skull. But no, better not. She'd probably get into trouble for that.

Sigh.

The yellow ranger swung back around, aiming her bow. With a guttural roar, she charged forward and began firing her bolts in rapid succession. She downed the soldiers nearest to Isdilian—doing her best to hit them in non-vital areas as much as she could—but before she could even close the distance to him, more gunshots slammed into her side. As she rebounded, the enemy closed in, the yellow ranger barely able to block their bladed rifles with her bow as she sat there, half-crouched. She soon found herself outmatched, giving ground to her enemy. Another salvo of gunfire impacted her backside, and she fell.

Damnit. This was *not* the place for ranged support. She needed him to watch *her* back, not the other way around!

* * *

Trok was having a bad day. Certainly, his entrance had managed to put the fighter bay out of commission for the rest of the battle—wreckage of downed spacecraft littered the chamber haphazardly and the floor itself was a mess. But now the green ranger found himself paralyzed and on the defensive—he was having to fight *people*. He saw representatives of various alien species down there, running and panicking at the sight of his giant robot. And while the gunfire wasn't *crippling* his zord, it was still whittling the hull down, little by little. Worse, someone had gotten one of the fighters working, and while it was still stuck on the ground, they'd managed to wheel it around and aim at the silver tank-zord.

The zord grabbed one of the other downed fighters, using it as a defense shield from the oncoming enemy blasts from the other fighter. It worked—kinda, but without energy shields, the gunfire was quickly burning through the hull, and with each hit the inertia sent the Sentinel Megazord staggering back another step. And Trok couldn't move or defend himself—not without risking lives. This was impossible. He gripped the controls tighter, hating himself for being unable to pull the trigger, like Sid or Xolin, or even Sel could. They just did their jobs and got over it. Why couldn't he?

And why was he even here? He signed up to fight monsters and save people, not…whatever this was. This was not him. He cursed himself inwardly. Stupid coward; this was like his exile from Horath all over again—choosing his own well-being over other people just like before. And he couldn't help but worry about the others—and how he was their ticket out of here.

And just as it seemed things couldn't get any worse, two large chamber doors at the far end of the hanger opened up, and two humanoid zords—identical in design and boring at that with being mostly utilitarian and grey—stepped forward, each pulling out swords from their backsides. Trok was going to have to fight them—and risk everyone down below.

It wasn't supposed to be this way. It wasn't fair.

...Trok was having a bad day.

* * *

Contrary to what some may have believed from first impressions, Xolin wasn't an idiot. She was bullheaded, arrogant, and stubborn, sure. She sometimes tended to focus on what was directly in front of her with indeterminable will at the cost of the larger picture, certainly (and amusing, considering her studious attention to detail). And whenever Sid or Trok or even Sel these days started going deep into the tech-science-math stuff or whatever, her eyes would start to glaze over.

But Xolin wasn't an idiot. In fact, she was actually fairly clever. Studious when it came to the art of combat and strategy, even. No one who could master multiple forms of martial arts, weapon skills, and keep an almost scholarly interest in her own religion could ever be stupid.

Case in point: the blue ranger stood back, waiting as the spider robots crawled down from the domed ceiling. Normally she would have gone on the attack—the best defense is a good offense, as far as she was concerned. But this time there was something else to consider—the energy shield. Right now both she and Sid stood within it, as the red ranger fumbled with the controls. Why go after a superior-numbered enemy when you could use their own defenses against them, after all? Certainly, she mused, the spiders would be able to move through the shield, but it would still buy them time. Already three of them were scurrying around the edges of the shield, beginning to phase their way through the energy barrier.

And that's when Xolin got an idea. A cruel smirk forming on her face, she swung her lance down on the arms of the spider that was already halfway through the shield. Electrical discharge erupted and flowed into the barrier—bad news for the spider and its friends as the resulting cascade obliterated them. See, she might not have been super book-smart, but she still had an idea that the shield wouldn't have been receptive to that kind of disru-

The next thing Xolin knew, she was on her ass, having skidded away several feet and landing next to Sid.

"Are you alright?!" the red ranger asked worriedly, helping her back up. She barely heard him over the ringing in her ears.

"I uh...yeah" she said woozily, holding her head as she balanced herself, "Just a bad idea on my part". Xolin looked up, taking note that numerous more spider-bots were now descending. "...How's your end coming?" she frowned, realizing they were in trouble.

Sid shook his head, noticing the spiders too but keeping his attention on the computer terminal, "I...I don't know".

"...Pardon?" Xolin asked worriedly, turning her attention to him even if only for a moment. Her lance was still trained on the enemy. Er...theoretically anyway.

His hands fluttered in frustration as he continued to fiddle with the controls, "I don't know! There's like, six levels of encryption here, and I can't make heads or tails of it".

"...We need Trok" she replied, resuming her watch against the spiders.

"Yeah, tell that to Mein Fuhrer over in the other room" Sid grumbled, completely fed up with the entire situation.

The spiders were descending, all around them. Xolin tensed as they began to phase through the barrier.

Sid tried one more hail mary on the encryption, and when that didn't work slammed his fist down on the console in anger. Growling with rage, he flipped open the comm channel on his morpher to Isdilian.

"The encryption's way beyond my paygrade here" Sid said, "We need to switch roles here".

"_We're already committed"_ came the curt reply.

Sid's eyes narrowed, "Oh don't give me that shit. We all know you've got that fancy teleporter. Switch us out!"

"_You have your orders, and I-"_ he paused, the sounds of combat breaking through the comm link, _"-demand you carry them out! Sel! Cover fire, *NOW*!"_

"Yeah, great plan genius!" Sid bit back, "You've got the idealist hacker running megazord combat against other people, leaving your heavy hitters to play computer nerd **for** him. Meanwhile, your only backup in melee combat is an archer. Good job! We're getting *swarmed* here!" He looked around, taking note that Xolin was now backing away from the encroaching robots as they breached the shield. Determining it was now safe, the blue ranger at last lashed out, striking at the nearest one, but suddenly found she had to dodge the laser fire of another. For a moment she thought about deciding herself, but then decided against it. There wasn't enough space to move about in to justify it, and she'd only be making herself weaker.

Xolin deflected a few more shots by spinning her lance about, then struck out again, evading two more shots and rolling under one of the spiders before gutting it with her weapon. She then thrust it upwards, and threw it at the new next closest spider-bots. Not letting up her attack, she charged with a battlecry.

* * *

Trok listened to the argument unfold over the comm channel, even as he blocked with one arm the assault from the first enemy megazord, struggling against its weight as it pushed against him with all its might—the feet of his own zord shifting back a few steps as the metal on the deck floor buckled and shattered. The mission was falling apart, and he was part of the reason.

He couldn't let them down.

Gripping the controls, he pushed back, against the enemy robot. But just as he was about to take the offensive after having pulled the opposing zord's arms up for a kick to the chest, the other enemy zord crashed into his side. The Sentinel Megazord hit the ground, sliding to the other wall of the hanger bay, crushing or displacing another contingent of fighters. At first Trok was worried—how many people had he hurt? Then he noticed that there were no troops firing on him anymore. At some point during the battle they'd retreated now that it was a megazord-on-megazord brawl.

That...that made things a little easier. Grunting as he forced the zord up into an almost sitting position, he flipped the megazord's shoulder cannons over into combat mode, and taking just a moment to aim, unleashed a flurry of fire and thunder against the zord that had knocked him over. Then he began the process of standing back up again.

Too bad he'd forgotten about the other zord, which barreled ontop of him. Raising its fists, it began to lay into him like a savage beast. The green ranger struggled to keep his grip on the controls as the inertia from the impacts threatened to send him flying back into the rear of the cockpit.

Trok was having a bad day.

* * *

"_Switch us out, NOW!" _Sid again bellowed over Isdilian's communicator, even as he kicked another footsoldier away. He swung around, his blade cleaving through an assault rife as he kept spinning, allowing his foot to slam into the unfortunate man's thorax. Isdilian grunted, his patience quickly extending miles beyond its threshold. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sel being thrown into the tank wreckage, her body visibly denting the twisted, burning metal as her opponents opened fire. Almost supernaturally, she managed to roll forward, out of the way, but before she could complete her attack, they opened fire again.

Isdilian's sword clashed with another, "I won't sacrifice this mission! COMPLETE YOUR ORDERS!" His voice was becoming increasingly frantic. He'd never cow to insubordination, or mutiny. He'd never be turned into a fool. He had been BUILT for this. His plan was workable, and the mewling children he commanded needed to learn to suck it up and trust his judgment for once in their lives.

Sid's voice responded, _"You're already sacrificing the mission! Are you really so bullheaded that you'll let all of us die?"_ Sid was screaming now, his tone reflecting the bitter feeling of personal experience.

Isdilian fought back against the storm of emotion welling up within him. Who was this asshole to tell him how to win battles? The very same man who had led his own team to their deaths! He heard a grunt of pain—Sel had just been struck—bad. Sparks erupted from her suit.

"Isdilian to Trok" he said, ignoring Sid. When no response came, he tried again with a hint more panic in his voice, "Isdilian to Trok!"

"_You ignorant piece of shit!"_ Xolin's voice roared over the comm with a fury, _"If you only listen to one thing we ever say to you, it had better be this: If any of the others get hurt because of this, I will hunt you down. I don't care how many powers or toys you have. I will HUNT YOU DOWN"._

"_Command isn't about being right or 'in charge'. It's about taking care of those around you"_ Sid's voice said, _"If you fail to do that, you've failed as a leader"._

Damnit. Sel was surrounded by enemy troops, their guns pointed at her prone form. Trok wasn't responding. Isdilian himself was outflanked. Damnit. DAMNIT DAMNIT DAMNIT. All for nothing. It was all for nothing. He was a fool; a failure. His fists clenched, then gradually let go. He knew what he had to do.

"Surrender, now!" one of the soldiers said to him. The silver ranger glared at the man with immovable determination.

"No".

Summoning a little of what remained of his reserves of still-recharging underlying morphin' grid energy, he let the entire room fill with blinding light for just a moment—just long enough to stagger everyone in the room that wasn't him.

"Prepare for immediate re-deployment to Sid's scenario!" Isdilian shouted, activating the teleporter menu on his morpher, "Now!"

He pressed the go button.

* * *

The enemy megazord swung down, preparing to continue its relentless assault on the now-prone Sentinel Megazord. What it didn't expect was a counter—its own fists colliding with the enemy's. The Sentinel Megazord's attack passed right through the SPD zord's arm, crushing it like an empty soda can. The enemy zord reeled back, almost in pain, giving the Sentinel a moment to thrust its upper body upwards, and allowing it to link its fists together above its head for a hammer strike. Two beats against the SPD zord's head, followed by a swing to the side, and the opposing robot was off of the Sentinel. The tank-like zord stood up, getting its bearings before taking a look at the other opponent in the room.

Xolin gripped the controls more tightly, a predatorial smile glancing over her features as she prepared her strike. "Welcome to the S.S. Blow Shit Up!" she cackled with glee, before the Sentinel Megazord charged, shoulder guns-a-blazing.

* * *

One moment, Trok had been getting the stuffing beaten out of him by a giant robot. The next, he was no longer in the cockpit—but instead in some sort of generator chamber. Next to him stood the yellow ranger, bow in hand. He took a deep sigh of relief; Isdilian had finally switched players.

Thank the spirits.

The relief was short-lived however; the two rangers looked around and saw their newest foe: several incoming spider bots, and more arriving on the scene from entry ports in the domed ceiling. Both took quick stock of the situation: there was a kinetic barrier between them and the rest of the chamber; however several spiders had already made their way through. Sel took two potshots before blocking a third robot's talons with her weapon.

"Trok?" she asked expectantly.

Trok grinned, "Got it. Get down!" immediately, his hammer appeared with a flash of green energy in his hands. The energy shimmered and increased in power, focusing on the head of his weapon like a green-hot shard of metal. Then, unlatching his weapon, he transformed it into mace mode, allowing the head of the weapon to fly out in a wide swinging arc, impacting each spider in turn. A multitude of explosions erupted as the hammer passed through each opponent, crushing their metallic forms like cheap soda cans. When it was all said and done, the green ranger stood triumphant, basking in the literal flames of victory.

"Sel, can you-?" he asked, turning to the yellow ranger.

She nodded, understanding as she gripped her bow, "Do your thing. I can handle them". With that, the yellow ranger pushed herself through the shield—carefully—and made her way to a good vantage point for the rest of the chamber. Spiders were still descending all around them—there was probably no realistic end to them considering the size of the station, but she knew all she had to do was keep them off Trok long enough for him to be successful. So, she took aim, and began firing, running as she did so, to keep any nearby ones off of her. Thankfully, *these* enemies didn't seem to have any ranged weapons.

Fish in a barrel.

Still, there were a *lot* of them. And soon, she found herself falling behind. A cluster of spiders were gathering between her and one of the chamber's exits, and were quickly moving in.

Wait.

A small grin formed on her face as the yellow ranger spun around from the robots, turning her back to them as she charged up her bow, aiming it directly at the kinetic barrier. Charging her weapon up to full, she shot off a blinding arrow of yellow energy at the shield—and promptly flipped out of the way as fast as she could physically manage.

The spiders never saw it coming. Neither did the wall.

Sel panted, but uncrouched from her landing spot as she took sight of the next round of spiders.

"….Trok?" she asked, just slightly worriedly.

"Working on it!" he called back, still looking over the console. They'd certainly encrypted this well; multiple levels. But it wasn't anything super special—mostly standard SPD stuff. Taking a small drive out of his morpher, he plugged it into the computer, and then began to tap into his morpher's controls. Trok had multiple programs for each setup he'd run into, and he was beginning to amass a very impressive collection. He had started the collection upon leaving home and getting wrapped up in the Peacekeepers, but since the war had begun his er...'collecting' had become all the more virulent, between actual missions and studying up in the database.

As for this system, it was all pretty standard. They'd been working under the assumption that quantity could work as well as quality—simply break your opponent's will by setting up multiple walls. Normally this would be an effective tactic. But normally they wouldn't have been facing Trok. First wall was down.

Second wall.

Third.

Fourth.

The green ranger turned his head to glance at Sel dodging a spider talon, flipping over the beast as her bow's blade cut into the top of the robot's hull. She landed behind it, finishing it up with a horizontal cut.

Fifth wall was down.

"Come on..." Trok muttered, then lit up when the last wall came tumbling down. "I'm in!" he shouted, excitedly working his morpher's controls. Another minute of exploration, and he'd found what he was looking for. "Delete!"

As he began gutting the database's hard drive, the kinetic barrier flickered once and then died completely, even as the hum of the generator itself slowed and fell silent, its lights fading from existence.

"...Way to go Trok!" yellow replied with a wide grin under her helmet.

"Don't thank me yet!" Trok said with worry in his voice, "I just released a couple brute-force worms into the system. This station's entire database is going to get eaten".

"...Meaning..." Sel asked, though she knew it probably wasn't good.

"Meaning we gotta get out of here before the power fails and we're trapped on a dead ship. Come on!" he replied, grabbing her hand as he rushed by. She followed him out, but not before pulling her hand free and letting off several rapid shots as Trok hopped onto Sid's skycycle and started it up.

"Sel!" he shouted back at the yellow ranger. She fell back, releasing more arrows before finally getting on the vehicle behind Trok.

"Go!" she nudged him. The red skycycle came to life with a roar of the engine, pulling itself off the floor before turning and issuing several bolts of crimson light at its opponents below, obliterating them and scattering their assorted parts across the chamber. Still more spiders were still entering the room, but by now the computer viruses Trok had loosed into the system were already taking their toll—the spiders seemed to spark and sputter, stumbling around as if drunk, unable to perform as commanded. Deciding it was best to leave, Trok turned the cycle around and pulled out of the nearest exit—the one his morpher said was the right way to Sid and the others.

* * *

For as much as they hated each other, Sid an Isdilian actually worked pretty well together, considering. The two flanked and complimented the other, weaving in and out of combat. Isdilian provided a grounding—a tank-like defense that left Sid with a workable 'base' to act out from. As for the red ranger, his more fluid motions allowed Isdilian to maintain his stance and be less worried about his sides. Sid had drawn his blaster, using it in tandem along with his axe to keep the enemy at bay—he was *exactly* what Isdilian had needed.

Thank god for small miracles.

Y'know, not that Isdilian would be in any way eager to admit that. But still.

As Sid's axe found its way into the armor of one of the soldiers, he turned, aiming his pistol at another approaching solder and firing. Just then, he noticed his own skycycle soaring in, with two rangers onboard.

"Time to go!" Sid shouted at Isdilian, turning towards Sel's skycycle and running, even as the other two raced by overhead.

Lights were beginning to flicker. That was bad news.

Sid motioned to the silver ranger, who cut down two more troops before hopping aboard, and soon the yellow skycycle was following in red's wake.

* * *

The fist of Xolin's war machine uppercut into her opponent's jaw, before she followed it up with a side punch that sent it reeling. The other enemy megazord, the one who's arm she'd already destroyed, now charged in. Too bad for it, her cannons were charged.

"Burn!" she said with glee, as twin lances of energy cut through the robot's chest, impacting the far wall. The enemy megazord stumbled back, sparking and sputtering, before finally exploding in a pillar of light and flame. She turned her attention to the now-lone defender of the ruins that had once been the base's fighterbay.

...Oh, speaking of. Xolin idly picked up one of the chunks of metal that had once been a fightercraft, chucking it at her enemy. With its sword, it slashed through it easily, deciding now to charge at Xolin before she got another shot off. Her response was to simply raise the megazord's arm, letting the sword dig into the thick armored plating of the robot's wrist guards, before delivering another punch to the gut with her free hand. This loosened the other zord's hold on its weapon, and gave Xolin the opportunity to knock it away. Then, with a mighty roar, she swung in with her first fist, knocking the enemy away with a hit to the faceplate.

...And right into her sights.

"Cosmic Blitz!"

Every gun charged up on the Sentinel Megazord, before they unleashed a brilliant hellstorm on the offending robot. It struggled for a moment, even as its hull melted away. But soon enough its form gave way to the apocalyptic wave, disintegrating and scattering. In her seat, Xolin gave a smile as her fist pumped itself into the air in a mild celebration. Her equivalent of being in a car by herself and singing loudly and horribly off-key.

It was kind of nice to be in a megazord by herself, truth be told. She could just...unwind. No need to worry about how everyone else was piloting, no need to worry about keeping in synch with them. It was a *little* overwhelming, but worth it. The celebration was short-lived however, as her console alerted her to two more giant robots entering the bay from hidden chambers housed along the wall.

"Oh son of a-"

Xolin never got a chance to finish her curse though, as two well-placed lasers from behind her shot right into the nearest zord's head. Its face exploded, and the robot stumbled backwards before keeling over in a heap on the floor.

"What the-"

Behind her, a familiar black and gold robot was landing inside the hanger, using its momentum to barrel into the other enemy zord.

"Holy shit!" the blue ranger gaped, pleased to see backup from the Defender Megazord. But that meant...she glanced out the hanger doors, and sure enough the shimmering energy of the shield was gone. Mission accomplished.

"_Iota to Xolin"_ her commander's voice came over the comm.

"Yeah?" the blue ranger was already turning her attention to the rebounding and now-headless zord in front of her.

"_Mission accomplished. Return to base"._

She sniffed, "Bah. Just as it was getting fun". She grumbled mildly, shifting the zord's controls. From its compartment, Trok's skycycle detached from the zord, returning to the Defender Megazord's launch bay, before Xolin finally signaled to the Sentinel Megazord to return to its dormant micro state. After all, a non-flying tank would be hard to get off the station in its current state. Thank the Trinity for micro-tech.

Jumping out of her seat, the blue ranger leapt across megazords, into the cockpit of the Defender alongside Iota. By the time she was there, the Sentinel was already halfway through its transformation back into tank mode, delivering one last salvo to the damaged headless zord with its main cannon before it began to shrink back into its pocket-sized inert form, just like the auxillary zords. A moment later, it was back in Xolin's hands.

Already she could see the others flying out of the hole they had punched through the hull on their approach, both skycycles making a beeline for the Defender Megazord. And they did so, the lights all around them in the hanger began to flicker on and off.

"_I've uploaded a number of viruses into the system" _Trok's voice said over the comm, even as the skycycles docked inside the Megazord's legs, _"This whole place is about to shut down"._

As if to punctuate his point, the entire station shuddered as the first volleys from the Confederate fleet impacted its hull somewhere 'south' of where they were. It was soon joined by more.

"Then I suggest we leave" Iota replied, preparing to transform the zord back into ship mode, "Secure yourselves in the docking bay, we're moving out".

Sid's voice responded, _"Done and done. Get us out of here"._

The Defender Megazord's saber charged up with energy, and it issued a diagonal slash against the headless zord moving in against it, followed up by another diagonal slash from the other direction. The zord sparked and sputtered as lightning danced across its form and it tumbled back, to the floor—just before it was replaced by a giant explosion, giving the Defender time to shift back into Megaship mode. The remaining enemy zord made a move to grab its foe, but the Defender simply ignited its engines, burning the zord's hull and forcing it back, before the Defender shot off, away from the doomed station.

All around them, SPD forces were in full retreat—without the shield and with the station's defenses down, the strategic upper hand was lost, and so what was left of the fleet was scattering, preparing to warp away. Behind them, the station was being battered, even as its systems shut down one by own. Numerous escape pods were launching away from the station—though Xolin was pretty sure most of them wouldn't be escaping before it was all said and done, especially not now that the fleet had warped out. She frowned slightly but said nothing, instead turning her attention to the quickly ending battle ahead of them. Such was life.

* * *

Normally one would not accuse Sid of being a coward. Quite the opposite actually; more than once the others would have been concerned about his willingness to put himself between them and mortal peril. His would-be suicidal tendencies were just One Of Those Things.

And yet now here, the unmorphed red ranger stood at the entrance to the lounge, still working up the courage to open the door and walk inside. He didn't know *why* exactly he was afraid, and he knew even less why he was here to begin with. He didn't even like Isdilian, he was a bully who had strong-armed his way not just onto the team, but into the leadership position by brutally beating himself and each of his friends into submission. And since then, he had proceeded to make their lives a living hell with his unwavering demand for everything to be just how he wanted it.

And yet here Sid stood at the door, about to enter. Isdilian's power had just been broken; he'd been proven wrong and been forced to acquiesce to Sid's plan over his own. And yet here Sid stood at the door, about to enter. By all rights, Sid should have been celebrating his victory with the others in the work bay—he could even faintly hear their laughter a deck down from his current location.

And yet here Sid stood at the door, about to enter.

He sighed, steeling himself. Finally opening the door, he found the room was dark and empty. If he hadn't already checked with the computer, he would have thought no one was in there. As the door swished closed behind him, he shuffled into the darkened room, catching sight of the fellow human's hair peaking out behind the sofa.

"...What do you want?" the low, corse almost-whisper spoke to Sid. He stopped mid-stride as he was about to cross the couch.

"...Pouting are we?" Sid smirked as he threw up his cocky mask in an effort to defend himself, crossing his arms as he did.

Isdilian turned to him with a deathly glare, "What do you want?" he repeated, his expression clear that he'd had a lot on his mind.

Sid's facade dropped, and for a moment the two regarded each other silently. Finally, Sid took a seat in one of the chairs opposite Isdilian. He placed his foot up on the chair, folding his hands over his knee. His face bunched up in mild frustration. "I don't get you".

"Pardon?" Isdilian growled back.

Sid expanded; "I don't get you. You come into our lives out of nowhere, you toss us around like tools instead of people, you try to *kill us*, and then you get angry and pissy when things don't work out".

Isdilian's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing.

"...Why do you hate us so much?" Sid asked, a bit bewildered. If he at least had a reason, a purpose for their disagreement he'd be able to deal with it, rationalize it. But this was just...he couldn't figure out WHY it was the way it was.

More silence. Isdilian looked away, out toward the window.

"I just don't understand" Sid added.

More silence.

Sid sighed, "Or maybe I do" he looked away himself, suddenly finding the floor very interesting. He exhaled, again steeling himself for the talk, "You've already read my file, I assume?"

More silence.

"...Right" Sid grimaced, "...When my dad...er, my commander forbade our deployment I was so angry. We were all so angry. Obviously my dad didn't trust us, didn't *get* us. We thought he thought we were just kids who couldn't do anything right. So we went out anyway, just to prove him wrong".

"And you all died" Isdilian snorted in contempt.

Sid's eyes narrowed as their faces locked on to the other again, "...Yeah. Because we were stupid".

"Because you didn't respect the chain of command".

"No. Because we were stubborn" Sid shot back, anger rising in his voice, "We thought only we knew best and everyone else was wrong. And we all paid the price".

More silence.

"...What I'm saying is...we're all wrong sometimes, and that's okay. It's what makes us human. Er...so to speak". Isdilian slowly eyed him again, so Sid continued, "The only reason I know how the team works best is because I've been there with them, for months. And even then, I'm always learning new things about them. We're always evolving, blending. You've just met us. It...it takes time" he finished, a bit lamely.

More silence. Sid decided to try a different tack; "...So. Your name. Karovian, right?"

"What of it?" Isdilian quietly asked, his tone subdued as he once again glanced out the wide windows that encompassed the far wall.

Sid smiled sadly, taking a leap of faith, "Let me guess, military family? Parents were perfectionists and overachievers?"

Eyes locked again, for just a moment before Isdilian nodded noncommittally, "...Something like that" he muttered.

"Hm" Sid mused to himself. He leaned back in his seat, as both watched the stars fly by past the windows for a moment. A somewhat-comfortable silence built between them. Sid spoke again a minute later, "...You know, when I first joined, I misjudged the others too. Almost got us all killed. But I learned, and they learned. And we got better, together. You know how you can get better at this?"

Isdilian glanced back at Sid, reluctantly urging him to continue. Sid grinned, "...You get to know them".

"Psh" Isdilian snorted, turning away.

"I don't know why you dislike us so much" Sid said, "But the fact remains". When Isdilian still didn't respond, Sid instead stood up and began walking toward the door. As it swished open, bathing the room in light, he paused and looked back, sad, "...For whatever reason, you may think I'm the enemy, but I'm not...and neither are they. You have a choice; you can either stay in here, alone, unchanging. Or you can take a risk...and maybe it'll pay off".

Still more silence.

"...I can't promise it would be easy. You've done a lot to hurt us. But if you're honest, well..." Sid trailed off.

Isdilian let off a short bitter chuckle, "...You know, it's funny. You talk all about how we're all wrong sometimes, and yet you still come in here dictating terms as if you're perfect".

Sid was taken a bit aback, not sure exactly how to respond. Isdilian continued, "I'm not completely wrong, you know".

"How?" Sid asked, somewhat subdued.

The karovian flipped around, leaning over the couch at Sid, "You talk all about how I need to utilize the team the way it's supposed to be utilized, but the fact of the matter is you're all brittle. You're competent as long as everything is in your favor, but the second it's not you fall apart. You coddle them, let them choose what's easy. You're setting them up for destruction".

"You're saying I'm weak?"

"I'm saying you care too much".

Sid's fists bunched up, but at the same time Isdilian's words cut him in a way he couldn't respond to. Realizing he wouldn't be getting anything else from this exchange, he finally turned away, letting the door shut behind him, and leaving Isdilian in his darkness. Another burst of faint laughter vibrated out from the lower deck...and Sid felt himself torn.

* * *

_**To be continued...**_


	15. 2x02: Frozen in Place

Sel had a set schedule. She had a time and a place to get things done. She'd get up, take her shower, grab something to eat from the synthatron in the work bay, and then go back to her quarters to work on her painting until it was time to start with the day's training regimen. Isdilian's arrival had uprooted a lot of the order—beforehand there had been a bit less training and some of it near the end had been of her own volition—but at the end of the day his arrival had only served to further solidify her life.

And truth be told, she liked it. She didn't like *him*, but she did like the order that had been brought into her life. For the first time she felt anchored, grounded. It felt safe; familiar. She was defined as a person, and it was good. She was the archer. She was a painter. She was Trok's friend. She was Sel.

So of course when Sid approached her at breakfast, she thought nothing of it. Often one or more of others would be getting their food about the same time (though she had noted they were less predictable than she), and would often eat with her or at the very least chat her up while the synthatron prepared their meal.

She really should have thought something of it. Especially considering the data pad he had in his hand, and the look he was giving her.

"So..." he said, in an awkward attempt at being casual as he sat down across from her.

"...Yeah?" she asked, her voice betraying the slight concern that had crept in.

"...About the training exercise today..."

"...Why don't I like where this is going?" she moaned.

"We're going to be doing...something different today" Sid finally spit out. He slid the data pad over to her. She put her fork down, picking up the device with reluctance, and began scrolling with her finger. Sid did not have to wait long for her response has her face bunched up in annoyance.

"...Melee combat?!" she whined, "But I'm good at ranged combat!"

"That's exactly why this is changing up" Sid replied.

The xybrian let out an annoyed sigh as she put the pad down. Sid blinked, a little amazed this whole exchange was happening. A few months ago she was little more than a blank slate. Now here she was, reminding him more of a petulant teenager. Which, he guessed, made sense since she kinda *was*. Amazing how they grew up so fast.

"I don't get it" she replied, "Didn't we prove I should be on ranged combat duty and not melee last week? You know, back on that space station?"

Sid leaned forward, clasping his hands together, "And you are. But like the last mission showed us, we need to work on being more well-rounded. We might not always be in a position where we can do what we're best at".

Sel looked dejectedly at the pad in front of her on the table, then at Sid, "...Did He put you up to this?" she asked with suspicion in her voice.

"No" Sid said, "This has nothing to do with him. But...you know, just because we don't like somebody doesn't mean they're always wrong".

Her dejected look gave way to annoyance once more, "...You *are* giving in to him!"

Sid sighed in exasperation. He knew how this looked, and could find very little way to justify himself to the girl who was looking more betrayed by the second. And to think he was going to have to have this talk with Xolin and Trok as well...eugh.

"Look, I understand how you feel" he said, "I really do. But the fact remains, we need get better at filling in our weaknesses".

"But I'm not any good at melee combat!"

"Exactly my point" Sid replied, "Look, what happens if you get ambushed? You can't always rely on being able to outflank the enemy from a distance. Sometimes you're just going to have to tough it out. That doesn't mean we'll be putting you on point if we can help it—you're pretty much a natural when it comes to guns and archery. But it does mean you need to be prepared. Okay?"

"...Yeah". Sel slumped back in her seat, irritated but defeated. For a moment, neither said anything.

Finally, Sid sighed, standing up as he grabbed the data pad,. He realized this conversation had reached its awkward end, and decided to bow out as gracefully as he could, "I'll let you get back to your breakfast". As he left, Sel let some air escape from her lips. More changes. More differences. She was being forced away from what was safe, just when she'd started to discover what 'safe' was. Damnit.

She hated change.

* * *

**Power Rangers Peacekeepers**

**Season 2**

**2.02: Frozen in Place**

* * *

Inwardly, Sid groaned as he made his way down the hallway. He hated that Isdilian was right. Moreso, he hated admitting that Isdilian was right. And most so, he hated that he was having to be one of the bad guys in this, after all but saying he had the others' backs on this. That look of betrayal in Sel's eyes...damnit. And worse, he still had to tell Xolin and Trok. Those were going to be fun conversations too. He could almost-

…

Um. Well, first off, speak of the devil. Second off, well…

Sid stood dumbfounded as he watched the other two in question argue with each other in hazmat suits and each carrying a large extinguisher-like device as they passed him by in the hallway—probably something of Trok's design. *Why* exactly they were in hazmat suits and carrying large extinguisher devices was lost on him. In their bickering, he heard something about a 'nest' and 'your fault'.

Oh boy.

"...Dare I ask?" Sid ventured, preparing to cringe at the answer. The two stopped their bickering and looked at him, freezing in the hallway. A moment of awkward silence was shared.

Trok cleared his throat, "So uh...remember that last resupply run we made?"

"...Yeah?" Sid asked, *really* not liking where this was going.

The other two glanced at each other for a split second before Xolin sighed in contempt, "Well, *somebody*-" she made a pointed glare at Trok, "Accidentally brought a colony of Thern Mites onboard that were hiding in his order of Allerian Bananas".

"...What" Sid croaked.

"You know, Thern Mites" Trok said, shifting awkwardly, "Ugly critters that build colonies and burrow into-"

Sit cut him off with a wave of his hand, "I know what they are. You brought them onboard?!"

"I'm sorry!" Trok threw back, "I checked the box and it *looked* clean! Then next thing you know, a few days later..." he trailed off.

Xolin finished for him with an eyeroll and an annoyed sigh, "They're all over the below deck".

"Oh my god. Iota's going to kill you" Sid said, pinching the bridge of his nose in an effort to stem the building stress and panic.

"Please don't tell him" Trok pleaded with a hint of panic in his voice, "We can fix this. I know we can. I did some research, and put together a chemical mixture they shouldn't be too fond of".

"...Dare I ask what's *in* the mixture?" Sid asked dryly.

"Probably not, no" Xolin interjected.

"And why are you in on this?" Sid asked her, a bit confused and bewildered at the sudden turn of events here.

"Because he's an idiot" she replied in deadpan, though Sid could tell there was some sisterly compassion behind the sarcasm. He smiled wanly, shaking his head in disbelief, before rubbing his eyes.

"Look" he said as he put his hands up, "I didn't see anything".

Trok's face shifted to grateful relief, "Thank you!"

"Come on" Xolin nudged Trok's shoulder, "Let's go burn some bugs".

"...Wait, what?" Sid said, spinning back around after having been about to walk away. Somehow that *hadn't* sounded like some sort of metaphor.

"You saw nothing, remember?" she replied with a smirk, nudging Trok down the hall, "Don't worry. I got this".

Somehow, those words did not leave Sid comforted. Grimacing, gave them them one last look as they vanished from view around the corner, giving himself a moment to debate whether or not to get involved. But no, he had work to do. And he trusted them.

Kinda.

…

Sorta.

"Ah, damn" Sid muttered to himself, realizing the data pad was still in his hand. In all the madness he'd forgotten to tell them about the change in training exercises. Oh well, he'd just tell them later. Y'know, assuming they didn't just burn the ship down.

…

Oh boy.

* * *

"Thanks for helping" Trok muttered sheepishly, as he opened the hatch leading to the ship's underbelly. The so-called 'below deck' was just that; the maintenance tubes and chambers located under the lowest deck. In many ways it was sort of like having a reverse attic.

Xolin issued a noncommittal noise as Trok lowered himself into the tunnel below, "Not like *I* want to wake up in the morning infested with bugs". She took note of the extinguisher in her hands, "So uh...what kind of chemical *did* you put in here anyway?"

"It's a sort of a synthetic petroleum mixture" Trok replied in the most matter-of-factly tone she began to shimmy down after him.

"Er..."

"Sort of like napalm".

"Oh" Xolin said, reaching the bottom of the ladder. For a moment the information didn't reach her mind. Then it clicked. "Wait, WHAT?!"

"The mites are sensitive to heat. So, what better way to capitalize on that than fire?"

"Oh, I don't know" Xolin exclaimed back, "Maybe not burning down the ship like we promised?!"

"As long as we fire controlled bursts we should be fine" Trok said, not...*entirely* confidently, as they began to maneuver their way through the pipes and walls that turned the below deck into a proverbial maze of dim red lights and long shadows.

Xolin groaned. This was a bad plan after all. She should have known by now: NEVER let Trok take charge of the plan. Never ever ever. "We're going to burn the ship down..." she moaned weakly.

"Man, this place is a lot darker than I thought it'd be..." Trok muttered, ignoring Xolin's complaints. That much was true; while the below deck had never been the most well-lit of areas, Xolin was certain it was normally better than this near pitch-bl-

...Did that wall just shift? Or that floor? Or that other wall?

All around the corners of Xolin's vision, she swore she could see movement. But that...that was silly. It was just her nerves playing tricks on her. See, when she turned to look directly at what she thought was moving, she could clearly see that _it was still moving holy sh-_

Almost simultaneously, the two became very aware of their surroundings, taking a moment to drink in the fact that they were standing in a sea of spider-like space bugs. For a brief silent moment, dawning horror rose within them.

There was no place on the ship that escaped the sound of their screams.

* * *

The yellow ranger gripped her bow blade tight, her body tense as she awaited what she knew was coming. Under her helmet, her face was tight with determination.

"Again!" Isdilian shouted. With a burst of movement, Sel swung out in an effort to outflank her opponent. It was the wrong move; almost before she had even begun to move, the silver ranger had already outflanked *her*. The next thing Sel knew, she was already on the floor, with what she knew was going to be another addition to her extensive collection of bruises on her side.

"Get up" Isdilian commanded in his usual cold business-like tone. She grasped her abdomen as she attempted to stand. "Faster".

"She's going as fast as she can" Sid said, standing at the doorway to the simudeck, "You knocked the wind out of her pretty good that time". His arms were crossed, and even with his helmet on, one could tell by his posture that he wasn't enjoying this at all. "Plus, she's been at his for awhile".

"Our enemies won't give us a chance to catch our breath" Isdilian replied. He circled the yellow ranger as she finally got up, "'I feel tired' is not an excuse we can afford. Again!" he commanded, now in front of Sel once more.

Panting, Sel swung out again. She missed, but just barely avoided Isdilian's counter-attack. But it wasn't enough to save the day—after another miss she went down hard, having lost her balance in her desperate second attempt. Isdilian's fist collided with her stomach, causing sparks to fly before she crumpled in a heap on the ground.

"Get up" Isdilian again commanded, "Again!"

Again she struggled to get up, only to be knocked down once more.

"Again!"

Frustration built within her. She was giving it all she had, and it wasn't working. She couldn't do this. Damnit, they were forcing her to do things she wasn't meant to do. She was the ranged fighter, not melee!

"I said get up!" Isdilian shouted again, circling her.

"I'm trying!" Sel bit back, pulling herself up by using her bow as a walking stick. The silver ranger knocked her weapon out from under her, letting her drop back to the ground.

"Get up!" he barked again.

"I...I can't..." she struggled to pull herself up again. Her muscles ached. Her bruises ached. Her body resisted her commands.

"Can't or won't?" when the only reply she gave was her groans as she tried to get up, he added with disgust, "Either way, you're useless".

"I'm not good at melee fighting!" she bit back, finally getting to her feet in a somewhat unsteady fashion, "I'm ranged combat! I'm just not...*good* at this!"

"A warrior is only as good as her own weaknesses" Isdilian threw back, aggravatingly calm and condescending in contrast to Sel's mounting frustration and desperation. She wanted to rip his face off.

"Again!"

"No!" she shouted, biting back a sob, "Enough! I'm not doing this anymore!"

Wrong move. Isdilian sent her to the floor.

"She said that was ENOUGH!" Sid bellowed, striding over to Isdilian and grabbing his wrist, "This session is *over*".

"Still coddling them?" the silver ranger sneered.

Sid at first didn't reply, instead crouching down and helping his teammate back to her feet. Then he locked his gaze with Isdilian's. His voice was low and controlled, but full of anger, "I'm protecting them. Someone has to, apparently".

The silver anger snorted, "If this was a real mission-"

Sid cut him off, "If this was a real mission, she'd be dead from exhaustion because her own team member decided to wail on her for over an hour beforehand. Training sessions aren't worth anything if everyone's too battered to fight in the real thing". He looked down at Sel, who was hanging on his arm, using it for support. Thankfully, she was becoming more steady by the second. With a softer voice, he nodded to her, "Go on. Take ten".

She nodded back, letting his limb go as she faintly limped out of the room. Sid wheeled back around at Isdilian, "I should smash your face into the wall. See how you like it".

Another derisive snort, "You could try".

Before the situation could escalate, Iota's voice came over the comm, _"All rangers, report to briefing room for next mission briefing in twenty"._ The two rangers glared at each other for a moment more, even as they demorphed. Isdilian finally broke the gaze, shoving himself past Sid as he walked out of the room. Sid's view lingered at the doorway of the simudeck, before he sighed and shook his head.

This was getting out of hand.

* * *

When Iota entered the briefing room, he was greeted with quite a sight. The first thing he noticed was Sel, more than a little dinged up, and extremely gloomy. Sid and Isdilian were seated opposite each other, each casting the occasional hateful glare at the other. But what was most interesting were the fact that Xolin and Trok each seemed to be covered in scorch marks, and Xolin's hair was an absolute mess and…

...was it on fire?

Sid seemed to take note as well, and after licking his fingers, doused the small flame on one of the blue ranger's many hairs that were wildly trying to escape. She eyed him and he shrugged, but neither said anything.

"...Dare I ask what happened to you two?" Iota inquired to the two crispy rangers. Their answers were both a little too quick and contradictory—and simultaneous.

"Maintenance issue".

"Sparring accident".

Iota regarded them for a moment, as if debating whether or not to press the inquiry. He decided against it, "...Right..." he said, unconvinced, then turned his attention back to the room as a whole, even as he turned on the central holographic display in the middle of the round table. A region of stars appeared, before zooming in on a particular star system of seven planets and two asteroid belts. The fourth planet out from the star was highlighted; a standard blue and green garden world.

"This is Alandra" Iota said as he slowly circled the room, keeping his gaze on the planet before him, "A minor Edenoite world on fringe of Confederate space. While technically on the front lines, its remote location in a minor irregular galaxy on the very edge of the Local Group meant that, until now at least, it was considered a low priority target by both sides".

"What changed?" Sid asked, finally having refocused his efforts away from Isdilian.

Iota shrugged, "We don't know. Perhaps the Alliance decided to open up a back-door front because they can't get through the front door. Or maybe it's a diversion. All we know is that approximately three hours ago all communication with the colony went silent. All we've received since then is an automated SOS signal".

"..Are we sure it's the Alliance?" Xolin asked.

"Again, we don't know. That's why you're going in. This mission is recon; we are to enter on the edge of the system, scan for hostiles, and if the coast is clear, move in and drop you planetside. You are to survey the colony and discover why they have stopped responding to our hails. If you encounter large enemy resistance, you are not to engage—we do not have the reinforcements at the moment to launch a counter-assault. You are to return to the ship, at which point we will inform command of the situation. Understood?"

A series of nods and murmurs of 'yes' let Iota know that he was. "Good. We will arrive in-system in approximately two hours. Be morphed and ready in the launch bay by the time we arrive. Dismissed".

* * *

With a hiss, Sid locked the last battery of his skycycle into place, before closing the engine compartment in the back of the vehicle. It took some shuffling, but he finally locked it into place with a final solid push. Habitually dusting his hands off, he glanced around at the rest of the room; Xolin and Trok still looked fairly charred and frazzled while they worked in silence, while Sel just seemed to be pouting.

He sighed. It was one of those days. And it had started out as such a nice morning too.

Sel felt a presence. Looking up from her position, crouched down and checking the undersystems of her skycycle, she saw Sid sitting back in her vehicle, hands crossed behind his head as he leaned against the steering mechanism, and one of his legs dangling in front of her.

"So…."

She gave him a glance, but instead of saying anything in response, instead returned to her work. Sid rolled his eyes.

"You know, the 'petulant teenager' act doesn't suit you".

"I don't want to talk about it" she responded quietly. Sid grimaced. Ah, she'd withdrawn.

"...You sure?" he asked, "Talking about it could make you feel better".

Nothing. He frowned, but deciding that he'd rather not fight against the insurmountable wall that was Withdrawn Sel, Sid invoked the better part of valor and withdrew, back to finish his own preparations. He was disappointed, however.

* * *

Four skycycles flew in overhead across the surface of Alandra. It was as the holographic display had promised; vibrant lands of blue and green. Lush forests and plains were flanked by oceans and mountains. Except…

It started as a white patch up ahead, on the very edge of the horizon. At first Sid had thought it was a low-laying cloud. Fog, maybe. But as they continued to approach, he could see it...well, it *wasn't*.

"...What *is* that?" Trok asked, as the five rangers approached. Whatever it was, it was white, brilliantly so, as if it was reflecting the sunlight. Snow maybe? But this area was in summer, and in the subtropics. It couldn't be snow.

"Whatever it is, the settlement is directly within the affected region" Xolin replied. Sid frowned as he checked his own instruments; she was right. In fact, they could even see the buildings by now, draped in the stuff. Thinking, he ran a quick scan.

"...Reading large concentrations of H2O. It *is* ice" Sid said, flabbergasted.

"Theories?" Xolin asked.

Sid shrugged, "Magic spell?" He was only half-joking, of course.

"Land in the central courtyard" Isdilian said, sitting behind Sid on his skycycle, "Away from any tight corners. I don't want to be surprised".

"Hmm. Good call" Sid said, his frown deepening as they scoured the city from overhead. Everything was frozen solid; every building, every street, every vehicle. And if scanners were correct—and there was no reason for them not to be—it only covered a few dozen square kilometers. Yeah, this was supremely fishy.

The four skycycles hovered over the courtyard, slowly descending down until their extended legs met the ground. Each ranger got off their mounts in turn, sidearms drawn in blaster mode as they surveyed the area.

"...We need to find logs of what happened here" Sid said, "The colony government office should have them".

Isdilian nodded as he brushed past Sid, heading exactly where Sid had mentioned, "Agreed. Everyone follow me; no splitting up. And keep an eye on your surroundings".

"...Why would the Alliance freeze a town?" Trok asked as they made their way up the steps of the colony's central government building.

"Might not be the Alliance" Xolin replied, "Might have just been a random monster attack".

Trok grimaced, "...A snow monster?"

"Unless the Alliance is hiring mercenaries for hit-and-run attacks now" Sid replied. He thought for a second, "...And considering how they've been using Krybots on such a large scale, I wouldn't be entirely surprised".

The five arrived at the top of the stairs. One thing Sid had noticed was that even in the humid heat of the subtropics, none of the ice was melting...and as such, the doors to the government office was sealed shut.

Isdilian spoke up, "If I recall, Alliance planetary membership includes that of the Krothing, a race of snow apes...with weather altering capabilities".

While the others continued debating, Sid summoned his ax. Then, as he charged it up with burning energy, looked back at the others, "Everyone stand back". Once fully charged, he swung. The ice shattered—as did the door, into tiny fragments.

"...The door was made of ice too?!" Trok asked in disbelief.

Sid shook his head as he stepped over the shards on the ground, "No. Whatever did this managed to freeze everything down to the molecular level. If I had to gue-" he froze, seeing what was inside. All over the hallway, in random locations, were people, frozen mid-step. Some of them had been panicking, some had been running. Some seemingly hadn't been aware of the danger until it was too late.

"Holy..." Sid breathed.

"They're all...frozen" Xolin gasped, as she approached one, her hand outstretched.

"Don't touch them!" Trok called, Xolin rescinded her hand almost immediately.

"Why?"

The green ranger nodded back to the remnants of the door, "If they're frozen on the molecular level, they're probably super brittle. Touching them could make them shatter".

Xolin's hands clenched as she cautiously stepped back from her would-have-been kill, clearly just a bit shocked and terrified at what she had almost done.

"...Can we save them?" asked Sel, finally speaking for the first time since they had landed. She kept the majority of her attention on he doorway to the outside behind them.

"Nine times out of ten, if you kill the monster you kill the spell" Sid reasoned, "Which is why we need to track it down".

"And it this is the one time?" Xolin asked, a hint of worry leaking into her voice.

Sid sighed, looking first at her, and then back at the frozen souls, "...Then we'll have to leave it to the scientists. There's nothing we can do here, come on". He motioned forward, and together the team began to make their way down the eerie halls. Edenoite architecture was soft; curved archways ending in a point at the top was the dominate style, and they arranged themselves in squares, like some sort of ethereal take on a cathedral's undercroft. Beyond that, decoration was sparse but effective; the archways were adorned with some kind of greenish crystal that reflected the light beautifully, even in its currently frozen state.

They navigated the maze of the colonial offices, using their morpher's map readouts to lead their way. With a wry grin, Sid buddied up next to Xolin, "So...couldn't help but notice you and Trok skipped training. Did you get your problem solved?"

Xolin coughed, embarrassment flooding in, "I uh...no?" she finished lamely.

Sid's eyes widened, that was *not* the answer he had been searching for when he had decided to needle her, "Wait, *what*?!" he exclaimed.

"Shh!" Xolin whispered angrily in his ear...or where she assumed his ear would be under the helmet, then nodded towards Isdilian, "Do you *want* him to hear?!"

Sid responded, his voice lower than before, "What do you mean you didn't solve it?!"

Xolin seemed to debate on how to reply, sheepishness flooding through her body language, "So uh...did you know Thorn Mites have queens?"

"What".

"Only a few got onboard the ship from the packages. But like, they're...*everywhere* down below. We had to book it".

Sid looked at her as they walked, saying nothing for a good few moments, "...Do you have any idea what Iota's going to do to you once they finally start showing up on the lower deck?"

Xolin swallowed, "I'm hoping they won't for awhile. Trok said he's got another plan, we just didn't have time to put it into play. Besides, I thought you didn't want to know anything about this" she said, turning the tables on him.

"...I don't" Sid groaned, "I wish I hadn't asked. I thought the whole thing was said and done".

Any further conversation was stowed, as they finally arrived at the security office—just where they wanted. Another slice from Sid's ax cut through the door like delicate glass. Pushing himself inside, the red ranger took a look around. Being such a small frontier colony, nothing in the offices had been huge, and this room was no exception. It was circular in shape; consoles and desks circling the edges with a central 'war station' with more consoles in the center. And of course the 'visitors' desk' that flanked them as they came in.

"Is there anything usable in here?" Isdilian asked as they came in.

Sid pounded his fist on the first iced-over console next to him, "...Yeah, really should have thought about that, huh?" He sighed.

"Wait!" Trok said, having moved over to one of the central consoles, "This one's not completely iced over".

"Does it work?" Sid asked as he walked over to the green ranger. The others quickly followed, huddling around Trok as he worked.

"Uh...kinda?"

"Can you pull up any logs?" Isdilian asked.

Trok said nothing for a moment, instead working over the half-frozen computer. The holographic displays were fuzzy and glitched constantly, but they *were* active and responsive. "...I think so yeah. Hang on, gimmie a sec".

Right on cue, numerous camera feed recordings from around the colony began popping up all around them. By all accounts it had been a normal day. Then, one by one they began shutting down, even as some of them recorded the sudden and supernatural spread of ice across the region.

"Neugh, I can't..." Xolin grunted in confusion and frustration, "All I see is ice and cameras shutting down. There's nothing here about what *caused* it".

"Wait, there" Sel pointed to one of the looping camera feeds. It was of the central courtyard, and some sort of...ghostly spirit was the best way they could describe it, female in shape and with white ghostly rags flowing out in the wind, seemed to form out of mist, before stretching her arms out. And then from her hands ice began to flow.

"Well...so much for snow apes" Sid mused.

"What is she?" Trok asked, as the footage continued to loop.

"Some sort of ice spirit..." Isdilian mumbled to himself, his hand rubbing the chin of his helmet as he thought. He and Sid's eyes met.

"...Asanai" Sid said, with sudden realization.

Isdilian nodded, "Yes. Yes, that sounds about right".

"...Asanai?" Xolin asked.

"A primordial race of ice spirits" Sid replied, turning to the blue ranger, "One of the Old Races, from an earlier era. Made of pure mana. Odd though" he looked back at the footage, "They're reclusive beings. Almost mythological. You usually don't see them just show up and slaughter a colony world".

"Some sort of 'you built on my sacred ground so now I'll kill you all' sort of deal?" Xolin shrugged.

Sid tilted his head, "...Do they even work like that?" Sid asked Isdilian. The silver ranger simply shrugged.

"Maybe SPD found a way to control one of them?" Trok asked, trying to be helpful.

"Regardless of why it's doing it, we have a duty to stop it" Isdilian said, then spoke into his morpher, "Iota, have you been getting this?"

"_I have"_ came the reply, _"The Megaship has moved into low orbit and is currently scanning the colony for temperature readings. Your mission is to destroy the creature"._

"...What if we can reason with it?" Trok asked.

"_If you can resolve this without conflict I would be impressed. However, you must remember not to put yourself into unnecessary danger. Asanai are hazardous creatures, with extreme elemental capabilities. Your mission is to stop it, by any means necessary"._

"Understood" Isdilian replied, before severing the link.

Xolin snorted, "Yeah, because he cares about our safety" she said, sarcasm dripping through her words.

"...You think we can reason with it?" Sid asked Trok.

Trok shrugged, "I mean, like you said, they normally just leave well enough alone, right? It's not like they're some monster that was grown in a lab or a merc or something, right?"

Sid shrugged, "You got me. I'm not exactly an expert on these things".

"Attempts at dialogue are useless" Isdilian interjected as he eyed the red and green rangers, "The creature has made its stance quite clear".

"We should still try" Trok bite back. Isdilian just snorted in derision, before turning towards the door.

"Come on" he said, "The morpher's started picking up the Megaship's scans".

* * *

Five rangers emerged into the colony's main shopping district. Stores lined the streets, as did numerous stands and vehicles...and frozen bodies. All of them, silent, unmoving.

"I'm pretty sure I've seen horror movies that start out like this" Sid muttered under his breath. Each of the rangers were twitchy, constantly surveying their surroundings as if the creature was going to come out and bit them. And they weren't wrong—by all accounts they were right ontop of the epicenter of the localized cold front. They could even feel it—even through their power suits.

"...So where is she?" Xolin asked, swinging her blaster around behind her again. As if on cue, mist began to collect in front of them, coalescing into a female humanoid figure, ethereal in form and action.

"Speak of the devil, twelve o'clock!" Sid said, aiming his gun. The others all turned, weapons at the ready.

"Wait!" Trok shouted, his arms outstretched as he cautioned them, "Wait". He took a few hesitant steps forward toward the creature, "Hi!" he said, forcing some enthusiasm, "I'm Trok. Look, we just want to talk, okay?"

The ice spirit regarded the green one quizzically for a moment, dangling in midair.

"I'm not going to hurt you" Trok said, putting his gun in its holster, before putting his hands up in front of him, palms open.

The ice spirit still did nothing.

"Can you understand me?" Trok asked, "Why did you fr-"

Finally the ice spirit reacted, her face contorting in fury as she stretched her hand out. Trok was frozen within seconds, his screams fading quickly as he ceased to move.

"TROK!" Xolin screamed. She lunged for him, but Sid pulled her back.

"No, don't!" Sid shouted, "You can't touch him!" She pulled halfheartedly one more time, but finally acquiesced to Sid's will as her senses returned. Every facet of her being told her to run over to Trok, to find *some* way to help him. He was...he was…

He'd become like the little brother she'd never had.

"No…"

"Idiot" Isdilian groaned, shaking his head at the frozen green ranger.

"You shut the hell up" Xolin growled at him in almost animalistic fury.

"We'll fix him, I promise" Sid said to her, obviously fighting to keep his own calm, "But right now we need our heads in the game, okay?"

"I'll make her bleed" Xolin bit back at Sid, before summoning her lance as she charged in.

"Avoid the ice beam!" Isdilian shouted, as he and the remaining rangers followed Xolin up.

"No shit!" Sid lobbed back, "Any other strategic advice you have for us?"

Xolin opened fire with her gun, but her bullets melted away with a wave of the spirit's hand, the heat evaporating with the cold. It shrieked, rushing towards the oncoming train that was the blue ranger. Her lance swung down, just in time to knock a hand away before it could freeze Xolin solid. She swung up, cutting across the spirit's chest. It shrieked as it leapt away. An unholy screeching noise emanated from it upon landing, its face contorted into an otherworldly rendition of fury and hatred. But Xolin didn't care, because she felt exactly the same way.

Xolin ducked as the creature swung in again, again avoiding being turned into a statue. By now the others had joined in; Sid powered up his ax again, crimson flame coursing through the blade as he struck down from a jump. Isdilian circled the fight, looking for a good opening. Sel waited from a distance, bow in hand, for an open shot.

Sid's attack cut through the spirit. It screamed in agony, and returned fire by stretching its fingers out toward Sid, cold energy emanating forth. Sid was saved however; Isdilian had leapt in the way, shield in front. Its power deflected the blast of cold, allowing Isdilian to parry with his sword. The spirit spun out of the way—and right into Xolin's attack from the side. The two traded blows; Xolin's expert and rapid-fast handling of her lance easily keeping the ice claws of her foe from touching her. Her weapon spun like a machine, finally landing a hit, before following up with a thrust.

And that ended up being her mistake. The spirit grabbed her lance, and a second later Xolin screamed in horrific pain as she felt herself freezing solid, her body having been wide open to a counter attack. A second later, she too was gone.

"XOLIN!" Sid shouted, then charged up his ax with blazing energy again, swinging down in a rage. Two shots from Sel hit at the same time, and the creature recoiled in pain. The red ranger took notice of Isdilian, flanked to the spirit's other side. They were quickly running out of rangers.

The spirit rebounded, lunging at Sid with its claws. Sid blocked the first blow, but not being nearly as fast as Xolin, the second set cut deep through his power suit. Sid screamed, feeling his insides beginning to freeze solid. The red ranger fell back, landing on his back as he clutched his chest in pain. And the spirit readied its finishing blow.

"NO!" Sel shouted, letting loose two more bolts of lightning that made the creature again fall back. Isdilian quickly put himself between Sid and the monster. Eying the crippled red ranger and the utterly useless yellow ranger, he frowned. This was bad; they'd lost the majority of their heavy hitters within only a few minutes. If they had any chance of winning, they were going to have to pull back and try a different approach.

The spirit let loose another blast of cold; Isdilian's shield held.

"Yellow!" he shouted to Sel, "Grab Red!"

The yellow ranger did as she was told, rushing over to Sid and helping him up as she turned to lead them away. Isdilian began backing away himself, hoping for an orderly retreat.

"Isdilian to Iota!" the silver ranger shouted into his communicator as he withstood the barrage, "The mission has been compromised, I repeat, the mission has been compromised! We've lost blue and green, and red is crippled. Requesting immediate extraction!"

"_Understood. Teleport out immediately" _was Iota's reply. There was no doubt Iota hadn't been watching anyway, Isdilian knew that. But still, protocol was protocol.

Sadly, Isdilian never got the chance to get them out. The cooling blast suddenly stopped; momentarily confusing him—just before the creature vaulted off his shield and over him.

He screamed, and then was silent.

Both of the other rangers heard his cry, with Sel turning to see—but Sid waved her off.

"No. Don't—don't stop" Sid croaked, his voice horse as his body continued to cool, "Gotta...gotta keep..." his breathing tapered off, unable to keep talking.

"Sel to Iota!" Sel spoke to her communicator in a panic, "Isdilian is down! I have Sid, but I need out of here now!"

The temperature, which had been beginning to rise as she pulled away from the ice spirit, began to drop again. She turned, seeing it rushing toward her with a murderous expression.

"PLEASE!" Sel shouted, pure terror and emotion in her voice. The spirit came down, and she flinched and closed her eyes, preparing for the end.

"...You can move, you know"

Sel's eyes fluttered open, her posture relaxing as she realized she was in the medbay. The two rangers slumped to the ground, exhausted and injured.

"Get him onto the bed" Iota said. Sel nodded numbly, and helped Sid back up, even if he was heavier than her, and even if her legs were like jelly—she'd just about been frozen solid. Sid managed to demorph himself—and the result was equally terrifying. Sid's lips were turning a shade of blue, his eyes bloodshot. His muscles spasmed as they struggled against the spell.

"Oh spirits" Sel whispered in a panic.

Immediately, Iota began moving scanners over Sid's body, running multiple diagnoses in an effort to find a way to stop and reverse his cooling.

"It hit him with its claws" Sel said, trying to be helpful.

Iota nodded, "Its spell works like a virus. Airborn is immediately deadly and highly 'contagious', I guess you could say. But the physical contact equivalent is slower; it has to move manually from tissue to tissue".

"Can you stop it?" she asked.

Iota paused, "...I don't know" he said, in full honesty.

Sel allowed a moment to let that sink in, as Iota continued to work, "W-what should I do? I mean, what can I do?" she asked, finally. She was adrift and aimless; she needed a task.

Iota's response was not comforting, "For now? Nothing. Attacking that creature again would be suicide. We need to find another approach".

Sel slumped to the floor, leaning against the wall of the medbay.

"Hey" Sid croaked out, offering a small smile, "It'll...be...it'll be okay" he struggled to get out. She hesitantly offered her own small smile—but she clearly didn't mean it.

"I'm concocting a mixture of antifreeze chemicals and magic" Iota said, "As powerful as I can make it without ripping your system apart from the inside out. Probably not good for you, but it'll at least slow the progress of the spell".

"Y-you have...an excellent b-bedside man...manner" Sid forced out, though the sarcasm was still very clear. Iota did not respond as he pulled a small vial and needle out of a machine he'd been punching commands into. A moment later, the needle went into Sid's arm, and his shivering subsided somewhat—though it was clear he was still not in good condition.

"At the very least it'll buy us some time" Iota said grimly.

"...What now?" Sel asked.

Iota sighed, "Now? Now I upload a report to Peacekeeper command, and then try to find a cure. I will be back shortly". With that, Iota turned and exited the small medbay, leaving Sid and Sel alone to their thoughts.

* * *

"It managed to hit everyone *except* the target" Blue commented dryly. She leaned back in her seat, watching the holographic feed of the battle as it looped. Other than the computer she was at and her chair, the room the armored figure sat in was fairly spartan, just four blank walls and a door. "And now she's run back to Iota, just what we didn't need".

"Give it time" Orange said calmly, her arms folded as she stood behind Blue, "The surviving rangers won't leave the rest of their team to die. They'll be back. And if not well...their red ranger will be dead soon enough. And then the target will be Iota's only remaining card to play. Alone, she'll be helpless. The plan remains on schedule".

Blue chuckled, "Has anyone ever told you how insufferable you are?"

Orange replied with a bit of glee, "You, every day. Delta sometimes does too".

Blue snorted, "Delta wouldn't know a good plan if it snuck up and bit him. He's all 'Smash This' and 'Crush That'".

Orange shrugged, "He has his uses".

"So" Blue spun her seat back to the holo-screen, putting her legs up on the terminal as she changed the subject, "Taking bets. How long until they attempt a rescue mission?"

"Not long" Orange said, "Give it an hour or two. The red ranger won't last much longer than that, and I'm sure they know the creature has to be destroyed to save everyone. They're on a time limit, and they know it. The longer they wait, the less options they'll have".

"You're brutal, I'll give you that" Blue replied. Orange said nothing.

* * *

The medbay was silent. Sid rest uncomfortably on the medical bed, while Sel, now demorphed, was curled up into the smallest possible shape on one of the chairs, keeping a wary eye on her teammate. His horse breathing had eased a bit since being injected with whatever, but it was still labored and forced. And all Sel could do was stew in the mire of the oppressive atmosphere. Everything had fallen apart so quickly...and something about it had set off something unpleasant within her. She'd never seen the others taken out so quickly—okay, sure, that time with Isdilian, but they were all fighting together then, and at the end of the day they came out of it fairly intact. Even in the direct aftermath, she remembered how they'd all sought each other out in an effort to stem the emotions flooding within them. But this time she was all that was left; three of them were frozen on the surface, and Sid was for all intents on his deathbed in front of her.

She'd used them as a pillar of support and strength; something to anchor her existence to. And now it'd been violently ripped out from under her. What could she do now? She couldn't fight alone. That was...she wasn't good enough. She needed them. Xolin, Trok...Sid. Oh spirits, Sid.

"...Hey, Sid?" she asked, her voice small and quiet.

"...Yeah?" her teammate responded wearily. He didn't look at her, but secretly she was thankful for that. This conversation was hard enough as it was.

"...I'm sorry" she said, "For getting angry at you earlier, I mean".

"...Getting angry?" Sid asked, perplexed. He thought for a moment, "...Wait. You mean...you mean about the change in your training regimen?" he chuckled, which quickly turned to a brief coughing fit. She moved to help, but he waved her off, and she reluctantly sat back down. He continued, "It's not that big a deal. Don't worry about it. People fight all the time".

A silence crept over them for a moment, before Sid spoke again, "This is why though, you know".

"...Why what?" Sel asked.

A faint grin curled at the edges of Sid's mouth, "Why we need to expand our skills". Sel regarded him, and Sid continued, sadness in his voice, as he knew she didn't want to hear this, "This is going to be up to you".

"...What?" Sel gasped, feeling a sinking feeling inside, even as she knew he was right—there were simply no other options. No way out. "But...I can't!"

"Why not?" Sid asked, "Iota will come up with a plan, you'll win, and we all get to go home".

"But...I *can't*!" she reiterated, more forcibly.

"Why not?" Sid repeated, also more directly.

Sel swallowed, looking away, "I'm not...I'm just not..."

"Good enough?" Sid finished for her. He took her silence as his answer. His voice was soft and full of concern, "Why do you think that about yourself?"

"What?"

An exasperated half-laugh came out of Sid's lips, "For a girl who has less than a year of memories, you've done some amazing things. And I'm not even talking about your natural talents or powers. I'm talking about the things you worked at; the things you push your passion into. Like your art".

"My art?"

"Your painting" Sid whispered, closing his eyes to conserve just a little more strength, "A few months ago you didn't even know what to do with a brush. Yet you've worked on it and experimented every single day since. I've seen your work. You put love into it. And it's the same with your archery. You put so much effort into mastering it so that you could fight alongside us. And that's...that's what I love about you" another soft chuckle, "You've got this quiet determination about you. You don't settle for anything".

"I didn't want to be the weak link" Sel muttered quietly, with not just a hint of bitterness, "I didn't want to be 'the princess', like you used to call me. The one who had to be saved because she was useless".

A small pang of guilt hit Sid; he'd never really meant anything by the 'princess' pet name. She'd just always been the kid of the group—in some ways even moreso than Trok, and it had just seemed to fit, especially considering how they'd all met. Not that he'd used it in a long time at this point, but he hadn't really realized it'd resonated so strongly with her.

"Trust me, if you weren't worth anything, do you think we'd go to such lengths to save you when you got into trouble?" She looked away. Sid continued, "Nothing in life comes easy, Sel. We all had to start somewhere. Did painting come naturally to you at first?"

Sel thought back. A warm memory surfaced, of when Trok had pulled her into the work bay and gave her a blank canvas. She'd felt frustration, anger, self-pity. Yet all of that was a happy memory now. Trok pushing her on, encouraging her. The finger-painting. The expression. The paint war with Trok. Spirits, she wished Trok was okay.

"No" she admitted to Sid.

He nodded faintly, "See? And I know archery didn't either. But you tried. And that's what's important. We all have...we all have to try".

"Every time I've tried melee combat, I've been terrible at it" she countered.

"So you get up and try again" Sid replied, earnestness in his voice, however faint it was.

"I just..." she fumbled with her words, not sure how to get her feelings across, as always. She hated that. She hated not being able to express in words when she needed to. "I just..."

"Slow down and think" Sid interrupted, "Don't feel like you have to stumble over yourself. We got all the time in the world" he chuckled darkly at his own remark.

"I just..." Sel exhaled, "Do you ever..." her hands waved about, as if trying to form a picture of something she couldn't even quite grasp. She paused, "...For the longest time I didn't know who I was" she finally said, quiet and despondent again, "Then I figured it out, kinda".

"...And?" Sid asked, when further information was not forthcoming.

"I just...I don't..." she exhaled again as her hands gripped the knees close to her face, "I don't want to lose that. Things were...things were good. I was good. Things were..."

"...Things were safe" Sid finished for her, comprehension dawning on his end. He saw her nod silently in the corner of his eye. It all fit into place; the schedules and patterns and...everything. The reason she had the same pattern of events every single day. The reason she only ate from the same menu of foods. She'd spent so long rudderless, with no identity or home or life and now...

"Why can't things just...I don't know, stay the same for awhile?" she asked helplessly her face dug between her knees, "Just let me have that for awhile".

Sid shook his head sadly, "I'm sorry" he said, looking in her direction at her huddled form, her green hair draping over her legs. She looked so small, so fragile. His fist clenched as he looked away, his eyes closing his face squeezed into a grimace. What could he say? At the end of the day, she was still a child after all.

But then, hadn't he been?

"You know, after I was...well, discharged from service" he said, deliberately avoiding the death of his comrades, "I was lost in the void too. I just went from place to place, aimless. I didn't have a home, or goals, or a future. I just...drifted".

"What changed?" Sel asked, her face rising a bit from her knees as she looked at Sid, curiosity etched on her face. She was looking for an answer, a sign of some sort.

Sid smiled with another half-chuckle, half-cough, "...I found you guys". His face lit up as he said that, even through the pain.

"But...you're all frozen now. I'm alone" she said, miserable.

"No, not alone. Never alone. But you know what?" Sid said, forcing his voice to be more forceful as he leaned up slightly, a determined expression on his face, "You have to fight for what you want. You want a home? A family? Stability? A future? You gotta..." his face flashed in pain as he laid back down, gasping for breath, "You gotta...fight for it".

A moment passed as Sid eased his breathing, "It's...good you found what you like. But you gotta work to keep it" he looked at her, "And I think...to do that, you gotta evolve".

"...Evolve?" she asked, a bit incredulously.

Sid nodded, "Everything changes, Sel. That's not a bad thing, that's just...life. Never limit yourself just because you're afraid. Never just 'settle'".

Sel said nothing at first. Instead her head was down, and she seemed to be taking a very serious interest in her hands.

"I'm afraid".

Sid smiled sadly, "You have us, you know. We'll never let you fall".

"But what about now?" she asked earnestly.

"Do you not believe you can do it?"

"...No".

"Okay..." Sid sighed, "Do you believe in me?"

"...What?" she asked, perplexion again crossing her features.

"Do you trust me?" Sid repeated.

"...Of course" she replied, a bit incredulous that her faith in him was being doubted. Him, Xolin, Trok...they were all amazing. They were safe havens. Bastions of her life.

"Well" Sid smiled with a wry grin, "Guess what? I believe in you. And if you trust my judgment..." He meant it too; he trusted all of them. Well, except Isdilian; he could go jump off a cliff for all Sid cared. But the others? Yeah, he'd fought with them long enough he knew he'd never prefer anyone else to watch his back, ever. And when it came down to the wire, he knew Sel would pull through somehow.

They always did, after all.

Sel's eyes widened as she realized she'd just been outfoxed. She glared at him, "That's...that's not fair!"

Sid's grin grew wider, "Another life lesson. Life's not fair, and neither am I".

* * *

The report had been sent in to command, and now Iota found himself skimming the database for detailed information on ice spirits—which wasn't much, as it turned out. A number of online paranormal forums, a few anthropological sites, and a small handful of professional studies that didn't actually have too much concrete information because these creatures were just too illusive.

Things weren't looking too bright. He was hoping command would have better luck—maybe Gamma would know what to do. But deep down, he knew if *he* couldn't find anything, it was doubtful anyone else could either.

...Wait.

He skimmed the current article, on some sort of conspiracy site. Most of it was nonsense; something about mind probes and Grey aliens...psh. Grays existed, of course, but they lived far beyond the local supergroup of galaxies; deep in the Virgo supercluster. No one had heard from them in ages. Normally he didn't take stock in conspiracy sites, loads of utter nonsense, as one could see just from this page—but Iota was desperate...not that he'd ever admit it to anyone.

But no, *this* was interesting. He scrolled down. And there was a link to some journal site of some sort that...hold on. This had a faint chance of being legit.

But where would he find a Thorn Mite nest in *this* sector?

His train of thought was interrupted by a scurrying sound above him, on the ceiling. The armored figure looked up just in time to see a fist-sized pitch-black spider-like creature drop from above onto his desk. It turned around, eying Iota with its beady orbs, before hissing.

A Thorn Mite. On his ship. On his desk. Iota didn't believe in fate or destiny. But he also didn't believe in coincidence. And so for a good few seconds, he just sat there frozen, unable to really reconcile what was sitting in front of him. Finally, he settled on a response—the most bewildered and deadpan response imaginable.

"...You have *got* to be kidding me".

* * *

"I have the answer"

Both rangers turned as Iota marched back into the room. In his hands he carried a small clear container, with some sort of spider-like creature scurrying about inside. He set it down on the console next to Sid's bed. He gripped the console, leaning over it as he glared at the two rangers.

"So, would anyone like to explain to me why this ship is crawling with Thorn Mites?"

Sid managed a snort. Well, so much for 'taking care of the problem' before Iota found it. Oh, Iota was going to skin Xolin and Trok alive when they got back. On some level Sid felt pity for them, but on another level well...at least it wasn't *his* fault.

"...Something you'd like to tell me?" Iota asked him evenly, taking his amusement as a confession.

"Ask Xolin and Trok about it later. I'm sure it's a...long story".

"Hmm" Iota muttered, unconvinced. But he let the matter drop; he had other matters to attend to at the moment, "We're going to have to have a long discussion later about ship maintenance. But for now, it's a good thing, actually". Iota began to bring up multiple holoscreens of biological and chemical scans and readouts.

"...What are you talking about?" Sid asked, turning his head towards the holoscreens in curiosity, the earlier amusement in his voice now gone.

Iota began to explain, "Thorn Mites are thought to be a species that originated on comets in deep space. You see, their bodies create an enzyme not unlike some kind of organic antifreeze that can melt virtually any type of ice and keep their biological processes running even at super-low temperatures. The theory is that they would tunnel through the ice to find food". As he spoke, Iota worked, smashing the bug before pouring the remains inside a small vial before loading it into the medical console.

Both rangers turned to attention, Sid shifting in his bed while Sel looked up from her curled up position in her chair. Both immediately knew where this was going. Sel spoke first, cautious hope in her voice, "Wait...can this reverse the freezing?"

Iota tilted his head some as the computer whirred, working on the solution, "...Probably not" he said, as Sel visibly deflated again, "The spell invoked by the Asanai is Old Magic; very powerful. However..." he checked the console as it finished its work, spitting out a needle with a usable chemical loaded within. He picked it up, "It *should* at least stop the process".

Sid looked at him incredulously, "...Are you serious?" he asked. They just happened to have an infestation of the creature that would have exactly what they needed to fight the current monster? That seemed...*remarkably* convenient.

"Very" Iota said, not an inch of humor or agreement in his voice.

Sid grimaced. Finally, he nodded. Not like they had many options, "...Do it".

Iota nodded back as he approached the human, and injected the chemical stew into his bloodstream. Sid found himself quietly amused with the amount of chemicals he'd allowed into his body just within the last hour or so, but said nothing as he actually *felt* the enzyme mix doing its work, warming his body somewhat and easing his increasingly difficult movements. He didn't feel anywhere close to one hundred percent of course, Iota had said as much, but at least he wasn't in agonizing pain. He managed to shift himself up into a sitting position.

"Sid!" Sel said, half hopeful, half worried as she rushed over to him. He waved her off gently, offering a small smile.

"I'm fine" he said tiredly, then turned to Iota, "But no, seriously. We just happened to have bugs onboard that would fix this?"

Iota nodded warily, "It would seem coincidence *does* exist".

"...So why don't I buy that?" Sid asked, his eyebrow arched in suspicion.

Then Iota gave him perhaps the only compliment he ever had. Sorta, "Because you're not an idiot" he said.

Sid eyed him, "...Thanks. I think".

Iota returned to the console, taking readings of Sid's condition, "We'll track down exactly where those bugs came from later. For right now, we have more pressing matters".

"Right" Sid managed himself into a full upright position, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. Again, not one-hundred-percent, but also not shivering to death on the bed. Things were looking up, "So what's the plan?"

"First..." Iota pulled another injection needle out of the console, "Sel, please come over here".

"...But I wasn't frozen" the xybrian said, confused.

Iota replied, "No, but the enzyme *will* protect you. Remember, it can't reverse the process, but it can stop it".

Sid motioned to her with his head to go ahead with it, so reluctantly she got up out of her seat and walked over to where Iota stood. Inwardly she groaned; she hated needles.

"So we still have a problem then" Sid mused as Iota gave the very reluctant Sel her shot. She didn't even watch as he stuck the needle in, instead preferring to look away—suddenly finding the doorway extremely interesting. Sid let a shadow of a grin form at that, before returning to his former train of thought, "We're still down three rangers, and I'm not exactly in top shape at the moment myself".

Iota regarded he man, "I did hire you for your strategic mind, remember?"

Sid's eyebrow arched, incredulous, "And then demoted and replaced me".

"Treason will do that, yes" Iota countered dryly, "But you're here now, so the ball is in your court".

Sid sighed with exasperation. At some point he'd just gotten used to all the naked manipulations. His life used to be so simple too. Still… "Well, I got one...but you're not going to like it" he said, directing his response to Sel. She shuffled uncomfortably in her seat next to Iota.

* * *

For the record, Sel thought this was a terrible idea. But unfortunately for her, she didn't see any alternative. Sid was right after all; he was much too crippled to serve as a front-line warrior right now, which meant he'd have to play backup for this mission.

...Which of course meant she was now the one taking point. She half-sighed, half-whimpered as she checked over her bow-blade over one last time, both of them now in the launch bay. They were going to teleport down directly this time; no real use for sky cycles if they were going in for a pure search-and-destroy mission. She'd only been teleported a handful of times so far, and only since the start of the war; the teleporter was only used in particular circumstances. There were just too many variables; one could easily detect teleporter signatures, and there was always the chance of landing right in the middle of the enemy if they didn't know what was waiting for them down below.

"It'll be okay" Sid said calmly, as he finished loading the battery into his sidearm blaster, "You worry too much".

"I just don't like this" she muttered, "It feels wrong".

"Remember what I said about change?" Sid asked her, "It's not always a bad thing; everyone changes. We all have to grow and evolve. You can do this, Sel. I know you can. And I'll be right there beside you".

Her fists clenched up in faint panic.

"Breath" he said, putting his hand on her shoulder, "Relax. We can do this".

"What if we can't?" she asked, afraid.

"We will" he replied.

She looked at him, "But how do you *know*?"

Sid's face hardened, remembering unpleasant memories for the umpteen millionth time, "...Because I won't allow it".

"_Iota to team, are you ready to teleport?"_

"Sid to Iota, we're good to go" Sid said, then nodded knowingly at Sel, instantly morphing into the red ranger as he did so. She followed suit, letting out another sigh as she felt the yellow power suit forming over her. "Do it!"

With a burst of light, the two rangers vanished from the ship.

* * *

The colony courtyard was just as empty and devoid of life as she had remembered. Not a single bird call, not a single chime. No ambient noise aside from the breeze. Last time it hadn't been as much of an issue; the others had all been talking and keeping her mind off of it. But now, it was clear.

This was a dead place.

She swallowed, slightly hunched over in an almost panicked anticipation. Her eyes darted from one end of the courtyard to the other, half-expecting for their enemy to pop up at any moment.

"Steady" Sid coughed, remaining calm, even as he also made a sweep of their surroundings. His movements were jagged and stiff, and it only drove home the point that she'd be throwing herself at the monster. Another deep breath. Sid checked the scanner on his morpher for localized cold fronts. Ah. Of course that's where it was hiding.

"Come on" Sid said, leading her in the direction of the shopping district. Where their friends were.

* * *

It was just as they had remembered; statues of people everywhere. And three of them were unmistakable; three rangers, faint colorations of the ice indicating who was who. Sel almost reached out for Trok as she approached, then remembered the warning, and the door that had shattered. She recoiled, rubbing at her wrist with her other hand.

"We'll save them" Sid said, keeping an eye out on their surroundings. The monster was close. Very close, "...But right now we gotta keep our heads in the game, okay?"

"...Yeah" Sel replied in a whisper, stepping away from her frozen friend and looking back towards Sid.

Just then, mist began to form from the ice on the ground, before coalescing several meters away from their position, near the middle of the street. Sid's glare narrowed, "Heads up, we got company".

The mist formed into that of the ice spirit, its delicate feminine figure barely touching the ground. A dancer, almost as if she wasn't even there. Sid grasped his sidearm, pulling it out as he got off several shots. "Sel, now!" The yellow ranger hesitated, but as the creature shot off towards Sid, she jumped in the way, her bow-blade at the ready.

It didn't help.

Sel's suit sparked as the claws impacted her body, her weapon having missed its parry in the chaos of the moment. The yellow ranger fell back, dropping to the ground as the spirit continued its rampage toward Sid.

"SEL!" he shouted, but had no time to help as the monster came right for him. He got off two more shots, before shifting his weapon into a short sword. While he managed to block the spirits' claws with his blade, he knew this was bad. He was in no condition to actually fight in melee, and even as he blocked the attack he could feel muscles crying out in pain. "Sel!" he called to the yellow rangers' prone form, "I need-" he never finished. The ice spirit had let go of his sword, and had instead attacked him directly with its claws. He grunted in pain as each stroke hit—each increasingly frantic hit as the ice spirit realized he wasn't freezing and quite frankly didn't know how to deal with this. The red ranger's form finally buckled from the continued onslaught, and he fell to the ground. The monster pounced on him, eager to finish the job. It got in a good hit before Sid managed to keep it at bay with his sword once more, struggling to hold its claws back as they wrestled on the ground. All he could see was its face. Its cold, murderous, psychotic face.

"SID!" Sel shouted, getting up. She aimed her bow, letting off two shots into the monster's side. It ice spirit flew off, landing in a heap about a meter away as Sid struggled to get back up. Sel rushed over to him, crouching next to him, "...Are you okay?!"

"Yeah...yeah" he muttered, "I used to have a cat like her once" he saw the spirit rebounding, "SEL!" He managed to pull himself just long enough to serve as a body shield. The spirit tossed him aside, but he'd at least given Sel time enough to mount some form of defense—she parried the first blow with her bow, before spinning away and blocking the next. A counterattack missed, but she then avoided the next blow as she used her bow as a pole, launching herself in the air—her boot planting itself directly into the monster's face. Her advantage was short lived however, as the monster's reply was to leap over and claw at her prone body. The yellow ranger dropped to the ground on her side, rolling away as the monster landed.

As Sel got to her knees, she noticed the spirit was now standing still, arms outstretched as the wind began to pick up, and the temperature began to drop further.

Oh, this couldn't be good.

A vortex of ice and snow formed around the creature, obscuring its form as the storm became more solid. The flying pellets of ice began to accumulate into larger chunks. Into shards. They struck out at her.

"SEL!" Sid shouted in worry, as the yellow ranger came under fire. Her body kept getting hit in rapid-fire, with no time for her to rebound as the icy daggers kept coming down. Sid aimed his gun and fired, but the laser shots simply reflected off the vortex. Damnit.

Then, just like that the vortex evaporated, its weaponized chunks arranging themselves as a wall between Sel and the spirit—aimed directly at the yellow ranger.

She never knew what hit her.

The yellow ranger's suit sparked and exploded as she was nailed through the nearest wall, crashing through the brittle ice into the interior of the shop, ice raining down upon her.

To hell with his condition. Sid forced himself up, and forced himself to run—even if his muscles were aching, even if his running was slow and uneven, even if he could barely breath. He still charged in, awkwardly, shifting his gun back to sword mode as he swung down. He roared, in equal parts rage and physical pain, taking the spirit by surprise.

It wasn't enough, of course. In his current state he was simply too slow and uncentered, and after a parry he found himself being cut down by an ice blade formed from the mist, followed by a second, and a third. Since its main weapon was apparently no longer useful, the spirit was resorting to more combat oriented attacks.

Sel dug herself out of the store, her hands clutching the edges of the hole she'd punched through the building as the dust and ice rolled off her body. She groaned. Her body ached. Well, of course it ached, she'd just been thrown through a wall. As she took stock of her situation, she saw Sid being impaled repeatedly by ice blades forming and unforming at will, before finally managing to block one and shatter it. At first she hadn't been sure; the impact had caused a fog of mist to form around him, but a split second later she could see the light inside.

Sid's blazing ax cut through the fog, and even as unsteady as he was, he still managed to aim. The ax shot through the air, slicing through the next ice blade like butter before impacting the ice spirit. Gripping his sword tight, Sid summoned all his energy and launched forward, using the precious seconds he'd gained as well as he could as he passed by the spirit, his blade impacting just after it had been hit in the face with the burning ax. Spinning around, Sid came down with a second blow, before issuing a tornado kick that sent the monster back.

Sel didn't even notice her fingers digging into the frost on the wall fragment, she was so entranced on the battle in front of her. Sid was doing it! Sid was...they could win this. She believed in him.

But Sid was already out of energy, even as he followed up his attack with another spinning slash. His followup was cut short as the monster rebounded, and Sid met face-first with a hellstorm of ice shards impacting his entire body. The red ranger tumbled back, landing in a heap on the ground.

"SID!"

He tried to get up, but really only managed to flail about as his executioner peered down on him from above, its claws at the ready to deliver the final blow.

No. He couldn't die.

No. She couldn't let him die.

No. No. No. No.

NO.

As the ice spirit came down for the final blow, it found itself suddenly blocked—Sel's bow rested on its claws, and the yellow ranger stood over the red ranger's prone form like a protective barrier.

"NO!" she screamed, pushing the spirit back before aiming her bow. She couldn't fight like Sid, but she would fight anyway. She would not allow him to die.

She only got one shot off however, as the monster quickly lunged back into her. She tried; each time she blocked and deflected, but she was never able to bring her weapon to bare. Sel needed more space; she flipped back a few paced, landing a bit away from the creature. But the monster had gotten wise to her attempts, and after only another frantic shot that caused her to miss by a wide mile, Sel found herself once again deflecting.

The monster wasn't going to *let* her fight her way. Frustration welled up in Sel, and it caused her to make a mistake. A second later the yellow ranger tumbled to the ground, sparks ripping off her suit. She had gotten to her knees by the time the monster stood over her.

Three shots impacted its backside. Sid sat kneeling several feet away, his breathing labored, his gun in his hand. "Sel" he called out, his voice clearly displaying his exhaustion, "You gotta...you gotta fight".

"I'm trying!" she shouted, even as the creature clashed against her own weapon.

"No..." he replied, "You gotta...get up".

"_Get up"_ Isdilian's voice echoed in her mind, just before he knocked her down again in her memories. _"Get up"._

"I...I can't..."

"You *can*" Sid emphasized. He was quickly tiring of her obstinace. This had gone a bit beyond being afraid and simply wanting stability, and had become simply about her wanting to be 'proven' right. "Remember...remember what Isdilian told you. Feet apart; find your center".

"Help me!" Sel cried out as the spirit bared down with its insane face.

Sid shook his head, "All...all I can do right now is aim this gun. This is...all on you". He issued two more shots; all his arm could muster. He was panting heavily, unable to catch his breath. The monster cried out, but gave Sel the second she needed to stand back up.

Feet apart.

Center.

And then the monster knocked her back down.

"You...you need to believe..."

"But I can't!"

"No, that's...defeatism" Sid replied, "*I* believe you can. And I know they believe you can too. We need...need you. Please". A plea. Not reassurance, not a command.

A plea.

Something about that stuck Sel. All her memories of Sid; they'd always been that of a leader, of a bigger brother. He'd never pleaded before. He'd never...they were all going to die.

Flashes of memory. Her and Trok, having a paint war in the work bay. Her and Xolin, fighting back-to-back on the SPD base where they had been captured, when Xolin had accepted her as a fellow teammember. Her and Sid just now, back on the ship when he'd let his guard down and given her some heart-to-heart advice. Her and Trok, back when they first met, when he'd been trying to get to know her and hadn't given up. Her and Xolin, when Xolin had been marveling at the artwork she'd pulled off. Her and Sid, training. All of them, their sessions playing in the simudeck.

She needed that. She needed that stability. She needed that life. That was hers. It wasn't much, but it was the first thing that had ever been *hers*, and she wouldn't let it go. Not now, not ever.

She leapt away just before the claw came down, crouching a short distance away. Bringing her bow to bare, she let off two shots. The first was deflected as the monster flung itself at her. The second grazed as it came closer.

Feet apart.

Center.

The monster flew in.

Her blade came down.

As the monster crashed into the side of the building, Sel spun around, aiming her bow as she charged up. Multiple points of light were summoned around her, like miniature suns. The monster pulled itself up, preparing to launch itself back at its opponent. Sel glared, knowing she was between it and Sid. It would not hurt him.

Sel let her bolts fly.

A storm of light rammed into the spirit, the heat from the bolts burning through its skin, causing it to scream. It didn't stop it though; rage pushed the Asanai forward—a bit to the surprise of Sel who didn't have enough time to center herself again as the full blunt force of the monster slammed into her, and the two tumbled into the middle of the street. The spirit was back up first, coming down on Sel's struggling form.

Two more flashes of red laser gave the monster pause. Sid let off a third shot. And a fourth.

"That's...that's right" he said, as the monster turned its attention to him. It began to shamble forward—evidently injured now from its prior confrontation, "Come to...papa..." Really, he knew he had no chance in hell of surviving his next encounter with the monster. He was doing this all on the assumption that Sel would be able to regroup and strike again *before* it got to him.

Boy he hoped he was right.

It lunged, and for a moment it looked like he'd miscalculated. But only for a moment, as another lightning bolt grazed the spirit's backside, causing it to miss Sid. He took the opportunity to allow himself to get in a handful more shots.

They were wearing it down, slowly but surely. But would their luck hold?

Sel came charging in, unleashing volley after volley. Halfway to her target she paused—just briefly—in order to pick Sid's ax off the ground, and then while continuing her run, loaded the weapon hilt-first into her bow, much as she had done for Xolin's lance a number of times. The ax crackled with electrical energy as Sel came to a stop just a few feet from the creature, landing on one knee for a better shot.

The ax hit the spirit in the left shoulder, but it lashed out at the yellow ranger again. Her bow was knocked from her hand, leaving her defenseless as the spirit dug into her. The situation was out of her control. She was out of her element. She couldn't do this. She wasn't *meant* to do this. This was…

If she did this, she could go home, and everything would be okay.

"NNNNRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" the yellow ranger shouted, issuing a gutteral roar as her entire suit began to shimmer. The spirit seemed to be taken aback, allowing Sel to plant her foot into the spirit's midsection and throw her off of her.

_Get up._

She drew her sidearm.

_Get up._

Shifting it into sword mode, she threw it like a javelin, right into the spirit's face.

_Find your center._

Memories. Everyone playing that stupid board game the day after they'd been on that haunted ship. Everyone coming together after Isdilian had fought them. Trok making some silly pun at breakfast, and Xolin chucking a chunk of scrambled eggs into his face. Sid and Xolin bickering like an old married couple. Sid and Trok debating the merits of some character from a movie she'd never seen, but wanted to.

Home.

Stability.

Safety.

Normalcy.

She didn't even notice as her fist glowed with cosmic energy, slamming it into the creature.

Don't think. Just fight.

Another punch.

_Find your center._

She swung around, her foot finding its place in the spirit's side, before she doubled up with another punch.

Slash. The creature sent her tumbling.

_Center._

Against all odds, she somehow managed to hit the ground with her arm, allowing her to flip over back onto her feet almost like a cat, before launching herself back at her foe. Another punch from her glowing fist. Another kick from her glowing foot. She was hit point-blank by the monster's freeze breath, as ice chunks punched themselves into her. The yellow ranger rolled back, somehow finding her fallen bow as she uncrouched and charged yet again, her weapon crackling with energy.

Slash. Perry. Slash. Dodge.

_Home._

The monster's claws clutched themselves around her bow as the two fell to the ground, the spirit over Sel as they fought furiously for control of the weapon. Both crackled with power; Sel with an electrical aura and the Asanai with the brilliance of a snow blizzard. It screeched, its mouth preparing for another ice beam.

_Home._

_Safety._

"NO!" Sel shouted in a place of pure unrelenting emotion. Subconsciously, her aura channeled itself into her weapon...which for all the struggling the monster had seemingly forgotten was still aimed at it. Instead of trying to free the device, instead Sel shifted its aim upwards as its charge reached its maximum peak.

A second later, a single brilliant streak of light, brighter than the sun, punched right through the Asanai's face, and right out the other side. Its grip slackened, and a second later its body burst into a shower of frost particles, quickly dusting over the yellow ranger's prone form, as she lay there, still trying to piece together exactly what had happened, panting heavily from both the stress and actual physical toll of the fight. Then it dawned on her.

She'd won.

* * *

The two armored figures stared at the holoscreen, dumbfounded. Blue found her words first.

"What...just happened?"

"Yellow ranger just channeled her latent powers" Orange grumbled, "How annoying".

Blue was already rewinding the fight on one of the smaller screens, taking note of what had gone down. She stopped when she saw the moment the spirit had cut into the red ranger with its claws.

"...That hit should have finished the red ranger off" Blue pondered, "He should be a popsicle. And any number of other attacks should have stopped the yellow ranger dead in her tracks. Why aren't they frozen solid?"

Orange eyed the footage, then the large screen of the current footage where the red ranger was currently painfully limping himself over to the yellow ranger. Certainly, things were not right. Iota had found an antidote somehow, but there *were* no known antidotes to the Asanai. Unless she was expected to believe Iota had somehow built one from scratch within an hour. She narrowed her vision in suspicion, "That...is a very good question. And one I intend to figure out". She turned to leave the small computer room.

Blue spun her chair around as her comrade reached the door archway, opening it. "...Want to try for an encore?" Blue asked.

Orange paused, not looking at Blue, but not outright ignoring her by leaving yet. "...No. The Asanai's power has been neutralized, so we both know how a megazord confrontation would go from here on out. And sending the Asanai a scroll of empowerment would just raise more questions for them. Best not to tip our hand yet. There will be other opportunities. And I evidently have work to do now anyway. I don't enjoy unknown variables".

Blue nodded, and Orange left, leaving the former to turn her attention back to the two injured rangers. She settled deep into her seat, her fingers folded together in contemplation.

* * *

Sid hobbled over to the yellow ranger, currently kneeling on the ground, bent over and covered in a light dusting of snow. He rested himself against the wall of the building, the front of her helmet hidden from his position on her backside.

"Hey" he said quietly, "You did good".

A deep, unsteady exhale came from Sel's form. "...Can we go home now?"

Sid allowed a small smirk, then looked out at the city. Already the ice spirit's magic was beginning to become undone. Magical dust particles scattered through the air from where it had been slain, washing over the town. The ice began to melt at an incredibly rapid rate, and soon it was as if it had never been there. Indeed, Sid was feeling so much better. Still tired, but for the first time since being hit with the spell, the red ranger felt whole. He flexed his limbs; it felt good to be able to move right again.

"Oh, *wow*" came Xolin's voice, as the other rangers hobbled over to Sid and Sel, "That sucked. Let's never do that again". She shivered, the phantom cold still chilling her to the bone.

Trok came up next to her, "So uh...what happened?"

Xolin smirked, "You went down in the first hit. Like a chump".

"...Aw" the green ranger muttered dejectedly. He'd missed the whole fight, huh?

"You were an idiot for trying to play diplomacy with a mass killer" Isdilian grunted.

"Lay off" Xolin bit back, "It was worth a shot". The sound of Trok's scream was still fresh in her mind.

Isdilian's response was a brief grunt as he folded his arms, "Hmph". Xolin just rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the rangers that actually mattered.

Sid helped the yellow ranger up, "We got Sel here to thank for this one. Fought the monster all on her own".

"...You helped" she glared at him, not really wanting to be put on the spot.

"And *you* blew its head off at point blank range. I'm impressed!" Sid replied, hugging her close with one arm.

"You did?!" Trok asked Sel, his voice laden with sudden excitement.

"Yeah!" Sid said, "Poor monster didn't even know what hit it".

"I...uh..." Sel stammered. Why did they have to put her on the spot like this!? Her face heated up with embarrassment as she looked away.

It was almost pitiable to Xolin, who watched the yellow ranger squirm uncomfortably, but decided to give the kid a break, "So how about we head home, huh?"

Trok's attention was suddenly caught by a number of civilians who were watching the team warily from the other side of the street. "Hey!" he shouted with exuberance, his hand in the air waving. All he got in return was nervous whispering and suspicious glares. The green ranger's excitement faded, his hand wilting back down to his side. "...It sucks, you know? We're finally not a secret anymore, and we *still* don't get any respect".

Xolin shrugged half-heartedly, "People here still don't think much of rangers. To them we're still symbols of danger, like SPD. They don't trust us".

"We bring the war to their worlds, and we symbolize the Confederate government's growing power as it progresses" Sid said, a little bit sadly.

"That sucks" Trok pouted.

"Eh" Xolin replied, a twinge of sadness in her voice, and a lot of acceptance, "It's something I got used to a long time ago".

Trok glanced at her, at first confused that she was talking about ranger-dom. He only realized she wasn't a second or two later. She didn't give him a chance to inquire however, instead smacking him on the shoulder, "Come on, let's get out of here. We uh...still got stuff to do back home anyway, remember?"

"Oh. Oh! Yeah" Trok grimaced, "We still got that project" he said, not wanting to tip Isdilian off that there were like, a billion alien spider mite things crawling around the megaship's underbelly.

Sid coughed, having a fair idea what that 'project' was, "Uh...heh. Funny thing about that, actually..." he trailed off nervously.

* * *

"Words cannot express the level of my disappointment".

Iota's front was hidden from them. He'd opted to stare out the window, his hands clasped behind him as the five unmorphed rangers watched his backside. Beyond him, the Defender Megaship sat in drydock, silent as the workcrew shuttles swarmed around it, their operators preparing for the bug extermination to come. Already they'd wrapped a comically oversized bright orange tarp over the ship, and numerous large bug bombs were being placed into one of the smaller worker bees.

The rangers said nothing.

Iota continued, "Do you know what they said to me? They'd 'never seen this level of infestation'".

The rangers said nothing.

"That it was, and I quote, 'an abomination'".

The rangers said nothing.

"...It will be three days before we can board the ship again" Iota said, finally turning to the five rangers, their luggage placed at their sides, "So I don't know what's worse. That you let the bugs on the ship, or that you didn't tell me immediately so that we could have done something. Or that you decided to set fire to the underdeck, and that you'll be cleaning off the scorch marks for months".

The rangers said nothing.

"...Do you have *anything* to say for yourselves?"

The rangers glanced at each other awkwardly...all except for Isdilian who remained stoic as usual. Sid spoke, "Well uh...at least they saved the day, right? Blessings in disguise?"

"Hrn" Iota grunted. "Be that as it may, I am still extremely disappointed in all of you. The lack of judgment or foresight displayed here today has been absolutely staggering". He glanced back out the window, placing his hand against it so he could lean on in. He sighed in a mixture of exasperation and humiliation, "...Dismissed".

The team shuffled out quietly, deciding that discretion in this case was indeed the better part of valor.

* * *

"Well if it isn't the monster-slayer".

Sel looked up from her book. She'd taken over the entire empty sofa in this corner of the waiting room. It was devoid of people, and it had offered a great view of the shipyard here on the station, so she'd just taken up temporary residence, her backpack functioning as a pillow, and her drink at the base of the couch next to her.

She flushed with embarrassment as she sat up, "...Do you have to call me that?"

Sid took a seat on the arm of the couch, a smile on his face, "I don't mean anything by it. I'm proud of you".

"...I know" she mumbled.

"I'm serious" he replied, the smile fading a bit, "I know how difficult that was for you".

"...I'm just glad everyone is okay" she replied quietly.

"You and me both".

The two remained quiet for a moment. When it became clear this conversation was over, Sid got back up, "I'll let you get back to your reading".

"...Hey, Sid?"

"Hmm?" he stopped in his tracks, looking over his shoulder at her.

She pondered her words, "Could you…I mean..." Sid waited for her to finish. "Could you...teach me? I mean, instead of Isdilian?"

Sid's smile widened as he realized what she was saying. She wanted to try. "...Certainly".

A timid smile matched Sid's, "Did you..." she turned away, "Did you mean what you said? That you believed in me?"

"I don't say things I don't mean, Sel" Sid said, "You've all more than earned my trust. Which is not an easy feat, let me tell you".

Her face once again reddened as she kept her gaze to the far wall to her right, "I...thank you".

"Hey, I'm the one who should be thanking you. I'm not a popsicle because of you". Her face somehow got even more flushed, which was kind of endearing. The poor girl just didn't take praise well. "We're getting together in one of the station's simudecks in two hours. Trok's got some whodunnit mystery game he wants to try out. You in?"

She turned her gaze back to him, "'Whodunnit'?"

"It's a kind of story" Sid replied, "We all play different characters and try to figure out which one of us committed the murder. It's way different then what we normally play, which is why I figured I'd ask; I didn't know if that was really your thing".

Sel's grin returned. Trying new things. Why not, right? Especially if they were there with her. "...Sure. I'll be there".

Sid gave a casual salute and waltzed off, and for a moment the room was quiet again. Sel picked up her drink and took a sip from the straw.

"I saw the recordings of the fight".

She nearly choked on her drink. Twisting her head around, she saw Isdilian now at the doorway. "...What do you want?" she glared.

His hands were in his pockets as he casually strolled into the room, "I just wanted to offer my congratulations. You did very well". He stopped next to her, keeping his focus on the shipyard ahead of him.

"I...thank you?" he asked hesitantly, not exactly sure how to take a compliment from him.

"You used your powers".

"I..." a faint blush returned, "They just came out. I don't know how to control them very well".

"You seemed to have a decent control over them" Isdilian replied, "Though if you want, I could help teach you how to refine them".

Sel hesitated, "I...maybe" she hesitated, not really wanting to spend more time with the man than she absolutely had to. Then a question occurred, "...Where did you get your powers?" she asked.

"Where did you get yours?" was the response she received.

Sel looked down at the floor, her drink shifting slightly in her hand, "...I don't know" she replied morosely. Her lack of memories, even though she'd promised to live for the future instead of whatever came before, was still a sore point.

"Many things in life are a mystery" Isdilian replied calmly. He turned away from the window, heading towards the door, "Let me know if you want to train your powers. I'll be waiting".

"Wait" Sel said. He paused, "Do...you have your memories? I mean...from before the last year or so?"

The response came after a second or two delay, "...No. I'm afraid I don't" he said, before walking out.

Sel took another sip. There was something about his aura. Something that put her ill at ease.

* * *

The man adjusted his glasses. Crouching down, he made sure not to get any dirt on his business suit, instead only half-kneeling as he inspected the pavement of the Edenoite colony. There was barely a trace of the ice spirit left; only those with a keen eye for magical studies could take notice of the faint magical residue left over. He scooped some of the loose rock from the pavement up with a small spoon, placing it inside a baggie before sealing it. Standing up, he then opened his briefcase, and placed the evidence inside.

It had been an easy enough operation; smuggling a common pest animal like thorn mites onto the rangers' megaship, and making sure the connection between the ice spell and the mites were planted on a net site where Iota would find it when he inevitably searched for a cure. He was sure of course, that the Others would be wondering how Iota had discovered the cure, but none of the suspicion would come back to himself. Really, that they would redouble their suspicions of Iota and overestimate his capabilities only helped his own agenda.

The time of the Others' plans would come soon, but not yet. It was not time yet. Other hands still needed to be played before it was their turn.

The man allowed himself a small smirk as he walked away, completely ignored by the native colonists around him, as they continued on their day as normal. No one noticed him, and no one notice when he vanished around the corner, leaving not a trace behind.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	16. 2x03: Identity Crisis

**_Author's Note: Oof. Seven views for the last chapter. That's...that is extremely humbling. Especially considering how the first chapter's in the hundreds. Not quite sure what to do with that._**

**_Well anyway, here's another chapter for all like, three of you still reading. I mean, I hope you're still reading._**

* * *

_She'd done this a million times growing up, of course. She'd discovered this trick when she was about six, after a really bad argument with her parents for...well, some reason. Probably something stupid, like she'd missed out on dessert because she'd forgotten to feed their desert crab again. She'd always hated that crab; so cranky and unfit to be a pet, but her dad loved it._

_If only this time had been the result of such a silly argument._

_As she'd grown up, and as the arguments and incidents had become more serious, she'd kept using the makeshift escape hatch from her bedroom, removing the panel from her window and then edging along the ledge until she found the line they used to host family banners and tapestries which she could use to slide across until she bypassed the manor courtyard and could drop into the bushes near the gate. Then normally, she'd crawl over the rock wall and escape into town for awhile to blow off steam. Sometimes she'd go to the temple; talk with some of her mentors who were working late. Sometimes she'd go to the simudeck arcade, beat some other kids up in the combat arena—it was always amusing seeing the looks on their faces when they'd get soundly beaten by some rich girl. And sometimes she'd just wander around, aimless on the warm desert night._

_This felt just like any other time. But it wasn't; she knew that. This would be the last time. She wasn't stopping by the temple; she didn't want to give her position away to anyone that might warn her father or mother. Besides, her father had made it quite clear to them that she would not be returning to her temple studies, he'd 'allowed her to indulge in quite enough of that'._

_All she carried with her was her backpack, filled with a few meager articles of clothing, some personal keepsakes, and some money. Everything else she was leaving behind, forever. She didn't even want to think about what her father would do once he discovered she was gone in the morning. But she couldn't stay here. She was wasting away, and her father barring her from her temple studies so she could 'get schooled in something useful' was the last straw._

_Well, that and the suitors from the other houses. She wasn't a business transaction. To hell with that._

_So she flipped her backpack over the wall, before scaling it with skills she'd learned in her martial arts classes—her father would learn to rue the day he'd allowed her to study that. Landing gracefully on the other side, she picked her bag back up, before hastily beating tracks. Her plan was to make it to the local space port; she'd gathered enough money to get offworld, as far as KO-35, and from there...honestly, she didn't know. She'd find a job somewhere; it couldn't be that hard. She had skills, after all. She'd make it. She *had* to._

_She was Xolin, after all. She had nothing if not determination._

_The flood lights came on. Her heart quickened as she realized the manor guards were already onto her tricks, and had been waiting for her. She ran, even as they called out her name._

* * *

Xolin awoke with a start, breathing heavily under her sweaty sheets. That damned dream again. Taking stock that she was still in her room on the Megaship, and that the time was mid-morning, she then threw the covers over her head, groaning at the inherent unfairness that was morning.

* * *

**Power Rangers Peacekeepers**

**Season 2**

**2.03: Identity Crisis**

* * *

Xolin made her way down the hall towards the simudeck. She'd already morphed herself into the blue ranger, though her helmet rested at her side, gripped by her hand as she approached the door. Opening the gateway to the chamber within, she caught a sight she hadn't expected.

The green ranger leapt from floating rock to floating rock within the volcanic pit, making careful both to avoid the pits of lava below, as well as the incoming lightning shots from the yellow ranger's bow. Launching off from the highest rock, the green ranger extended the head of his hammer into its mace mode. The weapon wrapped itself around yellow's device and with a solid yank, he ripped it out of her hands. Green came down, returning his weapon to hammer mode, striking the rocky ground with the head of the hammer, emerald green energy coursing through in a shockwave that would have spelled the end for yellow had she not backflipped out of the way, pulling her sidearm out and opening fire as she did so.

Green was forced to dodge behind one of the larger rock pillars, his weapon too slow to be able to deflect his enemy's laser bullets, especially as she had become a moving target. Taking a split second to catch his breath, he spun out the other side of the rock, ready to grab at yellow's leg with his mace.

She wasn't there.

"Wait, wh-" green muttered, just as he heard a noise behind him. He spun around, just in time to dodge yellow's sword blow as she swung down at him from mid-air. The next blow he parried with his hammer, before swinging out and missing as she ducked—before coming back up at him with a thrust. Green's suit sparked and he stumbled back, before steadying himself and swinging again. This time he made contact, but instead of succumbing, yellow used the weapon as a ride, flipping over it with her hands, her boots now flying right at green. He barely evaded the hit, turning as yellow landed and came about. Her sidearm sword again came down, and was blocked by the hilt of green's hammer.

"Ah-hem".

Both rangers turned to see the new arrival; it was clear they hadn't seen her come in.

"Oh, Xolin!" Trok said, scratching the back of his helmet sheepishly, "Sorry, we uh...we didn't see you".

"It's fine" she waved him off before looking around the battlefield, "Those were some nice moves though, both of you".

"Oh, thanks!" Trok replied bashfully.

"...Weren't we supposed to train though?" she asked, feeling just a little awkward about having to ask.

Yellow and green looked at each other, then back at blue, "...Oh, yeah. Sorry" Trok rubbed his arm awkwardly. He'd honestly kind of forgotten, "...Actually, no offense, but since you were running late, Sid and Isdilian just decided to pit us together. And we're actually learning a lot from each other, so..."

"Ah" Xolin nodded, taking the hint. She was already making moves of bowing out, "Right, I gotcha".

"...I'm sorry" Trok whined a bit.

She waved him off again, noncommittally, "Don't worry about it. Rain check?" She was disappointed, of course, and a little thrown off by the whole thing, but she would never little things like that show.

"Sure!"

"Have fun you two" she said, leaving the room. The door shut behind her, vanishing from view. Trok and Sel glanced at each other again.

"So...where were we?" Trok asked. A second later, blades were impacting again.

Xolin let a breath of air filter out through her lips. She wasn't entirely sure what to do now that her morning plans were pretty much shot. Honestly, although she wouldn't admit it because it was petty and foolish, but she felt a little uneasy that Trok had replaced her so easily. It was just a stupid training exercise and she HAD slept in so it really was her fault but still…

She shrugged the thought off, deciding instead to check on Sid and see if he needed help with anything.

* * *

"At least five".

Isdilian took a break from his study of his datapad to see what Sid was referring to. The two had been zipping across the small space that was the mission briefing room, taking in the vast amount of knowledge being fed off at them from all the screens and holograms. Sid, at the moment, had zoomed in on the 3D holo-map that covered the central table, focusing in on an area away on the settlement and towards a nearby rock quarry.

"...Pardon?" Isdilian asked him.

Sid leaned up, motioning towards the energy signatures emanating from the quarry, "At least five, maybe six. Though I can't imagine what's so interesting about a rock quarry".

"And at least seven other monsters guarding the settlement itself" Isdilian grimaced, "We're going to have our hands full".

Sid sighed, "And we're not even talking about footsoldiers; these are full grown C-class and above. ...How many others did Iota say we're getting?"

"Three other teams" Isdilian replied, going back to his own datapad.

Sid glared back at the map, "That's...not a lot to work with".

"Four teams consists of a large fraction of the Peacekeepers' available manpower. We just don't have the resources, so we have to make do".

"Mmmrg, doesn't mean I have to like it" Sid groaned.

"...Do you always have to complain about everything?" Isdilian asked him warily.

Sid shot him a glance, "Do you?"

The conversation died as the door slid open, revealing a somewhat-awkward Xolin standing in its place, herself becoming suddenly aware she was stepping into something. "...Oh! Uh, sorry".

"...Did you need something?" Sid asked tiredly.

"Uh...I was just coming to see if you needed help with anything. What's going on?" she asked, noticing the sheer amount of information that was flooding in around them.

"Getting ready for a mission" came Isdilian's curt reply, "We don't need you right now".

"Er..." Sid shrugged, turning from Isdilian back to Xolin with an apologetic smile, "Sorry. This is sort of a two person job. If you could though, could you tell Sel and Trok that we'll be having a mission briefing in about an hour?"

"Uh...sure" Xolin said, trying to hide the annoyance at being relegated to 'errand girl'.

"I just sent everyone a text, don't worry about it" Isdilian called absentmindedly from one of the consoles. "Oh, Sid. Cerai from team eight is calling. Could you get it?"

Sid shrugged halfheartedly at Xolin, as if to say 'sorry', before turning away. A second later, Isdilian pressed a button, and the door shut in Xolin's face. For a brief moment of embarrassed rage, she pondered marching in there and giving Isdilian a piece of her mind, but...no. Probably not best to do that while they were busy coordinating an assault. Or...whatever it was they were doing.

She sighed. A few months ago that would have been her helping Sid, back when he was leader. Now he was playing her role, and she was...well, she was standing out in the hallway with a door in her face.

She knew it wasn't anything on her end; it was just how the chain of command worked. She also knew she shouldn't let it get to her, and to be honest it was probably just stress with nothing to gain from it.

...So why was she feeling more and more like a fifth wheel?

Xolin sighed, beginning to make her way aimlessly down the hallway, having no particular goals in mind.

* * *

_The door slammed shut in her face. She stamped her foot angrily, yelling and demanding they open the door, but it got her nowhere. So what if she didn't know anything about ship maintenance? She could learn!_

_Her stomach rumbled hungrily. She hadn't had anything to eat yet today. Her money was gone; spent hopping from station to station in hopes of finding a job. Now she was stuck here, on this miserable half-dilapidated station on the ass end of space. The structures around her were falling apart; leaky pipes, broken vents, unstable walkways, you name it. Every time she stepped onto the unsteady makeshift catwalk she now found herself on as she made her way to the next would-be-employer, she felt like it was going to give way under her. Already there was some sort of grease slick that she had to watch out for—something was leaking from up above._

_And spirits, this place was freezing. Had no one heard of heating?! Her stomach rumbled again. She missed home. She missed the food there, and the warm desert weather and her soft bed and…_

_No._

_No, she knew why she'd left. She couldn't go back._

_But this place was still so much worse. She was miserable. No one wanted her. No one needed her. She didn't have any skills that could help land her a job, and even if she did...spirits, this place was awful. She'd narrowly avoided being stabbed in mugging attempts multiple times now—it was only thanks to her skills in fighting that had kept her alive after she'd told them off._

_Not that she had any money to protect at this point. But it was a matter of pride. Pride was all she had now._

_Pride and bitterness._

* * *

The explosion sent chunks of rock and pebble flying in all directions across the rock quarry, leaving nothing remaining of the drill-themed robot monster once known as 'Spiralizer'. As the smoke began to clear, Trok found himself being pushed back by another creature, a pig monster decked out in full samurai armor. Its long, curved sword cast an electrical aura, even as it was being blocked by Trok's hammer, though the pig was decidedly stronger than him as it shoved him.

That wasn't the only confrontation going on however; two rangers of another Peacekeeper team, a red and a yellow, flew overhead on jetpacks, peppering the lion monster below with laser fire. Sid mused to himself about he *really* needed Iota to requisition some of those. Maybe Trok could build one.

The red ranger's train of thought found itself wrecked as the black ranger of another team rolled past, his suit smoking. Sid looked over; sure enough, here came some kinda weird tree monster with a thick, bark-like hide, thin dead branches, and what looked to be the face of a jack-o-lantern plastered on its front. Shaking a beehive-like bag in his branches, numerous yellow laser pellets swarmed out towards Sid.

"Look out!" the black ranger said, the aquitian accent in his voice unmistakable.

Sid was quicker than the pellets, flipping back as they impacted the ground where he'd been standing a second before. A second barrage met the same fate. Before a third salvo could be fired, Sid fired up his ax, charging forward as blazing crimson energy surged through his weapon. A single strike later, Sid stood behind the monster, weapon outstretched, a second before sparks ripped through the monster's side.

Really, it had been a blessing in disguise that the entire monster force had relocated itself out of the colony and into the rock quarry. While it meant they had to deal with over a dozen monsters at once, at the same time the rangers' hadn't had to split up their own forces. Four full Peacekeeper teams battled against the legion of monsters—from where they had come from no one knew, aside from the fact that they were all mercenaries that had been employed by SPD.

...Which was both a good and bad thing, as far as Sid was concerned. The bad side of course was that SPD was willing to stoop so low, and apparently had the cash to burn for such a minor colony world. The upside however, was that it meant they had to have been hitting SPD hard enough that they were stretched for troops.

...Unless they were just using the monsters as meat shields to soften the Confederacy up before sending in their main army. But Sid liked to think positive. Or denial. Denial was good; kept him from waking up screaming every morning.

Yeah, denial worked.

"Thank you for the assist!" the black ranger stated, hobbling over to Sid. Several more laser shots passed between them, ending whatever conversation had been about to start.

"Kill now, talk later!" Sid said, just as he and his one-time assistant dodged out of the way of increasing firepower from some sort of crystalline hedgehog with rock-like protrusions emanating from his backside.

Xolin meanwhile, rolled out of the way of some sort of pirate...duck...thing, with a beak for a mouth and a long sailor's coat, and a cutlass sword in its hand. The two clashed as the blue ranger rebounded, the pirate sword and her lance breaking each other's offensives. A false move cost Xolin her position, and the blue ranger felt the enemy blade cut through her suit.

She pulled herself up, eager to get back into the fight after her crappy morning, she found the monster had already found new opponents—the entire group from Peacekeeper Team Eight, who had summoned their team cannon, and was already in the process of disintegrating the pirate duck even as Xolin got to her knees.

Huh. Well, that was disappointing. She looked around for another monster to fry, but found them all occupied by other rangers.

Her shoulders sagged sightly, faint memories of childhood filtering up; of when she'd be in a class where she didn't know the other students very well, and when the teacher would ask them to pair up and she'd watch everyone move together, while she'd be the odd one out. Xolin shook off the lingering feelings of impotence, looking now for a target. She was better than that. She would force herself to be better than that.

Trok was teaming up with the other greens and black ranger, and together they were working really well against a robotic chef—even its razor-sharp pancake chakrams were no match against the coordinated assault. It tried to restrain them with a whip made of sausage links, but Trok simply smashed it aside with his hammer as the others moved in.

He was really growing up, wasn't he?

A cry of pain turned her attention to Sel. The yellow ranger had been dealt a hefty blow from some sort of Egyptian sphinx monster's claws.

"Sel!" she shouted, gripping her lance and preparing to throw it towards her, so she could load it into her bow.

"Catch!" Sid shouted, his own voice closer and louder than Xolin's. It was clear neither had heard her, as Sel caught Sid's ax in midair, before spinning back around at the monster and loading the blade into her own weapon. The ax crackled with energy, and a second later it flung itself at the sphinx, obliterating it.

Xolin lowered her weapon. She hadn't even been aware that Sid's ax could do the same thing as her lance in conjunction with Sel's bow.

Isdilian was off on his own, but it didn't look like he needed help at all as he had switched his sword and shield into cannon mode, and was busy finishing off the samurai pig with a beam of blinding white light.

Xolin's shoulders sagged. This whole day had been one misstep after another, with someone else always filling her 'slot'. At some point while she wasn't looking, everything had shifted; reorganized.

...Was she even needed anymore?

"Well well, what do we have here?!"

The blue ranger turned at the voice; behind her she found some sort of humanoid magnet creature. His head consisted of a stereotypical U-shaped magnet, and his body was covered in electrical wires and fuses. More straightlined magnets were arranged on his backside, like some sort of twisted parody of wings. In its hands it held a staff with a north end and a south end, and its free claw beckoned Xolin to it, "In need of a dance partner?"

A smile managed to creep out from under her frown as Xolin cracked her knuckles, "Bring it!" she roared triumphantly, before charging the beast. A flurry of strikes from the two spinning pole weapons marked their style of combat, even as Xolin retreated before striking out again for a second combo. It was deflected, but as the monster struck out, Xolin jumped onto his blade before landing a solid kick to his head. And a second kick as she lept off. She narrowly avoided a retaliation hit as she spun back around with her lance, parrying the monster's next blow—again using it as a chance to throw her boot into the monster's face.

The magnet beast stumbled before toppling over and landing on his backside. Xolin readied for a killing blow, but as she did the head of the monster's staff glowed a golden white color, as it aimed it at her and shot off a blast of energy that impacted her in the shoulder. A second hit knocked the wind out of her in the gut. A sweep kick from below finally sent her tumbling as the monster scrambled to his feet.

Mildly annoyed at the sudden turn of events, Xolin decided it was time to play a new card, and seconds later the monster found himself surrounded by three identical blue rangers, each wielding lances.

The magnet chuckled as he watched the three warily, even as they circled around him, "A triforian! Exciting. I haven't gotten to play with one of your kind in quite a long time".

"...Play?" one of the Xolin's asked with an incredulous tone.

"Of course!" the creature said darkly, "I always play with my food".

One of the blue rangers charged in, quickly followed by the other two. The first one was knocked back by a blast from the staff, but the monster soon found himself parrying blows from the second and third in a highly complex and almost beautiful dance of spears. The Xolins moved like dervishes, darting in and out against the somewhat less nimble but more stable magnet monster. He got a lucky hit in, knocking on of the two blue rangers aside, though it cost him a blow from the last Xolin. As he stepped back, three lasers impacted his side; the first Xolin was coming right at him, gun in hand. Over to his left, the second one was getting back up.

"Bothersome gnats!" he sneered, raising his weapon to the sky. Shots fired off into the air above him, and they came back down all around him in a rain of fire, hitting all three aspects of Xolin. They fell back in a fit of sparks and minor explosions, their suits smoking as they clutched at newly formed wounds.

"My turn!" the monster cackled, now aiming his staff at the three aspects. Its north end charged up, but instead of more energy blasts, Xolin soon found herself being covered in…

er…

Some...sort of neon string?

"Um..." the lead Xolin managed to blurt out, as she and the other two found themselves being encircled by glowing purple laser thread. Each of her aspects were quickly surrounded, though it didn't seem to hurt. Or feel particularly unpleasant. Besides the fact that it was unnerving, it was like nothing was wrong. It didn't even bind them as the lasers grazed their suits. And within a second or two the thread vanished, absorbed into them.

"Behold the power of my polarity!"

"Er..." the three aspects glanced at each other, completely at a loss for words. The monster finished his attack, and even as he did, there wasn't any trace he had even done anything. Xolin wasn't sure, but she suddenly felt a little weird. Unsettled? And that feeling was only heightened by a sudden sinking feeling in her gut. What *had* that attack done? The effects weren't immediately apparent, but she knew well enough at this point that spells and attacks that didn't have an immediate purpose were usually the most sinister of all.

"...What did you do?" she asked the monster.

It cackled, "Why that's easy! I-" a volley of laser shots into the monster's back cut off his explanation. The monster spun around, seeing Sid and two other red rangers with their guns aimed.

Wait, no.

The monster made a wide sweep of the area. The other creatures had all been destroyed or were running away as fast as possible, with a few of the rangers tailing them. As for the magnet himself, he was now surrounded by the entire rest of the ranger force. Alone. At some point while fighting that blue ranger, the rest of the battle had ended, and now he had over a dozen guns pointed at him.

"Hmm" he mused, "I assume this would be a good time to make my leave!"

"Don't let him get away!" Isdilian ordered. Everyone opened fire, but even as they did, the monster dissolved into a mass of purple sparks, which quickly evaporated in all directions. A few were taken out by the rangers' guns, but most simply stopped being.

"Damn" Isdilian muttered.

Sid shrugged as he put his gun back in its holster, "Eh, we got most of them. And we can run the stragglers to ground soon enough. We're already running an anti-teleportation field in orbit to keep them planetside".

"Just more time we have to waste" Isdilian grumbled, shifting his cannon back into shield mode and letting it vanish in his hands.

"Eugh" the lead Xolin tried dusting herself off, as if it would help get rid of the uneasy feeling that was encompassing her.

"You okay?" Sid asked her, as he made his way over.

Xolin took stock of her other two aspects, who gave her nods of approval, then turned her attention back to the red ranger, "Yeah, we're good".

"Okay" Sid said. He paused, as if waiting for something. When that something didn't happen, he added, "So um...you gonna return to normal?"

"Hm? Oh! Right" Xolin nodded to the others.

"...Xolin?" Sid asked, after another moment passed.

Xolin's shift in body language betrayed her sudden growing anxiety.

"...Xol?" Sid asked again, "You okay?" When she didn't respond, instead wordlessly looking at him and then back at her other aspects—equally freaked out, his tone changed from inquisitive to concerned, "Are you okay?"

"We can't..." she struggled with the words, "I can't..."

"...What's wrong?" Trok asked, as the other members of their team coalesced around her. The other ranger teams had already begun to break away as well, returning to their own circles as they prepared to move out with their next set of orders.

Xolin's fist clenched in a fit of mild panic. This was bad. This was *very* bad. "We can't reunite".

"...What" Sid deadpanned.

The three Xolins made glances at each other again, before focusing on Sid, "...I just tried to fuse with them, and we can't...we're stuck" she managed to squeak out, her voice wavering. The panic was evident in her tone, even as she was doing a marvelous job of keeping it under control considering the situation.

"What!?" Trok gaped, starting to become very concerned now himself.

Sid sighed with worry. It was going to be another one of *those* days.

* * *

"Magnet monsters, am I right?"

Trok eyed Sid curiously at his statement, "...is this a thing that normally happens?"

Sid shrugged, "Well I mean, I've never had *this* happen, but magnet monsters are always a pain. Sometimes they stick you together, or pull you apart, or just eject you into orbit and it's a really long way back down, and well..."

"...Personal experience?" Trok offered with a small smirk.

Sid grimaced, "...I don't really want to talk about it".

"Then how about we talk about me?"

The two rangers turned their attention to one of the three women sitting on the medbay bed closest to them. The two of them had taken a seat next to the door. Xolin of Courage had a very cross expression on her face, and her other two aspects seemed to have a similar mind.

"...Magnet monsters, am I right?" Sid shrugged.

"This isn't funny, Sid!" Xolin of Spirit chastised him, worry etched on her face, "What are we going to do!?"

Iota crossed the room from one console to another, "Calm down" he said as he did so, settling down into one of the chairs and bringing up another holo-window, "You're not in any immediate danger, and we have options".

"Such as?" Mind asked.

Iota seemed to ponder momentarily, "If I can figure out exactly what the monster did to you, we might be able to reverse the spell".

"Magnets, polarity; it's obvious her aspects' charges have been flipped somehow" Sid said offhandedly. Then added warily in Trok's direction, "...That is how that works, right?" Trok shrugged.

"Not quite that simple" Iota muttered, even as he worked, "While you have the right idea, it's so much more complicated than simply 'plus' or 'minus', especially in regards to triforian physiology. There's the spiritual aspect of this to consider, for instance. Or the sheer complexity of values and combinations of values".

"So what do we do?" Xolin of Mind asked.

Iota shrugged, not even bothering to look at them as he worked, "For now? Nothing. I've run the tests I need to, so if I need you, I'll call. Dismissed".

The five glanced at each other, though Mind shrugged with apathy, "Whatever. I'm out".

"Where are you going?" Spirit asked her, concerned.

Mind shrugged again, "I dunno. Go eat? I'm hungry".

"I think I'll go hang out in the simudeck for awhile. I need to break some things" Courage muttered, passing both of them as the exited the room.

"Wait, alone!?" Spirit said, worry growing on her face as the other two seemed to be splitting from her.

"Yeah. Alone. As in, not with other people" was the last thing Courage said before the door closed, separating them.

"...We should stop her!" Spirit said urgently to Mind.

"...Why?" Mind asked, "I—she just needs to burn some stuff off. It'll be fine. I'm out". With that, Mind exited the medbay, following in Courage's footsteps. Spirit remained behind, her shoulders slumping as she shared a glance with Sid and Trok, her face full of confusion and distress.

"What's wrong?" Sid asked.

"...My aspects. I...we've never been apart like this. We work more like a hivemind but now..." she shook her head, "I can't...I don't feel them. I feel alone".

"...A hivemind?" Sid asked, "What, like the xybrians?"

Spirit shook her head, struggling to explain, "No, that's...more like they were...extensions of myself? Ourselves? I can't explain it any better than that".

"A side effect of being hit by the polarity attack, I would imagine" Iota spoke up from his workstation, "Further proof that the sooner we crack this problem, the better. Sid, go help Isdilian track down the monster on sensors".

Sid sighed, pulling himself out of his seat. Great; MORE work duty with Isdilian. Because that never got old. Ever.

"What about me?" Trok asked.

Iota's reply was curt, "Help them". Clearly, the man wanted to not be disturbed.

Trok nodded, getting up and following Sid out. The door once again slide shut behind them, leaving a quiet room with just Iota in his workspace, and a very nervous and uncomfortable aspect of Xolin's Spirit standing near the door.

"Go keep an eye on your other selves" Iota said, taking note of her irritating presence, even as he still didn't even bother to look up at here, "Make sure they don't get in any trouble, and make sure they're all ready to move when the time comes".

"Er...sure..." Xolin of Spirit said, turning towards the door, not entirely confident. It was bad enough that her 'job' was pretty much 'make sure you don't break anything', but the fact that she was so worried about what was happening to her made her feel like she was three steps away from having a panic attack.

Useless.

* * *

Sid frowned to himself as he made his way down the hall deep in thought, his hands in his pockets. This was certainly an...odd problem. And really, up to now Sid hadn't thought much of Xolin's situation. For him, the whole trinity aspect of the triforian people just seemed like a cool superpower they had. He'd never really stopped to think about the existential implications of that. Were they three separate entities that shared a body? Some sort of hivemind? Were they the same person operating three forms at once? Were they temporary clones? Or was it something more alien? Something he couldn't hope to grasp?

All this spiritual existentialism gave him a headache. So in a way, he was glad Trok was tailing him; it gave him someone else to keep his attention on and help, instead of worrying about himself.

"Credit for your thoughts?" he asked the young horathean, whose face definitely expressed his distress.

Trok's brow furrowed, the alien debating his own response. "...Worried. About Xolin".

Sid chuckled as they turned the corner, "Well, I figured that much".

"She'll be okay...right?"

Sid nodded, a smile on his face, "Yeah, she will. We'll find the monster and destroy it. Or Iota will find a cure. Either or, she'll be good to go".

"I hope so..." Trok said as they stalled outside the briefing room, "I don't know what I'd do if she wasn't there. She's always been kinda like...a mentor I guess. She's always in control and knows what to do, and she's always there to look out for me".

Sid's hand found itself on Trok's shoulder, "She'll be okay, trust me".

"...She just seemed so...rattled" Trok muttered, looking back in the vague direction of the medbay, "One of her did anyway. And the other two were so...different. One was angry, the other didn't seem to care".

It clicked in Sid's head. THAT'S what Trok was afraid of. Not that they wouldn't be able to save Xolin, but… "...You're afraid she won't come back right".

Trok nodded tersely as he looked back at Sid, "Yeah. I mean...which one's the real Xolin? I don't..." his hands moved about aimlessly, as if trying to grasp an end to the sentence that didn't exist.

"They're all the real Xolin" Sid said helpfully. At least, he hoped it was helpful. He hadn't any actual idea if what he was saying was actually right or just complete bullshit. "Just...not all of Xolin. Aspects, right? Which means once they're reunited, she'll be back at full steam".

"...What if they don't mix right this time?" Trok pleaded.

"They *will*" Sid emphasized, leaning in as his hand squeezed Trok's shoulder. He wouldn't entertain any other possibility; not right now and not with Trok so emotional. Sid let go, motioning to the door, "Now come on, let's go help the asshole". With that, Sid opened the door, and the two stepped inside.

* * *

_Another thug went flying over the table. Xolin spun around, her leg planting itself firmly between another guy's ribcage and pelvis, dropping him to the floor like a sack of potatoes. A third managed to get the drop on her from behind, crawling over one of the tables in the shitty little bar she'd found herself in and grabbing her under her arms, locking her limbs in place. She responded by simply throwing him over her, letting him crash into the next-nearest table._

_One more came at her from the side with a pool stick. She lobbed a chair at him._

_The young triforian scanned the room for more enemies, her breath haggard, her hair a mess, and her lips bleeding. Just another group of would-be collectors. Carefully, and rubbing her sore rib that had been the recipient of a well-placed punch, she quickly vacated the wrecked bar, not stopping to care about the reactions from the other people inside. They didn't matter to her, she just needed to get out._

_Xolin made a mental note to lay low for awhile. Zanyian's men would keep looking for her until she paid off her debts, and unfortunately she didn't have the money to spare right now. Or ever, really. Damnit, had she known she wouldn't have taken the money in the first place. But damnit, she'd needed food._

_Why couldn't she get a handle on this? Why was everything constantly getting worse? Why wasn't she good enough?_

_Damnit. Everything sucked._

* * *

Damnit, everything sucked.

Xolin of Courage found herself outmatched by her usual simudeck simulations. She'd wanted to blow off some steam, but being only a third of a person…

Was it really all that bad though? 'Spirit' was too sensitive and holier-than-thou, and 'Mind' was always too aggravating with her wet blanket attitude; and for the first time she didn't feel either presence. It was kind of freeing; Courage was finally allowed to simply break out and do her thing without restraint. No rules, no regulations, no cowardice or guilt.

She pounded her fist on the ground in rage as she pushed herself back up onto her feet. So what if they weren't there with her? She'd just get stronger without them. They were just baggage, and there wasn't anything she couldn't accomplish if she had the willpower to do it.

The blue ranger spun around, her lance slicing through each quantron in turn. She was as fast and skilled as ever, but her impacts didn't hit as hard; her attacks left less of a mark. And sooner rather than later, she once again found herself outflanked and on the receiving end of a beating.

Damnit.

* * *

Sel and Xolin of Mind sat across from each other in the workbay. Sel had come down here to get away from the others for awhile and decompress after the mission, but she'd soon been joined by one of Xolin's aspects who'd decided it was a good time to eat.

"So..." Sel ventured, trying her best to break the awkward, uncomfortable silence that filled the room. She wasn't the best at smalltalk by any means, but that didn't mean the alternative wasn't worse right now. Mind glanced up at her, an unamused, if not apathetic, expression on her face.

"Um..." Sel stammered, fidgeting with her fingers before Mind returned to eating. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves, and finally asked the question she'd really wanted to know the answer to, "….So, triforian aspects".

Mind sighed, putting her spoon down, "What about them?"

Sel glanced away, "Like...how does that work? Are you like...only a third of Xolin?"

Mind looked down at her food in thought, "Xolin is a single person, if that's what you're wondering. When I—we split, it's more like...extra limbs, I guess? Except more" when Sel's confusion was evident on her face, Mind sighed again and tried another track, "Okay so, imagine you really want something but you know you shouldn't get it for whatever reason. You know how one voice in your head tells you to get it, and the other tells you that there's reasons you shouldn't?"

Sel nodded.

Mind nodded back, "It's kind of like giving those voices control of your arms" she paused, then slumped back in her seat in disappointment, "...No, that's not quite right either. It's hard to explain to a non-triforian".

Sel tilted her head in confusion, "...I don't understand".

Mind waved her off as she returned to eating, "Don't worry about it. It's not important".

"But...so, are you Xolin right now, or…?"

Mind sighed a third time, a hint of irritation shining through as she looked up at Sel, "We're extensions of Xolin. Right now..." she paused again, then shook her head in a bit of melancholy, "I'm not sure what we are right now. It's like those voices in your head have stopped talking to one another and simply gone on to live their own lives. It's...weird".

Sel hummed a sound of acknowledgment, not sure where to go from there. Truth be told, she was getting a headache.

"Don't worry about it" Mind repeated, "We'll get it fixed and be back together soon. Or..." she mused to herself somewhat in a cooler tone, "...Maybe we won't".

"So...which voice are you?" Sel again ventured after another moment of silence.

Mind eyed Sel, not entirely certain if the young xybrian was intentionally messing with her, or just oblivious. Going by the genuinely innocent look on her face, Mind decided on the latter. Another sigh, "I am Xolin of Mind. We—I am the aspect which retained my—her intelligence and experiences in life. Think of me as the smart one".

Sel fidgeted, "So…is that why you seem more..." she fumbled with her next word.

"Stoic?" Mind asked, trying to be helpful.

"...Bitter?" Sel countered with a weak voice, trying to be as nonthreatening as possible. She and Xolin understood each other of course, but Xolin *still* had a temper. And this was not quite Xolin, which made her even more difficult to predict.

Case in point: Mind thought on it for a moment, then shrugged in agreement before going back to her food, "Eh. Call it what you like".

"What about the other two?" Sel asked, relieved that the would-be crisis had passed without notice.

To this, Mind actually chuckled a bit, "Courage? She's the muscle. She's got all of my—Xolin's bravery and anger. Her need to be better. And Spirit is...well, Xolin's conscience and insecurities. And spirituality, obviously". In all honestly, Mind was beginning to find this entire conversation really strange and unsettling. As far as she was concerned, *she* was Xolin-with a bit less baggage sure, but she was still the 'core' entity. But of course, she recognized that the other two would feel the same way, even if she didn't particularly like or recognize them.

It was so friggin' weird.

"Oh" Sel said, processing the information. At that moment, Spirit walked in. Mind turned to her.

"...And what do you want now?" Mind asked, irritated.

Spirit shrunk, "I..." she fumbled.

Mind rolled her eyes, looking down at her empty plate. Time to go, "Whatever. I'm gonna go check on Iota. You two have fun, I'm sure you have a lot in common". Mind got up, passing by Spirit as she threw her plate into the synthatron recycler to be repurposed, before leaving the workbay altogether.

Spirit watched the door closed, sighing in disappointment—in herself, in her situation, in everything. So much for 'keeping an eye' on the others.

"Hey" came a familiar voice. Spirit glanced over at Sel, still sitting at the table. She looked concerned, "Are uh...you okay?"

* * *

_She'd had to beg. She hated begging._

_It had been the only way though. The manager had taken one look at her and laughed; who was this weak little girl to ask for a spot in the pit? He had said he was doing her a favor, that she'd be torn apart. Even when she showed him her moves, he was unimpressed._

"_Where'd you learn to dance like that? Some kinda rich school?" he'd said with a chuckle. Her posture, he'd said, was all he needed to know about her. The way she carried herself. Some stupid rich kid from a comfy home, used to getting everything they'd ever wanted, come to the cess pit that was this out-of-the-way space station, on some damned fool quest of self-gratification._

_He wasn't *completely* wrong, but she'd be damned if she ever gave him the satisfaction. Or that she'd ever admit it to herself._

_But she'd begged and pleaded, and he'd finally relented._

"_Fine. You wanna die? Who am I tell you no!?" he'd said, putting his hands up in disgust. The next day, she'd found her way here, to the lockers._

_They were much like the rest of the station; broken and falling apart. Some sort of liquid dropped from the open ceiling pipes onto one of the old seats, and the heavily rusted lockers themselves had seen many a fight over their days, as evidenced by all the dents and holes that were in them. And this place was cold, like the rest of this damned hellhole. Outside she could hear cheers; one of the combatants out in the pit had fallen. It would be her turn now. A grim, determined expression washed over her face._

_She had to win. She *had* to._

* * *

"Nothing" said Trok.

The red ranger turned to the green one, a scanner in his hand. Trok also had a scanner in his hand, that he was holding up in the air as if it would give him better reception, his back currently turned to Sid.

Sid sighed, before contacting Isdilian via his morpher's holographic linkup, "No sign of the monster in sector A. Moving on to sector B".

"_Understood. I'll continue to monitor sensors from here"_ was his response.

Sid nodded, severing the holographic communication, then motioned to the green ranger, "Come on, let's get going".

"Can't any of the other ranger teams here help us?" Trok asked as they turned to leave, "Doing this with just the two of us is going to take forever".

"They've got the monster's bioreadings in case they run into him, but they've all got their own stragglers from the battle to hunt down" He nudged Trok in the shoulder, "Come on. It's not *that* bad. A couple hours tops".

Trok deadpanned, "...And how much is 'a couple'?"

Sid thought for a moment, "Mmm...five or six".

"Ugh" Trok's shoulders sagged as they walked, and Sid stifled a chuckle at his misfortune.

The town they were in was one of many scattered around the continent that had been dubbed 'Ionia', as part of some naming scheme of the landmasses that were based off ancient Greek locations. Because y'know, that had never been done before and wasn't confusing in conversations when someone would mention 'Sparta' and they'd have to clarify which Sparta they were referring to out of half a dozen cities, starbases, continents, and yes even a desert-class world in the Perseus arm.

...Well, technically two desert class worlds, but the other at least had the dignity to be named with a 'Sparti' variation.

And as if one couldn't tell, this was a human world. Not a large one, only a few hundred million people lived here scattered over about a fifth of the land surface, but it wasn't *quite* rural anymore. It was yet another dime-a-dozen frontier worlds, located in one of the many irregular dwarf galaxies on the edge of the local group, near the border with the Alliance. Which of course made it a target for ongoing raids, such as had happened a mere few hours ago.

The town the two found themselves in was one of the larger spaceport settlements, and its appearance reflected its status—it was more built up than a normal city of its size, with numerous shining interlocked skyscrapers; almost an archalogy unto itself. The tram system passed by overhead below the giant underpass, followed soon by two flying vehicles. Trees and bushes dotted the many interlinking parks that dominated the maze-like ground level.

Sid had to wonder if they weren't *slightly* trying to play up the whole 'sci-fi future colony' angle. He held up his scanner. Nothing.

Trok sighed, "Sector two, negative" he turned to Sid, "...How many sectors are there, anyway?"

A small grin escaped Sid's mouth under his helmet, "Somewhere around eight hundred in the primary bracket. Several thousand in the secondary".

Another groan indicated Trok's distress, which only made Sid's grin grow wider.

Wait.

Sid could have sworn his scanner had just...yes, there it was. Another blip. Faint, and blink-and-you-miss-it, but it was certainty there.

"Wait, I got something" Sid said, pointing down the pedestrian street as he switched over from 'friendly banter' to 'mission veteran' in a heartbeat, "Come on!"

"Oh thank the spirits" Trok muttered to himself, as the two rangers headed off, following Sid's scanner. It didn't take them long; just down the street and around another corner. At that point, Sid slowed down, still waving his scanner around as he scanned the area both with his device and with his eyes. The signal was definitely here, but...where was the monster?

"See it?" Trok asked, running up next to him.

Sid shook his head, "No. But he should be right here". The two rangers spun around, looking aimlessly for the being who just wasn't there. Sid frowned, "I hate it when they hide like this..."

The green ranger's head shot up with a burst of inspiration. Snapping his finger, he spun back around to Sid, pointing at the red ranger, "He's a magnet monster, right?"

"Yeah, so?" Sid asked, wondering where this was going.

"Okay, so" Trok said giddily, "What if we turn the tables on him?"

"...I'm sorry?" Sid asked, now even more confused.

"These scanners search for his polarities, and they can be reconfigured to match them. What if we create our *own* magnetic field counter to his? We'd probably drive his powers bonkers".

"...Did you just use the word 'bonkers'?" Sid asked, a hint of a chuckle seeping from his tone.

"I'm serious!" Trok countered, a little bit impetuously.

Sid put his hands up in defense, "Alright, alright. It *is* a good idea. Let's do it. You go over there" the red ranger pointed to the side of one of the buildings, "And I'll be at the other end of the plaza. You say when, and we'll synchronize this shit".

Trok nodded earnestly, heading off towards his designated spot. Sid followed suit, heading towards his own.

"Okay, ready?" Trok called. Sid gave a thumbs up in response. Trok grinned, "Okay, go!"

Both rangers fired their scanners at once, recording and then matching the monster's frequency—except from opposite poles. Between them, next to a tree in a grassy island surrounded by concrete, electricity seemed to shoot out of nowhere, wrapping around an invisible body. It screamed.

...Er, the body. Not the lightning.

The magnet monster reappeared with a yelp of pain, dancing as electricity laced around his body, causing sparks to fly as it did so.

"Raaugh! You meddlesome rangers, can't you leave well enough alone!?" the monster screeched.

"'Fraid not" Sid shrugged, "My special superpower is being able to ruin your day. Downside is, I can't ever turn it off".

"Cheeky comments won't save you now!" the magnet replied, shoving his staff into the air. Electrical discharge flung itself down on the two rangers, and they rolled out of the way. Sid flung himself up into a half-crouch a few feet further away as Trok lashed out at the monster. The red ranger contacted the megaship with his morpher.

"Hey, kids. I don't know if you're busy or anything, but if you got some free time we found one of the Lucky Charms marshmallows down here, and he's not too happy about it".

The response was swift, _"This is Isdilian; understood. Reinforcements incoming"._

Another response followed that, from Iota, _"Belay that. Isdilian, I require your assistance. Round up the Xolin aspects and meet me in the medbay. I shall contact Sel and have her assist Sid and Trok"._

"_Understood" _was Isdilian's response. Sid shrugged, not bothering to reply as Trok's chest exploded with sparks from the impact of the monster's magnetic staff.

Sigh. Time to be the hero.

* * *

One of these days Sel was going to learn to keep her mouth shut and mind her own business. She was *not* the person who should be handling these kinds of comforting roles. The fact that it was so uncomfortable and awkward was one thing, but she was just so bad at it. She never understood how Sid was always so good at just talking to someone; he always knew what to say, and always seemed to understand. Sel could listen, but the rest was lost on her. She didn't know what anyone else had been through, so how could she ever offer anyone anything but empty platitudes?

The only small consolation here was that Xolin of Spirit seemed to feel just as awkward and unsure of what to say. Then again, she had never been good at just 'talking' either, always preferring to hide behind her walls.

Kind of like Sel in that way.

Spirit seemed a little more open than Xolin proper though. Sel figured it must have something to do with the lack of the other two aspects. Mind's coldness, maybe? Or something from Courage? Sel hadn't actually gotten to meet Courage, but the name would imply some sort of aggression, wouldn't it?

The green-haired girl stole a very brief glance from her friend from across the table, not really willing to risk having them both meet the other's gaze because then the awkwardness would be even higher than now because what's even the social protocol for that because if you look at someone you're supposed to say something but what if you both look at each other and keep looking and no one talks what do you do oh SPIRITS no.

"I'm just...confused, I guess. Lost" Spirit said, before sipping from the cup she'd gotten out of the synthatron. Their gazes finally met as Sel shot her an inquisitive glance. Spirit elaborated, "It's never been like this. Without the other two I feel...incomplete. Not myself".

Sel noted that this version of Xolin was far more open and docile than her complete form, or even Mind who while analytical, had still been trigger happy and distant. And again, she kind of assumed Courage was just a whirlwind of chaos on her own. It was a sadder Xolin, far more melancholy. It wasn't a side Sel was used to; usually Xolin didn't get sad, she got angry.

"And I'm concerned" Spirit continued, "The other two; they don't seem to be worried about this. Or even particularly want me around" a steady sigh escaped her as she leaned forward, her fingers brushing though her hair in a vain attempt to root out the supreme amount of stress she felt.

"Why wouldn't they like you?" Sel asked, "Aren't they you?"

"I thought so..." Spirit trailed off, almost in thought before reiterating, "Yes, I mean. They are me. I don't know" she shook her head, "I'm confused. This isn't right. This isn't right at all". She seemed extremely distraught. Then again, Sel thought, how well would *she* take it if she was forcibly split apart?

"I'm...I'm sure the others will figure out how to fix you" Sel said, lamely. Man, she was so bad at this. As if to punctuate that, Spirit eyed her with extreme skepticism.

Before she could reply however, Iota's voice called to them over their morphers, _"Iota to Sel. Sid and Trok have located and engaged the magnet monster on the planet's surface. I need you to back them up"._

"Understood" Sel said, secretly thankful for the escape, even though she still felt bad about the whole thing. She wished she could figure out the right thing to say. Maybe there wasn't one.

"What about me?" Spirit asked, clearly wishing to have something worthwhile to do.

Isdilian's response came, _"Return to the medbay. Isdilian's rounding up your other aspects; I've got something I want to try"._

"...Understood" she replied with a sigh. There was a battle going on, and she was stuck being a guinea pig. Useless.

* * *

_Useless._

_The word flashed in her mind as she received another punch to the jaw. She'd miscalculated her opponents' movements and paid the price. He was a varox; and just like all members of his species hid behind that ugly-ass bounty hunter armor. She on the other hand had only the rags on her back. Nevermind that the varox were far more physically intimidating than the average triforian._

_Another hit, this one to her abdomen, right square in the center. She tried to counter, but her efforts only met with a kick to the side, followed up by the second one as the varox spun on his axis. She fell to the ground, rolling back up into a crouch as she avoided his next charge. Gasping for breath, she struggled to stand—her abdomen was killing her. One of her ribs was sore. That...wasn't good._

_Slam. Another blow to the face sent her back to the floor. Another kick to her side. Above, the crowd was shouting, cheering._

_She couldn't. She couldn't do this. From her blurry vision, she could see her manager shaking his head in disgust before turning away. He'd seen enough. She'd failed, just like he had known she would. 'Fancy dancing' he'd called her training. Some damned rich kid. It wasn't any good in real fight. Nothing she could do was worth any good out here._

_The varox grabbed the back of her head, pulling her up from the ground before smashing her face-first into the wall of the pit. Then he flung her useless body halfway across the depressed ring, back to the center._

_She lay silent as his footsteps approached, the warm feeling of blood trickling down her forehead. She was done._

_Useless._

* * *

The magnet prepared a follow-up blow against the green ranger, but before he could charge in, red intercepted, forcing him back. A flurry of kicks went out, before Sid grabbed the monster's staff, claiming its end before it could hit him. The weapon upper half now grasped tightly within Sid's grip and elbow, the red ranger let his free fist fly, smashing it into the monster's chest before letting the staff go and kicking him away.

"You okay?" Sid asked Trok. The green ranger issued a thumbs-up; Sid nodded and charged back in, dodging the staff's attacks until a lucky one got him. But before the magnet could press his advantage, two yellow bolts stuck him, causing the beast to stumble back. Sid's head swiveled around, a smile on his face as he saw the yellow ranger on a ledge further up the medium-sized plaza they found themselves in, bow in hand.

"Glad you could join us!" he said, before dodging another blow from the monster. Another electrical bolt sizzling through the air was Sel's response. The yellow ranger leaped down, flipping to the lower level as she and Trok rushed in. It was just in time; the staff impaced Sid's chest, and the red ranger took a tumble as the other two took his place. Trok dodged, before blocking a second strike with his arm. Pushing the staff away, the green ranger allowed for yellow swing down with her bow, cutting into the monster's metal hide. Sparks flew, and he stumbled back in a rage.

"Accursed rangers!" the magnet shouted, stamping its weapon into the ground, "Let's see how you like YOUR polarity flipped!"

Swinging his staff around, the monster pointed the south end at the two rangers. A beam of purple light shot forth, wrapping itself around them tightly. The yellow and green rangers struggled, but to no avail, even as the light vanished. They were now stuck together; back to back.

"Wha...what did you do?!" Trok exclaimed, turning around to try and get Sel off; being shorter and smaller than the horathean, she just came along for the ride with a surprised yelp.

"Hey!" she shouted, "Stop swinging me around!"

"Oh! Sorry" Trok said, mildly embarrassed.

Sid sighed at the sight in front of him as the two other rangers seemed to almost reenact some sort of comedic routine he couldn't quite remember, "...You have got to be kidding me".

The magnet laughed as he turned to run, "Catch you later, power losers!"

"No seriously, every single monster. Same exact set of comebacks" Trok deadpanned.

The red ranger eyed the retreating monster, then at the two hapless rangers. Again, he sighed, "Stay here, don't hurt yourselves. I'll be right back". With that, Sid again rushed off to cut the monster off from any escape.

"So..." Trok started.

"Don't" Sel replied glumly, still hanging off his back, her feet just shy of the ground, "Just...don't".

* * *

By the time Isdilian had rounded up Xolin of Courage and pushed her annoyed, obstinate form through the medbay doors, Xolins of Spirit and Mind were already in the room, waiting. Isdilian had tracked down Mind first, wandering the halls aimlessly in a bored haze. Spirit at least had had the sense to come herself, though even she seemed very morose about the whole thing.

...What was wrong with these people? Isdilian had known them for a bit now, and every day it was just more bullshit. Sid with his constant attempts at comedy in combat situations and cavalier attitude—not to mention handholding the rest of the team like they were infants. Trok being the most naive twelve-year-old in a near-adult's body he'd ever met. Sel being a basketcase. And then there was...whatever the hell *this* was supposed to be.

Ugh.

"Ah, good" Iota said, seeing the two new arrivals, "We can begin".

"What's your plan?" Isdilian asked, taking a seat at a station near the door.

Iota pulled one of the holoscreens around with him from the workdesk so the others could see, enlarging it as he did so. Numerous graphs, numbers, and frequencies could be seen, though none of them really knew what it all meant. Well, except Iota anyway, "Quite simple, actually". He pressed another button, and a second holo-screen appeared, replaying how Sid and Trok had managed to upset the magnet monster's polarity and exposed him to them, by simulating his own frequency.

"...Ah" Isdilian said, dawning in comprehension at what Iota was getting at.

"...I don't get it" Courage remarked.

Iota explained, "Trok and Sid used our recorded readings of the monster's polarity and redirected it at him, matching his frequency and canceling his powers out. If we can do the same to you three, we may be able to reverse his spell".

"So what's the catch?" Isdilian asked, "I don't think you would have waited this long if the solution was that easy".

"Indeed" Iota nodded, then turned to the three Xolins, "The trick here is to cancel out the frequency of the spell on all three of your forms at once. And to do that, you need to be in synch".

"As opposed to…?" Mind asked, a little exasperated this explanation was taking so long. Why did they just DO it already?

Iota eyed her, "As opposed to now. There's a rift between you three that's growing larger the longer you're kept apart. I can't imagine you three haven't noticed your increased bickering, or lack of connection with the others, or increased independence".

"...What are you saying?" Spirit asked, a sinking feeling settling in her gut.

"I'm saying that unless we do this soon, you will become too disparate to ever reunite, even if destroying the monster DOES cancel the spell. You will have diverged too far; already the fact that you are experiencing different things, creating different memories, feeling different emotions, means that you are well on your way to becoming separate people".

The room fell silent. Separate people. They were losing each other. Each Xolin glanced at each other, then at the floor in front of them, each contemplating their fate, and the choice now in front of them.

"Hypothetically speaking" Mind spoke up, her tone curious, "...What if we did become independent people?"

"Wait, what?" Spirit asked, concerned.

Mind ignored her and continued, "I mean...we'd still be triforians, right? Would we eventually realize our own aspects?"

"...Would we become whole people? I mean, stronger than we are now?" Courage asked.

"Wait, guys!?" Spirit asked, her voice becoming frantic.

"I don't know" Iota shook his head, "In fact, I don't know what would become of you at all. You might become whole people in time, as your experience grew. You might remain fragments, or...you might self-destruct in some fashion I don't know yet. To experiment with this is too risky; you would never be able to go back to the way you were if something bad happened".

"Psh" Courage waved him off, "Crossing the street can get you killed. Nothing worthwhile is ever completely safe".

"Agreed" Mind said.

"But...we can't do that" Spirit interjected, summoning as much authority as she could.

"...And why not?" Mind asked her with a hateful glare, her eyes drilling into Spirit.

Spirit flinched, "Because..." she fumbled, "...Because we're *Xolin*. We can't...it's not right!" she finally blurted out, realizing she didn't actually have a good reason, and that only scared her more, as she was losing what little control over the situation she had. She'd lost everything over the course of her life; her temple studies, her home, her way of life. Now she was losing who she was. And the worst part was, she didn't even understand why. Without Mind, her skills were fuzzy, and she didn't feel as sharp. Without Courage, she wasn't the utter force of nature she was used to being.

"Says who, you?" Courage sneered, "Why should we do what you say?"

"She's afraid" Mind replied, folding her arms, then glared at Spirit, "A little selfish, don't you think? Not willing to let us live our lives just because you're too scared?"

"But you're *me*" Spirit protested, desperate, "I'm *you*. We're supposed to be together! It's just the way things are!"

"Says who?!" Courage repeated, with more force and anger.

"Says everyone!" Spirit bit back, "Says everything! This is the way the universe is supposed to be! We were born united! We were reincarnated as Xolin!"

"Bullshit!" Mind shouted, quickly becoming furious, "Three hours ago the universe decided we should be separate people! And frankly, I couldn't be happier!"

"Why?!" Spirit demanded to know, her own voice rising, her heart racing, "Why do you want to leave so badly?!"

"BECAUSE I HATE YOU!" Mind roared.

One could hear a pin drop in the silence that was the aftermath.

Spirit looked like she'd been struck in the face. She felt that way too, "W...what?"

Mind's body quivered, anger and pain coursing through her system, "You could have had *everything*! You could have had money, prestige, purpose! All you had to do was be daddy's good little girl, and everything would have been *fine*! But no! You had your friggin' principles or whatever. You had to be free. So we followed you to that goddamn hellhole of a station and got trapped there! All because you *believed*. Because you thought that if you *thought* hard enough, if you *prayed* hard enough, you could do anything! So you got your face beaten in and nearly starved to death just because you thought it'd all work out in the end!"

"It...it got better" Spirit replied lamely.

"Oh, yeah. *Way* better!" Mind continued, still shouting. She pointed to Iota, "Now we just work for a psychopathic madman because we happen to like our coworkers. A job, which might I add, was a semi-illegal paramilitary group until just a few months ago! Way to go, Xolin! Good job fixing that! What's next? Wanna go shove our hand in a blender?"

Spirit looked to be on the verge of crying. It wasn't every day you got called out by yourself.

"You..." she managed, "You don't want to help...our friends?"

"*Your* friends" Mind corrected her, "What I want is my home, and my arranged husband, and to work for our House for dad and make a shitton of money. I want my content home life. But that's gone, and it's all your fault! What I want? I want to stop making YOUR mistakes! I want to be happy for once in my damn life!"

"Preach it" Courage sneered.

Mind spun on her heel toward Courage, "Oh, and don't think I don't have any words for you!"

Courage almost seemed to laugh, "I'm sorry, what?"

"You have no idea how tired I am of your bullshit bravado! How many times have you made *her* bad choices worse with your bullheaded 'I don't give up' nonsense?!"

"Oh I'm sorry" Courage exclaimed back at her, "I wasn't aware you wanted to curl up and die somewhere. Would you have rather I left us on that station? Where at? The gutter, when they mugged us? The fighting ring when *you* had the bright idea that we could get rich of that? If it were up to you, we'd have given up and taken that table dancing job at-"

"Don't you DARE!" Mind roared, stepping closer to Courage's face.

"Oh, you wanna go? Let's go!" Courage roared back.

Isdilian eyed Iota, "...Should we stop this?" he asked, more than a little uncomfortable.

Isdilian shook his head, "Not yet. I think a few hands still need to be played" he said, nodding subtly towards Spirit, who at this point seemed to have shut down as her two 'sisters' got closer and closer to beating the unholy shit out of each other.

The world had slowed around her, even as the other two began to argue. They were right, of course. And that was what hurt most of all. She'd sabotaged herself. She could have had it all; all she would have had to do was do as her parents had said. Marry the person they'd arranged for her. Go into House politics. Forget about her temple studies. Be a good little girl.

Was it so wrong she'd wanted something else? It had all fallen apart. She'd believed she could do anything, but time and time again the world had told her 'no'. Even now, before the split, she'd been unable to really figure out what use she had here on this team. And now her choices had stripped her own her own identity; her own being.

How could you possibly bounce back from any of that?

She wasn't good for anything, even less now that she'd had her own components stripped away. She was a fragment; a ghost. She couldn't even run away now. Where would she run to, after all? Back to that station? Back home? No. Those days were done.

There was only one thing she could do at this point.

Slowly, and quietly, Xolin of Spirit lifted her head, turned, and crept out the door.

"And now" Iota said grimly to Isdilian, "We wait".

* * *

The magnet monster ran down the street, his attention directly ahead. If he could just get out of sight of those damned rangers, he could let whatever they'd done to him wear off and he'd be able to vanish again and find a way off this planet.

A flying kick to the back of his head sent him flying forward, and that was the end of that plan. Sid flipped overhead, landing a few feet in front of the magnet's splayed-out form. His staff rolled away.

"Not so fast" Sid wagged his finger as the magnet stood up.

The monster stamped his feet, "Enough!" Eying his staff several feet away, he bolted—as did Sid. The red ranger intercepted him at the last second, grabbing his arms before kicking him away.

"Do you ever wonder why they call it the ELECTRO-magnetic force?" the monster asked, even as Sid guarded the staff.

"Enlighten me" Sid replied.

The monster chuckled, then snapped his fingers. A thousand points of light formed around Sid, rotating around him like a dome. His shoulders sagged as he realized this was probably about to hurt.

"Oh...crap".

A thousand tiny bolts of lightning struck Sid, and the red ranger's suit exploded into sparks. Sid fell and rolled back, giving the monster a chance to reclaim his weapon. The red ranger got to his knees, his body now smoking with black scorch marks dotting his suit.

The monster cackled, "Did that SPARK your interest?!"

"Ugh, no. Please no puns" Sid groaned as he got to his feet, "I hate it when you guys make puns".

The monster snorted, "No respect for the classics? Then how about I just you to the side of a building?!" His staff glowed with purple light, and a violet blast flew out at Sid. The red ranger rolled out of the way, then again as another shot nearly hit him. The monster laughed, "It's like fish in a barrel!"

"Sel, now!"

"Wha-" Sid turned, now seeing the green ranger running over, before turning around and crouching over slightly, allowing the yellow ranger attached to his back to land on the ground and aim her bow directly at the monster. Sid's eyebrow arched; it was kind of like watching some weird human-shaped variation of some sort of mobile turret or...something. A volley of yellow bolts flew at the monster, which he deflected with his staff.

"What are you doing here?!" Sid asked, concern lacing his voice.

Trok waved, "Don't worry about it! We figured this out, see?" Trok turned towards Sid, flinging Sel around by accident, causing her to yelp in surprise...and fire off another blast of yellow lightning into the nearest building as she had been aiming at the time. "Oops!" Trok shouted, swinging her around again as he took stock of the damage, "I mean...sorry!"

"Gah! Stop swinging!"

"Sorry!"

"Oh for the love of..." Sid smacked the forehead of his helmet.

The magnet eyed the new arrivals, then Sid, and then back again, "...New idea! How about an experiment? I know you ranger types that can survive a fall off a building, but let's test if you can survive if the building falls on you!"

"...Wait, what?" Sid deadpanned, not liking where this was going at all. The monster shoved his staff into the air, towards the nearest building. Purple electricity crackled at the end of his staff, as it did on the building itself, which began to shift and buckle.

Sid's eyes widened, "Oh...oh shit!"

But just as it seemed as though the building would collapse on top of them, it stopped, with only a few assorted chunks of rubble making it down to the ground level. The three rangers looked at the monster; his staff was on the ground, and his hand that had carried it was smoking and clutched in his other hand in pain.

"...YOU!" the monster shouted, and the rangers all turned back in the direction they were looking, "How are you...how did you break my spell!?"

There, under an archway linking one building to another stood the blue ranger, her sidearm blaster in her hand.

"Xolin!" Trok beamed, "You're back to normal!"

"...Yep" she said blandly, switching her sidearm to sword mode and walking toward the monster, "Totally normal".

Sid eyed her as she approached, "Uh...you okay?" he asked when she got near. Something about her felt...off.

Her reply was terse and subdued, "Just fine, thanks".

"Fine!" the monster crowed, "I'll just split you apart again!" He aimed his staff, firing another burst of purple light. She smacked it aside with her sword. The monster staggered back in shock and surprise.

"I'm immune" the blue ranger said, just before picking up her pace, breaking into a run as she issued a guttural scream, further taking the magnet aback. What...what WAS she?!

Her sword came down, blocked by the monster's staff, who turned it aside before smacking her multiple times in the chest with his weapon. Her sword dropped to the ground, but she gripped the staff as it came down again.

"Xolin!" Sid shouted, heading off to help her. The monster knocked the blue ranger aside, before aiming and firing his weapon directly at the red ranger. Purple energy shot him right into the side of the nearest building, and he quickly found he could not move.

"Finally!" the magnet crowed.

"Hey, ugly!" Trok cried, coming in from behind. The monster turned around again, firing his staff at the two rangers.

"I'm afraid you've lost your footing!" the monster laughed, as Trok suddenly found himself weightless. No...that wasn't right. He was being repelled by the planet!

"No, wait, shit!" he shouted as he and Sel flew up into the air.

"Shitshitshit!" Sel concurred, as they both struggled futility. Upward, and upward they went, and it looked like they were going to just shoot up into the sky and into orbit.

That would be bad.

Thinking quickly, Sel turned to her partner, "Trok, your hammer!"

"What about it?!" the green ranger panicked.

"Mace mode!"

Oh, duh. How did he not think of that? "...oh, right!" Summoning his weapon, he shot the head of his hammer out and allowed it to wrap around one of the antenna at the top of the building, which they were now hovering just over. Both breathed a shaky sigh of relief. That had been way too close. *Way* too close.

"Whatever you do" Sel warned him, "Do NOT let go".

Trok's eyes narrowed in irritation; he wasn't *that* inept! "Yeah...thanks for the tip". Regardless, his grip tightened.

Down below, Sid also sighed with relief that they were alright, then turned his attention to the rebounding Xolin. She screamed, bringing her sword to bare again. The two opponents traded blows, and for a second she looked like she was going to get the upper hand. But she was too slow, and her sword was once again lost to her as she was struck in the chest, and then a second time. And a third. She stumbled back.

If she was whole, she could have taken him, like last time. But she wasn't even that good anymore. Her style was unfocused and sloppy. Her attempts remained conservative and cautious. And at the end of the day, she was only a third as strong.

Another strike in her shoulder sent her flying to the ground, rolling away as the monster approached.

But then, she wasn't really trying to take him at this point, was she?

She groaned, struggling to pick herself back up. The monster grabbed her by the helmet, pulling her up before slamming into her body again and again, sparks forming from each consecutive hit.

She wasn't trying to take him down at all.

He let her go, allowing his staff to strike her twice more, this time electrified with purple energy.

After all, what was spirit without faith?

She fell to the ground once more, unmoving as the monster approached.

"Xolin!" Sid shouted. He struggled to free himself, but the wall would not let him go, "You gotta get up!" Not again, he couldn't do this again. He couldn't just watch this happen all over again. "Please!"

She didn't move.

* * *

As Mind and Courage continued to bicker, Iota began what he privately dubbed 'phase two'. They were clueless as he reopened the holoscreen, allowing footage of the battle to showcase itself in the medbay, under the impression that he was merely curious as to what was going on planetside.

"Hmm" Iota muttered. He motioned towards Isdilian, "Not the outcome I expected, truth be told".

The two aspects ceased arguing at his words, suddenly taking notice of the fight footage. Shock washed over them first, as they processed what was going on. But soon that gave way to more anger.

Courage gritted her teeth, "What the hell is this?"

"It would seem Xolin of Spirit has gone on to fight the monster alone" Iota replied calmly, "Curious".

"What, she couldn't convince us to rejoin with her, so she's going to force us by breaking the spell!?" Mind exclaimed, agast, "Who does she think she is?!"

"I doubt that is the case" Iota replied, "At this point the spell is likely at least partially binding; I doubt destroying the monster at this late stage would irreversibly break the spell and return you to your original forms. But then, I don't think that's her intent at all".

Courage glared at the screen, "Then what is it?"

Iota shrugged as Spirit was repeatedly hammered with the monster's weapon, "Easy. She's gone to help her friends. Though, considering how little fight she's putting up, I am guessing that's not the only reason".

Isdilian's eyes widened in realization, "...She's choosing to go out fighting".

"Suicide?" Courage sneered, "How pathetic".

"It is interesting how people react when faced with losing everything, isn't it?" Iota said to Isdilian, even as he turned to Mind.

"...What?" Mind scoffed, folding her arms, "Is this somehow my fault?"

"Is it?" Iota asked innocently.

Mind's face hardened, "No! No it's not. It's not my fault every time she does something stupid, and I'm tired of taking the blame! It's bullshit!" She couldn't help but steal another glance at the screen though, inwardly wincing at each hit. Wishing on some subconscious level that she'd fight back.

Iota leaned forward as he watched Xolin of Spirit tumble to the ground on the screen, "Isn't it? They were your choices too, after all. You went along with them".

"I had no choice!" Mind exclaimed, her fists tightening as she took a step forward, "She drug us along! She forced us to-"

Iota put his hand up, silencing her, then spoke, "Except that until a few hours ago, you were one person, one being. You were Xolin. And while you all inherited certain aspects of her character and personality, at the end of the day they were your choices as much as hers".

"What...what are you trying to say?!" Courage exclaimed angrily, clearly looking for a fight now. But Mind stepped back in mute horror, understanding Iota's words completely.

"I'm saying that perhaps you are all just scapegoats for each other" Iota continued, "It's not her you hate. It's yourselves".

"Bullshit!" Courage roared, "I'm awesome, why would I ever hate myself?!"

"You tell me" Iota said, as calm as ever as he leaned back, hands folded in his lap.

Courage wheeled on Mind, noticing she hadn't been on the attack as of late, and in need of an ally even if it was her. But she saw Mind watching the 'battle' on the screen intently, her face blank, her hands hanging loosely at her sides. "Are you gonna take this bullcrap?"

Mind blinked as Spirit's helmet was smashed into the wall.

"Uh, hello?!" Courage demanded.

"...How did it all come to this?" Mind asked quietly. Everything was wrong. Courage was screaming in self denial. Spirit was committing suicide. And she herself was...she felt nothing but pain and regret as her defenses crumbled around her. She almost wanted to go out and somehow save Spirit. Somehow fix this. But...was there anything worth fixing? Mind glanced around at the room, her eyes finally meeting Courage's. There was no anger; no bluster. No denial or self-assurance. There was only bewilderment. A loss as to everything. "...Everything is broken".

"You're all pathetic" Courage spat out with the most bitterness she could muster, "You're all sad pathetic shadows, and neither of you are worth it".

"...So are you" Mind replied quietly, looking down as she heard another grunt of pain from spirit.

Courage roared, charging Mind as all remaining semblance of sanity left her. Mind, still the clever one of the three, simply stepped out of the way, allowing Courage to crash into the bed behind her.

Mind had come to a realization, "...I'm going". She turned to leave.

"Where?" Iota asked, again innocently.

Mind stopped at the door for but a moment, "Where do you think?" she glanced at Courage, in the process of standing back up, "You coming?"

"Not a chance" the last aspect said, with the most hateful expression on her face, "I don't need you. I don't need *any* of you".

Mind nodded, "...Have fun being alone" she said, and then left. Courage just watched her walk out.

"...Denial is a terrible thing, I think" Iota said, from behind Courage. The aspect turned to him, prepared to respond. But...there were no words. No words at all.

* * *

_Xolin lay bleeding on the floor. A rib was probably broken. Her foot was twisted. She was sure her arm was dislocated. It didn't matter; she'd lost the fight. The varox had kept her alive only out of a sense of pity. As she limped out of the lockers, never to return, she slumped down against the wall, unable to keep going._

_Why should she?_

_Her breath shuddered with realization; she was at the end. Everything she'd tried was useless. In her self pity, she almost hadn't noticed a figure walk up to her. Sparing him a glance upward, she noticed he was very different from the usual. She'd assumed it was another deadbeat drifter like her, like any of the other degenerate scum on this station. But no, this man was very out of place._

_...She assumed it was a man, anyway. He was armored, head to toe in sleek white armor with a black underline._

"_Who...who are you?" she managed to croak out._

_The figure gently dropped into a crouch, "I saw your match earlier, thought I'd offer my condolences"._

_Xolin snorted, "Yeah, right. I don't need your pity"._

"_Not pity at all" the figure said, "Actually, I much liked your style. Wish it had been more effective. You were a little too unfocused; distracted"._

"_Did you just come here to criticize my failure?" Xolin asked bitterly. She'd already had enough of this guy._

_The figure chuckled, "Actually, I've been looking for someone like you. I'd like to hire you for a job"._

_...A job? Why didn't she like the sound of this? "...This isn't a drug run, is it?" she asked warily, "Because I don't do that kind of shit. Or anything skeevy"._

_Another small chuckle, "Not at all. How would you like to save people?"_

"_...Come again?" Xolin asked, her interest peaked._

_The figure pulled a small handheld device out of his belt. Xolin recognized it as...no way. It couldn't be. "...My name is Iota, and I've been looking to assemble a team of sorts. You have exactly what I need. Are you interested?"_

"_Is that what I think it is?" Xolin asked with curiosity and suspicion._

_Iota nodded, "How would you like to be a power ranger?"_

* * *

Spirit lay on the ground, beaten and defeated. The monster approached her.

"...Just do it" she whispered in resignation.

The monster cackled as he lifted his staff over her head, "Gladly".

The finishing move never came. Instead, the monster's face met with a boot. He staggered back, surprised at the new arrival who now protected the blue ranger: a second blue ranger.

"...Wait" the monster said, connecting the dots, "...You didn't break my spell after all!" he laughed, "Well played".

"Get up" Mind said, speaking to Spirit on the ground behind her.

"...No" Spirit whispered back, "Just...let it go".

"If you die, I won't *ever* forgive you" Mind glared at her.

"What do you care?"

"...Watch me" Mind replied, just before dodging a purple blast of energy from the monster, and then a second one. The new blue ranger expertly danced around the magnet, easily avoiding his attacks; where spirit had been unfocused but with heart and passion, Mind was just pure unrelenting skill. She knew of course, she didn't have a chance in a straight up brawl; so all she could do right now was dodge and keep the enemy on his toes. Her lance formed in her hand as she swung in, her weapon clashing with the monster's before she used them to leap over and land a second kick, before flipping back and landing a foot or two away.

But as she knew, there was something to be said for raw power; eventually the monster landed a lucky hit, dead center on her chest, and she was flung back, landing in a heap next to Spirit.

"I tire of these interruptions" the monster growled, "Time to-"

Another kick to the face.

"Wh—you have got to be kidding me!" the monster roared, as now a third blue ranger stood between him and his prey.

"...You came" Mind grunted, as Courage grasped her hand and helped her up.

"Less talking, more fighting" Courage replied bitterly.

"...Why?" Spirit asked, as Mind pulled her up by her arm, "I thought..." she trailed off, not willing to speak the words in case they came true again.

"Because I'm broken" Mind said, then corrected herself, "*We* are broken. And I'm tired of being broken".

A timid smile appeared under Spirit's helmet. "...Thank you" she whispered ernestly.

"...Yeah" Mind said in distaste, looking away.

"A touching reunion" the monster groaned as the three aspects turned their attention to him, "But this has gone on long enough".

Over on the wall, Sid watched the increasingly bizarre scene play out before him. Boy, maybe Iota had been on to something with those therapy sessions, because this was getting weird.

"Hold still" said Isdilian's voice. A second later, there was a flash of light and then Sid was free, once again able to move his limbs. He turned to the silver ranger next to him, holding a large gun-like scanning device.

"Uh..."

Isdilian glanced down at the weapon, "Something Iota cooked up. Think of it as a heavier duty version of the magnetic scanners you were using earlier. Hang on" he aimed the gun upwards, towards where Trok and Sel were hanging on for dear life up above the skyline. A moment later, they were free of each other and falling...falling… With a solid THUD, they landed in the bushes in the corner, their screams cut off by the sudden impact. Isdilian shrugged, "Eh, they'll be fine".

"Uh..." Sid uttered, thinking he should chastise Isdilian for that but...well, he WAS right. Still, jeeze. He shook the thought off, "Can you fix Xolin?"

"That's the next step" the silver ranger replied as he altered the scanning frequency a bit before aiming at the unfolding battle—Xolin's aspects had engaged the monster.

"...Problem?" Sid asked when he saw Isdilian hesitating.

The silver ranger grunted, "They have to be in perfect synch. If not, I could really mess this up".

Sid eyed him, "...You CARE about her!" he said, a wide grin forming.

"What? Don't be stupid" Isdilian grunted.

"It's true! You're starting to LIKE us!"

"I try to avoid unnecessary casualties when I can" Isdilian replied.

"Uh huh, sure".

"And I...she's not the only one who's ever disliked themselves" he finally admitted, grumbling.

Sid backed off, realizing he'd hit a nerve. An actual nerve; a real human quality, not that hard asshole persona he'd been dealing with for months now. Sid considered that a victory in itself. He turned his attention back to the fight. The three Xolins moved like dervishes, spinning in a well-practiced dance as they kept the monster off-balance.

"I don't think it gets any more in synch than that" Sid commented.

Isdilian said nothing, but his actions agreed as he aimed the scanner and fired. There was a flash of light, brighter than all the others that filled the entire courtyard, momentarily blinding everyone. When the glow finally faded, instead of three blue rangers, there was only one.

She took a deep breath. A deep, steadying breath. The impact of several hours of combined memories, as well as the sheer amounts of emotions and just everything. Feeling her consciousness solidify and her hold on reality resume, as she felt her self flowing back in, the blue ranger turned to the magnet monster. He took a step back, evidently realizing that the tables had just turned.

"I'm going to tell you a story" Xolin said, as her lance appeared in her hand, "Once upon a time, there was a girl who had everything. She had a home, wealth, a family...a future. Anything she wanted, her parents would give her". Xolin launched into a run. The monster retaliated by aiming and firing his staff; a last ditch attempt at hitting her with another spell. He missed—she was FAST.

"But she wanted more. She wanted to be free. Because her parents were controlling. Her House was controlling". SLASH; her lance cut into the monster, "They wanted her to be a good girl! To get married, and work for the House! She couldn't live the way she wanted!" SLASH, "But she wanted to be free. So she ran!" The monster brought up his staff in defense; her lance cut through it like butter. The smoking ruined halves of his former weapon dropped to the ground as he staggered back from the blow.

"She gave up everything, *everything* because she was convinced she was right and that she could do anything!" CUT, SLASH; the monster just couldn't compete. Xolin threw her weapon aside, instead laying in on the monster with her fists and feet and elbows and knees. Her flurry of strikes was just too much for her foe; each impact was met with smoke and sparks as his armor was dented and bent.

"She got in over her head; nearly died!" Xolin shouted, becoming increasingly frantic and crazed, "But she pushed herself on, because she just *knew* it would turn out okay!" The other rangers didn't intervene, instead letting this whole sad story play out.

"But it didn't turn out okay! She was lost, and broken, and useless, and there was nothing that could fix her!" the frantic nature began to give way to an almost broken sob, "She found some amazing friends, but in the end they didn't need her. It wasn't their fault; she just couldn't keep up!" PUNCH, "Because she was useless, USELESS!" KICK.

Xolin roared, grabbing the monster by the arm and swung the monster around before kicking him into the wall. She gripped her blaster and opened fire. Picking her lance back up, she charged into him, impaling him in the midsection just as he had managed to turn back around. Sparks exploded around them as the monster gasped in pain. Xolin didn't care; she twisted her lance in the wound, "...And then she was alone" she said, more calmly now, as if reaching an ephiphany. Her grasp slackened, "And when she was finally alone, she realized something. She hated herself". Her grasp returned as she pressed harder, "You let me figure that out" then with nothing but pure malice, she added, "Allow me to thank you".

SLASH. With all her might, Xolin cut her lance out of the monster. He howled in pain as the weapon left him. But Xolin wasn't done; her weapon charged up with blue freezing energy as she came back down again and again; the monster trapped by the wall behind him. Finally, she impaled him once more, right next to the armpit, and flung him over her shoulders, allowing him to hit the pavement with his back.

"And that's the end of the story".

She stifled a sob as she used her lance to steady herself.

The other rangers had gathered behind her. Trok was the first to speak, "...Xol".

The blue ranger turned partially toward him, not moving from her spot.

"You...you're not useless" Trok finally managed, his voice soft.

She let out a sad laugh, "I was leader until I wasn't. Then I was second in command until I wasn't. I don't...I don't have the skills in engineering like you do, Trok, or your intellect. I don't have Sid's tactical brilliance or leadership abilities. I don't have Sel's powers or her ability to retain information. You all contribute in such wonderful ways. All I have is damage".

"...Is that really all you think of yourself?" Trok asked quietly. When she didn't respond, he added, "...You know...when we first met, I thought you were just the best thing ever. You were-are strong, tough, invincible. You always knew what to do, and you always guided and protected me. I looked up to you. You were like...I dunno, the big sister I never had".

"You don't need me" she replied, also quiet, still standing in her spot, "You've got Sid, and Sel. They got your back way more than I ever could".

"That's not true".

Xolin finally turned to look at her friend, her shoulders sagging.

Sid spoke up, "You know just how much I rely on your judgment in firefights? You have this...innate grasp of the flow of combat I'll never quite get. Almost instinctual. I might talk a big game, but my plans only ever work because you guys are so good at them. And that's not even getting into how skilled you are in a fight. There's a reason I pair up with you so much. And it's not your sunny disposition".

That managed to get a small chuckle out of Xolin. She sighed, letting a lot of the stress of the battle flow out of her. "I'm sorry".

"...For what?" Sid asked, honestly perplexed.

"For...I don't know. Being such a drama queen, I guess" she said ruefully. Already, this whole thing was starting to look extremely silly and now she felt embarrassed.

"Nothing to be sorry about" Sid replied, tilting his head as if to indicate a smile, "The last few months have been stressful for everyone".

"I don't like me" she admitted at last, "I *really* don't like me" she added with a forced chuckle.

Sid replied, shaking his head, "I think we all have parts of ourselves we don't like. But I can't imagine going up against yourself in person. That's gotta be a level of madness that'll leave anyone a little shaken—whatever it was they said to you. Er" he thought, "Well, what you said to you. So trust me, it's not your fault you're a little messed up right now" Sid thought for a second, "Well, actually, I guess technically it IS your fault, but you get what I'm saying, right?"

Xolin nodded, "Yeah, I think so". An awkward silence settled around them, "...So what do I do about it?"

The red ranger shrugged, "Hell if I know. If you find a way to kill inner demons, let me know. I need to clean house sometime". Another little laugh between them.

Sel stepped up towards Xolin. Never the best with words, the yellow ranger stood awkwardly in front of the blue ranger, as if unsure what to do. Finally, she shrugged slightly, and gave a very surprised Xolin a hug—though she gladly returned the favor. Sometimes words didn't need to be exchanged.

"Well, that's just friggin' adorable" Sid said, shaking his head.

"You're our friend, Xol" Trok said as the two girls disengaged, "That's all you need to be. You don't..." he paused, trying to determine what he wanted to say, "You don't need to try to fit into a role, or compare yourself to anyone else" he rubbed his arm self-consciously, "We like you for you. Even if you don't".

Sel eyed Sid, "...'Believe that I believe in you?'" she asked him knowingly.

The red ranger laughed, "Hah, yeah. Something like that, huh?"

Another silence settled, this one more comfortable. Then they all heard a groan—the magnet monster was finally getting to his feet.

"...How about we finish off the monster before you all have your group therapy session?" Isdilian chastised them.

Sid sighed at the sight of the monster. True; they'd sort of forgotten, "Yeah, okay. Defender Cannon!"

"Sentinel Cannon!" Isdilian commanded. His sword and shield appeared and transformed into cannon mode. Likewise, the other rangers' weapons combined into a singular cannon of death. Each ranger gripped the weapon.

Sid, from behind, led the attack, "Rangers! Ready and:"

"FIRE!" all five shouted in unison, as their twin cannons charged and fired. Twin beams of light shot at the monster.

He never stood a chance.

The magnet monster's burning husk flew through the air, crashing into the wall of the far building and landing in the grass in a heap. Even then though, he flailed a bit.

"Still not dead" Sid commented, "Huh,he's a tough one".

"Y-you rangers...die now..." the monster struggled to say, pulling a small vial out from...well, somewhere. Gripping it in his hand, he downed the green liquid in side as fast as his broken body would allow him. Immediately, changes began to be seen—the monster's body began to rejuvenate, repairing all damage to him.

Also, he was now forty stories tall and towering over the rangers. Y'know, as usual.

Sid groaned, "Gonna need the giant robots, I guess".

"I will crush all the puny rangers!" the monster roared, ripping through one of the skyscrapers with his now-massive claws. His rampage was short lived however; as almost immediately another giant figure made itself known.

"Defender Megazord!" the rangers proudly proclaimed. The metallic titan's fists raised up, issuing a battle pose before marching towards its foe. The two giants traded blows, blocking and punching in a slow dance of stamina and force. Charging his fist up with electricity, the monster knocked the megazord back.

"Boy do I have some more surprises for you!" the monster said, summoning a new staff out of thin air. Pointing it at a nearby building, electrical currents danced across it, before it simply broke free of its moorings and slid into the megazord. Then it just kept pushing, and the megazord slammed right into the side of another building.

"My favorite snack, a megazord sandwich!" the monster crowed.

The megazord cockpit shuttered. Sid gripped the armrests in his chair in an effort to keep himself in his seat, "I wish he would shut up" he groaned, even as the megazord struggled to free itself from between the two buildings.

Salvation came from a second metallic giant; white and black in contrast to the Defender Megazord's black and gold. The Sentinel Megazord struck hard, hitting the monster from the side with its giant fists, before unloading a volley from its shoulder cannons. The monster bumped into another building.

"TWO megazords?!" the monster sneered as the twin machines moved against him, ready for round two, "Unacceptable! Time for a combination!"

"...Wait, what" Trok managed to blurt out, before the two megazords suddenly found themselves colliding into each other.

The monster laughed as the two zords struggled against each other, "I call it 'Flailing Limb Megazord'!"

Xolin gritted her teeth, "I've had QUITE enough of this guy".

Behind her, Trok nodded to Sel, "Yeah, I think we've been tossed around enough for one day".

"Then let's end this" Sid said as his hands flew over the controls, "Isdilian, prepare for depolarization!"

"Roger!" the silver ranger called from his own cockpit. With another flash of light, the two zords separated, breaking the magnetizing spell once again.

Sid taunted the monster as the two machines once again put up battle poses, the Defender Megazord now wielding its sword and shield, "Is that all you got? Your magnet trick is old hat!"

The monster stepped back nervously, gripping his staff tightly. It didn't help him—the silver ranger let loose another volley as the Defender Megazord charged in, swinging its sword down and once again snapping the monster's staff in two.

"Isdilian!" Sid commanded.

The silver ranger was right on cue; "Sentinel Megazord, Cosmic Blitz!"

Every gun on his zord primed, glowing bright as they prepared to fire. A chaotic storm erupted, beams and bullets of light and sound and fury bursting forth—all directed at the magnet monster, who could do nothing more than cower as the irresistible force met what turned out to be a very moveable object.

"Defender Megazord, FINAL STRIKE!" the other rangers cried, launching their own megazord into the air. It flipped around until its head and sword were aimed directly at the smoking beast below. It then began to spin on its axis exceedingly rapidly as white energy swirled around it, becoming a micro tornado funnel of death as it came down, cutting right through the monster's chest and out the other side. The Defender Megazord landed several steps away in a crouch, directly in front of the monster, and behind him, the Sentinel Megazord. Three seconds later, the crackling husk of the monster toppled over a final time, and erupted into a massive explosion.

* * *

"_...A new arrival?"_

_Iota nodded as he and Xolin walked down the main corridor of the Megaship. Hard to imagine she'd been here a few weeks already; time had really flown for the triforian. It felt to her almost like she hadn't left Trading Outpost 37-X. Thank the gods she had though. Most of that time had been spent acclimatizing. Iota wasn't the most social person, but she was quite alright with that. Rather, he gave her what she needed; purpose, focus. She spent most of her time training or meditating now, or some combination of the two. Without all the chaos of the station she'd left behind, it felt almost like a vacation. She'd forgotten what 'quiet' was._

_And of course there had been the handful of missions. Her first one had been simple; defeat some tenga group that had been terrorizing a small family-owned asteroid mining station in the Aetherian Belt. Her second had been harder; a D-class tree monster that had been putting everyone in town to sleep. It felt good, you know? To be the hero that is, even if she didn't get to reap the rewards. Part of the deal with her station was that she had to keep to the shadows. The Confederacy wasn't ready for an openly-operating ranger team anymore. Not yet. Maybe someday._

_...Well, 'team', since it only consisted of her right now. Which brought her back to the topic of the 'new arrival'._

"_Who is she?" Xolin asked._

_They made it to the doors leading to the loading bay. "He, actually" Iota said, pressing the button that opened the doors. Directly inside stood a young-looking horathean; very unsure of himself and a little timid and unsure of the situation. "Allow me to introduce you to Trok, the green ranger and your new teammate"._

_Xolin's eyebrow arched as she put her hand on her hip, "...Can he fight?" she asked skeptically._

_Iota bridged the distance between them, beckoning Trok to come closer, "A little, yes"._

_Xolin folded her arms, "...A 'little'? What, you can't get me anyone competent?"_

"_...This was a bad idea" the horathean muttered, preparing to turn away. Iota stopped him with a hand on his shoulder, then motioned to Xolin, "Not at all. Actually Xolin, I expect you to train him. He shows great promise"._

"_...Train him?" she asked, her skepticism lightning slightly._

_Iota nodded, "He has great potential, and I trust you enough to be up to the task. You *are* up to the task, yes?"_

"_Psh, of course I am" Xolin said with confidence. She grabbed the newcomer's hand, "'Trok' was it? Come on"._

"_...Where are we going?" the horathean asked with a twinge of worry, even as he made a token effort to escape the triforian's grip._

"_To the simudeck. I'm going to make a ranger out of you"._

_She didn't see the small smile of almost-joy creeping across Trok's face as they exited the loading bay—she was too busy fighting to keep hers down._

* * *

The blue ranger sans helmet opened the doors to the simudeck, a bit surprised to find it already in use. It was some sort of forest setting; except that much of the forest was suspended on floating rocks of varying heights and sizes all around her. In the center of the clearing she found herself in, two other people—the green and yellow rangers were sparring. They paused in mid-fight when they realized the new arrival's appearance.

"Oh, Xolin!" Trok said, catching his breath from the fight, "Hey!"

"Sorry, I didn't realize you guys were busy" the blue ranger replied, turning to leave, "I'll come back later".

"...Actually" Sel spoke up as she and Trok exchanged glances. Xolin stopped, "We uh...were hoping you could help us".

The blue ranger turned back to them, "Come again?"

Trok explained, "Sel and I are learning a lot from each other, but I only know so much. We were kind of hoping you could lend your expertise".

Xolin eyed the two of them for a moment, as if trying to determine something, "...Wait, are you serious?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Trok asked.

"...You're throwing me a bone, aren't you?" Uh oh; the 'arms folded' look.

The green ranger shrugged as if caught and embarrassed about it, "...Maybe a little. Are you mad?"

"...Nah" Xolin replied a smile.

Trok returned the smile. Though she couldn't see it with his helmet on, Xolin could hear it in his jovial voice, "Good, because we really *could* use your help".

Xolin nodded, her helmet forming around her head as she walked in, "Alright. Two on one. Let's see what you kids got".

So, okay. Maybe at the end of the day, she wasn't the biggest fan of herself. But she had people around her who seemed to disagree with that notion, and thought the world of her for some gods- only-know reason. But then, she thought the world of them too.

...Again, for some gods-only-know reason. But maybe...maybe for now at least, that was enough.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	17. 2x04: Father like Son

The list was long and grim. Three hundred thousand for the battle of New Aquarius. Over a million in the Centaurus campaign so far. And the ongoing siege of Saquar five days in was sitting at a plump six million and rising. And that was only military casualties; civilian deaths were likely far higher. The accompanying holo map only pushed the issue as troop movements and counter-movements were displayed in chronological fashion, over and over, with each battle and engagement being marked as they occurred. The ongoing war formed a definite line between Confederate and Alliance space...though it was quite clear the line was focused on the Confederate side. While a small handful of minor engagements had been carried out across the border into SPD space, the Confederacy was almost entirely committed to defense now...and the defensive line had moved back some.

They weren't quite losing yet, but it was clear that they sure as hell weren't winning.

Iota let the data sink into the ranger's psyches before beginning, "I believe the stats here speak for themselves. Long term, command does not believe we can win this war. While we believe we can hold out for now, the simple fact is, is that the Alliance is better equipped and mobilized than we are, in addition to having more manpower and military infrastructure. Add to this rampant use of Troobian hardware which seems to confirm an under the table agreement between them and the Troobian Remnant, not to mention whispers of them reaching out to other powers such as the Pirate Consortium and even the Vile Imperium, it is clear that our strategy has to change".

The five rangers sat seated around the briefing room table as Iota circled around them, keeping his visor on the hologram floating above the center of the table.

"Why don't I like where this is going?" Sid asked.

Iota nodded, a bit glumly if that was possible with a full body suit. The map zoomed out from the front lines, showing the entirety of 'local' space—the Confederacy and the Alliance made up a large bulk of it, but numerous other powers could be seen as well: the Troobians, the Imperium, the Consortium, the isolated realm of Eltar and her colonies, and interspersed throughout all of this were minor powers, just dots on the map. To the far 'north' was another large power—the Intergalactic League of Worlds. And to the far 'left', beyond everyone else, lay the Neo-Machine Empire; an always-present entity regardless of the era.

Iota continued, "If the Alliance can make allies, then so can we. Envoys are being dispatched to numerous other powers, with the intent of, if not encouraging them to help us, then at least agreeing to keep out of it and deny the Alliance yet another friend".

"So what's our job then?" asked Xolin.

Iota replied, "Our job is to escort a diplomatic delegation to Artan III, on the border of Confederate and Machine space".

At that, every single ranger shifted up in their seat, suddenly very uncomfortable at the implications. Xolin spoke first, "...You're not serious".

"...We're going to make nice with the robots?" Sid said, echoing her sentiments.

"Indeed" said Iota.

The rangers glanced at each other. Trok spoke, "Um...I know I'm not the best at politics but like, aren't they supposed to be the bad guys? Or something?"

Sid nodded, "Their previous incarnation was. But I don't think anyone's heard a peep out of the new dynasty in almost two centuries since they founded".

"Rarely, anyway" Iota replied, "Most of our dealings with them have been minor trade deals. But they've accepted our diplomatic request, surprisingly enough, and have agreed to meet us at the border".

"Are we allying with them?" Trok asked.

Iota replied, even as the map zoomed in on the border between Machine space and the Confederacy, "No, an alliance is a tall order, especially for such an unknown power. At this point, we are simply attempting to establish further diplomatic ties, and pushing for a non-aggression pact".

Sid nodded, "Makes sense".

Seeing as how everyone seemed to be on the same page now, Iota moved to the next order of business. He moved between Sel and Isdilian's seats, pressing a few buttons on the table's console as he brought up a number of public bios, "You have each been provided with personnel files of the diplomats to help your mission. I recommend reading them so that you can better serve and protect them during their stay onboard this ship. I don't expect anything serious, but it's always good to be prepared".

Sid thumbed through the holoscreens, seeing a bunch of names he didn't recognize—well of course he wouldn't, Sid didn't really know any diplomats. Still; it meant reading about a bunch of people that all seemed pretty interchangeable to him. Bleh. He hated escort missions.

...Wait. One name caught his eye. His eyes widened, his mouth dropped.

"...What's wrong?" Trok asked, as he and the others suddenly took notice of Sid's expression of surprise and sudden swelling dread.

"Admiral Alexander Drake" he read off from the file, monotone as he tried to process the words. They didn't seem quite real.

"...Yeah?" Xolin asked, "So? You know him or something?"

Sid sighed, "You...may recall that my last name is 'Drake'".

Iota took quiet amusement in everyone's expressions as they connected the dots almost in unison.

"...Wait" Trok said, realization dawning, "Are you telling me that..."

"...The admiral's your dad?" Xolin finished.

Sid glared at Iota, "You knew this, didn't you?"

Iota nodded, "I don't choose who goes on diplomatic missions, Sid, if that's what your implying. But yes, I knew he is your father".

"Was. Was my father" Sid corrected him, the stern glare never leaving his face.

"Indeed" Iota said thoughtfully, "...Will there be any trouble here?"

The two locked views for a few more seconds of maddning silence. Sid finally relented with gritted teeth, "...No. There won't".

Xolin sighed, slumping back into her seat as she mentally prepared herself for the trials ahead, "Well I can already tell this is going to be fun".

* * *

**Power Rangers Peacekeepers**

**Season 2**

**2.04: Father Like Son**

* * *

The blue ranger spun on her axis, twirling her lance about as she both evaded the thrust of the quantron's blade and retaliated with her own strike. It fell to the ground lifeless, as she looked up and saw three more charging in towards her. Holding her weapon to the side, she drew her sidearm blaster with her other hand, aiming it at the closest one and firing. It went down instantly, soon followed by the second one. She aimed at the third, just as she had done a thousand times before.

A thousand times.

Thousand.

The quantron came closer. She hadn't fired. It was almost on top of her.

"Computer" she said, "Pause".

Her opponent froze in mid-swing, just inches from her face. She eyed her blaster, then her lance and the frozen foot soldier in front of her. Exhaling a breath, she privately wondered what was wrong with her. She'd done that maneuver a thousand times, probably more. Why hadn't she taken the shot?

She'd felt nothing. Sure, it was just a simudeck exercise but…

You know what it's like, when you do something repeatedly every day for months or even years—like a task at work or something, and you come to tire of it? It becomes a tedious task that doesn't even feel real when you do it, it's so automatic but so annoying? Or maybe like when you eat something you like, like cake, but at some point you eat one bite too many.

Whatever it felt like for Xolin, and she wasn't completely sure herself, just that she felt tired and sick of this whole program, the next words still came as a surprise for her even as she spoke them, "...Computer, end program".

The walls of the warehouse vanished around her, replaced by the plane room that was the simudeck. She'd considered switching scenarios, but nothing came to mind that she wanted to play. All of it sounded so boring and she couldn't keep her attention on it for some reason she couldn't explain.

Her mind felt itchy. Restless.

...Was she bored?

The blue ranger demorphed in a flash of light. But if she wasn't going to train, what else was she going to do until they picked up the delegation? Xolin was completely at a loss of what to do; she was bored, and there was nothing for her to do.

Just a last few wires and...voila!

"Hah!" Trok shouted with triumph as his device lifted itself off the ground, hovering but three or so inches off the cold floor he currently found himself sitting cross-legged on. He'd found himself a nice little cubby hole to operate from in the launchbay; between Sid's skycycle and Isdilian's armored transport vehicle—which was far as Isdilian was concerned as fine as long as he kept away from HIM while he worked on his other equipment on the other end of the launchbay. The small device that was Trok's creation hovered in front of the horathean; it was a small, disk-like device with a purple glowing ring along the ring, indicating that the anti-gravity system was working.

"Behold, my newest invention!" Trok boasted with all the ham he could muster, "The hover drone!"

"...Don't those already exist?" asked Sel with mild curiosity. She currently sat curled with her knees up on the back end of her skycycle just a few feet away, a datapad in her hands with multiple holoscreens propped up around her.

"...So?"

She looked through the holoscreens, towards him, "Well, doesn't that sort of contradict what the word 'invention' means? 'The first of its kind'?"

"Well, it's the first of its kind that *I've* made" Trok countered, still incredibly proud of himself...just before the device in front of him sparked and sputtered, before finally dying and dropping to the floor. Trok's face fell as he grabbed the device and began looking it over, "...Aw, did I overload the power modules?"

Sel pondered his own definition of 'invent', "...I'm not sure that's how inventing works" she muttered, but the conversation was already winding down as he attention was being brought back to her research, while Trok scurried to salvage his 'invention'.

The sound of the doors sliding open alerted the three occupants to the new arrival; a very hesitant and uncertain Xolin.

"...What's up?" Trok asked, not having expected to see her here.

The triforian seemed a little awkward, unsure of what to do as she stepped inside, "Hey" she replied absentmindedly. Honestly, she wasn't sure *why* she had come down here. It's not like there was anything she needed to do here, but she just couldn't stay in the simudeck anymore. And her room didn't seem like a good place to be either. She'd tried the workbay, but it was empty and boring. "What's up?"

"...That was my question" Trok replied, with a hint of confusion.

Xolin shrugged, leaning against her own skycycle, "I dunno, nothing I guess. What's going on here?"

Sel looked at her with a deadpan expression, "'Inventing'" she said, with air quotes.

Sel being deadpan. That was kinda new. Not like, SUPER new, but new (and rare) enough that it was still a little weird whenever the xybrian started snarking full-bore. "...I'm sorry?" Xolin asked, confused.

Trok scoffed as he fiddled with his device, in the process of replacing a power module with one he had in the pile of material next to him, "Don't listen to her; she's just jealous that I just invented hover drones".

Xolin's eyes narrowed with an odd look, "...Don't those already exist?"

"Thank you" Sel muttered quietly, not even looking up from her holoscreens.

Trok eyed Xolin with a wry look, "...Is there a reason you came down here?"

She returned the expression with one of mock annoyance as she crossed her arms, "Is there a problem with me being here?"

"Not at all" Trok replied, "It's just...I thought you'd be busy training. Or meditating. Or...something. You've been really kind of off on your own recently".

"Mmm" Xolin mused. She HAD sort of been aloof the last few days, moreso than usual. She'd wanted to be alone since...well, since That Day. "I wasn't really feeling it. So I just came down here to see what was going on".

Trok shrugged, "Oh, well...not much. I mean, I'm just working on this hoverdrone, Sel's busy reading up on stuff, and Isdilian over there" he motioned towards the karovian at one of the work tables currently strapping his cannon up to the computer network for some routine diagnostics, "Is...well, doing whatever it is Isdilian does".

"Oh..." Xolin said, with a twinge of disappointment, though she wasn't sure what she'd expected.

Trok noticed that she sure was fidgety, "...Are you bored?" he asked in surprise. As long as he'd known her, she'd never been bored, or preoccupied. If anything, when they'd first met it'd been the other way around—there wasn't much on the ship for Trok to do, and Xolin's answer whenever he'd whine and want to do something with her was 'more training', which only ever made Trok whine more. He mused; that seemed like such a long time ago now.

"What? No" She said instinctively, then admitted, "...Yes" she sighed, fidgeting, "...Maybe?"

The horathean eyed her curiously, putting his device down. There was something deeper going on here, so he took a wild stab, "...Is this about what happened last week?" he asked, a bit more serious now.

Inwardly, she winced at the sudden remembrance of the fight with the magnet monster, and all the heartache related to that. She let the tension escape from her body as she leaned back against her bike, "...Maybe? I don't know". Xolin looked absently towards the door, her vision unfocused, "...Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, go for it" Trok said, returning to fiddling with the hoverdrone.

Xolin looked back at him, a melancholy feeling manifesting in her gut. For all his blundering and awkwardness, Trok had been steadily developing himself since they'd met, and had even begun doing the same for Sel. Everyone was changing, evolving, and she was stuck in a rut, "...What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"...I'm sorry?" Trok asked, pausing in his work as he tried to process the words.

"I mean after this ranger thing. After the war".

"...I was a ranger before the war. Why would the end change it? If anything, we can go back to doing what we do best; saving people".

Xolin tilted her head, her eyes bunching together as she thought about this, "...So you're saying you're just going to be a ranger forever?"

Trok shrugged, putting the new power module in and reattaching the last wires, "Why not? I have everything I want. I get to see the universe, I get to be the hero and go on adventures, and...I have you guys".

Xolin chuckled softly at that, until Trok added, "Why? What do you want?"

Her smile quickly faded into a morose thought as she came up blank, "...I...don't know" she gripped the side of her bike tighter, "I thought I was okay with just this, but the more I do it, the more I feel...trapped".

Trok met her gaze, a knowing expression forming on his face. "You know..." he resumed his work once more, putting the last wire back before closing the case, "I never wanted to be Khan of my clan. I never even wanted to be part of any sort of administrative stuff. It was awful and terrible and I miss them, but...when my parents...passed away" he seemed to intentionally avoid mentioning his brother's role in the events, "And I was told to run, it was almost a relief. All that pressure, all that attention was just...gone. I could be me".

"You felt trapped" Xolin said, understanding where he was getting at.

Trok nodded. He activated his device, and it rose from his hands, hovering at eye level from where he sat, a small smile of satisfaction on his face, "...I think you need a hobby".

"Didn't you already try that line with her?" Xolin motioned to Sel.

Trok stuck his tongue out at the triforian, "It helped, didn't it?" his voice returned to its serious, thoughtful tone, "You're always so high-strung. It's all about the mission, or your religious obligations. You never take time to just...relax".

She eyed him with an unamused expression as she watched him spin the drone around with his finger, "...So what, do you have ideas?"

Trok stopped playing with the drone as he thought, "Well, you're not really good with tools or mechanics, so that's out. I don't think art is your kind of thing either. I'd recommend maybe martial arts, but that's all you DO, so..." he kept rambling absentmindedly, not noticing the increasing glare Xolin was giving him as he was sticking his foot further and further into his mouth.

"Race car driver".

Both rangers blinked, looking over to Sel who had spoken. She didn't look up even when Xolin returned with a "...Huh?"

Trok waved her off, "She's been obsessed with speeder models all day. That's all she's been researching".

"They're interesting!" Sel replied defensively.

Xolin blinked again, "...Speeders? Weren't you all about planetary classifications?"

"That was two days ago. I've moved on".

"And before that she was all about ninteenth-century edenoite dresses" he paused, considering, "You have the weirdest fleeting obsessions".

"...At least I'm not reinventing the wheel" she threw back quietly, still scrolling through one of the holoscreens. Trok stuck his tongue out at her.

Xolin shook her head, "Nevermind. Maybe I'll go ask Sid".

"Probably a bad day for that" Trok reminded her, "Remember the briefing?"

"Oh...right" Xolin grimaced. Sid had just kinda stormed out after...well. She knew the gist of the story at this point, and frankly she couldn't blame him if having his father come aboard was just a twinge awkward. Not that she could make any comments about other peoples' relations with their parents.

Sel spoke up, "...I don't think Sid is the best person to ask about this anyway".

"Why not?" Trok asked, curious that she'd say something like that. Sid usually seemed to have an answer for just about anything. Not always the absolute BEST answer, but he'd give it a solid try.

She stopped her scrolling, "...Have you ever been inside his room?" she asked, seriously.

"Yeah, why?" Trok asked.

Sel explained, "When I go in your room, or Xolin's room, I feel you, your presence. Your rooms are full of who you are; for you it's full of stuff you brought from home, and your games, and your gadgets. For Xolin it's her religious stuff, or her fighting tools, or her books".

Both rangers' eyes widened as realization dawned. They knew what she was getting at, "...But Sid's room is empty" Trok muttered, "...Why is that?"

Xolin already had a sinking suspicion, and she wasn't much a fan of it because it hit a bit close to home, "...Because Sid only exists for the mission".

* * *

All five rangers had turned out for the arrival of the Confederate delegation, each morphed sans helmet. They stood at the docking port; on a larger ship the ambassadors would have docked their shuttle within the loading bay, but for a tiny pint-sized transport like a Megaship-type vessel, that wasn't practical. So instead the shuttle they'd been traveling on found itself attached to the side of the Megaship.

The doors slide open, and the first two in were the guards; not rangers of course, but ordinary soldiers, in full body armor and guns at their sides as they took flanking sides of the door.

"...Overkill much?" Trok asked quietly. He got nudged by Xolin in response.

The next one out was a robed edenoite, easily identifiable by the jewel on her forehead. She gave Iota a brief nod, as he gave one in return. "Commander Iota".

"Ambassador Reya" Iota replied, "Welcome to the Defender Megaship".

"Thank you for allowing us passage" was her very diplomatic response as more ambassadors filed in. An elder aquitian stepped onboard, "I believe you already know Operative Coros".

The rangers' eyes bugged out as they recognized both that name and that face. "...Holy shit, Coros?" Sid said, momentarily surprised enough to forget his surly attitude.

"The old guy from Arkilla?!" Trok gasped.

"Hello again, rangers" the elder aquitian said, smiling. He turned to Sid, "I see you haven't quit yet".

"No thanks to you" Sid replied, though not with nearly as much venom as could have been expected.

Coros gave a brief chuckle as his attention was drawn to the yellow ranger, who had been staring a bit dumbfoundedly, "Hello, Sel".

"Hello" she offered back, slipping back into old habits just a little bit.

He nodded, "You seem to be doing much better now".

A warm smile crossed her face as she stole a glance at the other rangers, "...Yes, I am. Thank you".

"Excellent" he responded with a firm smile, "Good to hear".

"Since when are you an ambassador?" Xolin asked pointedly. In their brief interaction, she'd assumed he was one of the higher ranking members of the Peacekeepers—which at the time had been an only semi-legal organization.

Another chuckle. Coros clasped his hands behind his back, "I am not. However, I go where the organization, and indeed, where the Confederacy needs me to be". A cryptic statement, but considering how they'd met, Sid was in no way surprised.

While they had been talking, the remainder of the delegation had been coming aboard. There were two more ambassadors; a male human—easily identifiable as karovian by his dress outfit—and a female hailing from the terran colonies—Mirinoi itself, maybe? It was always quite striking to see the differences between karovian and terran human styles; the terrans were always utilitarian and direct—a holdover from old Earth. Grey, blocky ships, streamlined uniforms and suits, etc etc. The karovians, in contrast, were always a bit more...colorful. Geometric designs folded into each other on the karovian ambassador's robes, with a colorful mix of red and gold that harkened back to a distant continuous past, long before they lived on KO-35 and the surrounding colonies.

The last person to step off the shuttle was one familiar to Sid. It's like when you would see something every day for years, but then suddenly didn't for just as long, so when you finally saw it again, it was weird, you know? Like, it's familiar, but not.

That was how Sid felt when his father, Admiral Drake of Mirinoi and her colonies, stepped onboard the Megaship.

Well, that and burning hatred. Both at himself and his target. But, y'know.

The admiral stepped up toward Iota, offering pleasantries as the others had done, then caught sight of Sid. The two locked eyes for a lingering few seconds, before Sid suddenly found the wall very interesting, and his father turned and headed towards the other ambassadors.

"Isdilian, Trok, will you please escort the delegates to their quarters? I believe they would prefer to settle in and freshen up before we head towards Machine space". The green and silver rangers nodded, breaking rank and heading over to the new group of people. Iota called to the ambassadors before they left, "Our ETA to the designated meeting site is approximately seven hours time. The ship is free for your use; simply call one of our team, and we will be happy to direct you to where you wish to go".

"Thank you" Ambassador Reya stated, nodding again before turning to leave as the others did likewise, the two soldiers bringing up the rear.

Trok slipped into some weird tour guide routine, "If you will follow us, we will direct you to your quarters. Please, no flash photography or video, please watch your step and-"

"Stop" was all Isdilian said, with a hint of exasperation, but it was enough to make Trok be silent and pout a bit.

"...I'll be in my office" Iota sighed tiredly at the exchange as he walked away, shaking his head.

Xolin smirked as the remaining three rangers were left alone, "I wonder if we could get Iota to retire early simply through embarrassing him enough".

"Mmm" was Sid's only response. He was still staring at the wall.

Xolin tilted her head as she touched his shoulder, "...Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Sid broke out of his train of thought, "I...no" he admitted.

"Don't know what to say to him?" Xolin asked gently, trying to help.

Sid turned to her, a bitter expression on his face, "Don't know how to avoid him".

"Why do you hate your father so much?" Sel asked, curious. She'd never really thought about parent figures before; they were just...a background concept. Like pineapples. Or fishing hooks. Something she'd never really witnessed, so it just didn't concern her. But now that she was being confronted with it...she wondered what it was like. An empty feeling had worn over her as she realized it was yet one more way she was different from everyone else. One more lost experience she'd never have.

The closest person she could consider a parental figure was...Coros? He'd housed her after she had been found, but she surmised the feeling there was very different. While it had been nice to see him again, it was a very professional thing. Work related, not love.

"It's complicated" Sid frowned, looking down the hall where the delegation had gone, "...He was my commanding officer. And then we went AWOL, and then...and then my team died. And then..." he trailed off for a moment, closing his eyes as the memories flooded back in, "...Well, I think you can fill in the dots from here".

Fill in the dots indeed; Xolin didn't know exactly what had transpired after, but considering that the admiral had been his commander, well….Xolin was a bit of at a loss. What could she possibly say? She was never one for false platitudes. "...So what are you going to do?"

Sid shrugged as he began to leave, "Good question. I think I'm going to go hide in my room for the next few days. Get some strategy work for Isdilian done".

"Since when do you hide?" Xolin asked, a little incredulous.

"...Since my past won't leave me alone".

Well, Xolin knew how that felt at least, so she couldn't hold it against him. He turned the corner, and the red ranger was gone, leaving just the yellow and blue left.

Sel demorphed, "So..." she asked awkwardly.

"Hm?" Xolin asked her, demorphing in turn.

Sel swung her arms at her sides in some vain attempt to stave off the increasing awkwardness, "...Wanna...do something? Or something?"

"...Like what?" the two looked at each other.

They looked back away at the empty hallway, "...I dunno".

They sighed in unison. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

He ran. His ragged breath and his stumbling footsteps were the only noises as he hurried to escape his pursuers. The world he found himself on was dying; an isolated colony world that had received the full attention of the Vile Imperium's fleets. Bombarded from orbit, the peaceful colonists of the minor Iktan Republic had never stood a chance. Now they were dead, and their world had been glassed, though not before everything of value had been removed. The sky was a dark brownish-red; a sign of the oncoming nuclear winter, combined with the loss of the planet's ozone. Rushing past the scattered ruins of forest, he made his way into the outskirts of the shattered remnants of what had once been a city.

He'd come here fleeing Them. His employers. He had thought that by escaping Confederate and Alliance space, by coming this far out, he'd be okay. That they wouldn't follow him.

He was wrong.

Capricorn turned the corner, down the bombed out alleyway, then another corner and…

Oh god.

Standing in front of him was a familiar figure. A middle-aged mildly-balding caucasian human male, in a suit and tie, and carrying a briefcase.

"Oh god...no..." Capricorn, the once feared pirate warlord begged in terror as he stepped back. Not him. Not now. How had he tracked him down? How? What WAS he?

The man shook his head sadly, tisking, "My, my, Capricorn. How the mighty have fallen".

"Please...no..."

The man approached the stuttering goat monster, walking up to him non-nonchalantly, his free hand in his pocket, "I have to say, my employers are very displeased. And I can't disagree with them, all things considered".

The goat whimpered, "Just once more, I promise I can get you the girl. Please".

The man adjusted his glasses, sighing, "I'm afraid the job is already being handled. Your services simply are no longer required". Reaching for the clasps on his briefcase, "If you get my meaning".

"Please, please no! I can do it! I swear, I can!"

The man stopped, a thoughtful expression on his face, "If it were up to me, I would give you another attempt. But I would be sticking my neck out for you. If you were to fail again, it would be my own career on the line. And I am aiming for a promotion".

Was this guy serious? Some kind of...demon was the closest thing Capricorn could describe him...looking for a promotion like some kind of real mild-mannered business man? Half of him couldn't even comprehend any of this. The other half was too terrified to care.

"But...if I DID get the girl for you..."

"Then you would be helping my cause, yes. And erase my earlier error for having chosen you" the man finished nodding. "...Very well. One more attempt. But make it a good one" he looked at the watch on his wrist, "You have one day. Twenty-four hours".

"But...I don't even know where they are!" Capricorn gasped, both relieved that he'd staved off execution one more time, and simultaneously feeling the sudden terror of the deadline.

The man looked up at the dying sky, "At the moment? I'd wager making a bee-line for Machine space, on a diplomatic mission".

"...How do you *know* that?" Capricorn asked, dumbstruck.

The man shrugged, "I have my sources. But you should be more concerned that your time has already started counting down".

"...How do I get there?" Capricorn asked, "We're at the complete other end of space! It would take way more than a day to-"

The man cut him off with the rising of his palm, then pointed behind the monster, "It would seem you've already arrived".

The goat tilted his head in confusion, even as he turned to where the man was pointing, "What are you even...talking..." he trailed off. Rather than a dying world, Capricorn was standing in the middle of what looked to be a space port. Looking up at the nearest flightboard, he quickly deduced he was on Tarl, a Karovian colony near the border of Machine space. But how? Capricorn turned to where the man had been, but there was no one. Only the crowd.

Capricorn's breath was shaky and dry, even as people around him began to take notice of the monster in their midst, and began to run screaming. But the monster was far, *far* more terrified than any of them could ever be.

FAR more terrified.

* * *

Lunch; the most important meal of the day. Sure, other people would always say it was breakfast, but they were wrong. Sid knew they were wrong, because the most important was obviously lunch. It was right there, in the middle of the day right in the midst of work. It was the booster shot; the second wind that kept you active between breakfast and dinner. Without lunch, all you had were the two meals at opposite ends of the day, and then where would you be?

Hungry, that's where.

Ergo, lunch was the most important meal of the day.

In fact, it was important enough for Sid to risk openly lurking through the halls, as if he didn't even belong here. It made a token attempt to appear casual, but it was quite clear he was anything but; sneaking around corners, making sure the coordinators were empty; a bizarre display and mix of combat training and awkwardness. Peeking around the corner, he sighed with relief; still no one in sight.

"...What are you doing?" Xolin deadpanned from behind him. Sid shrieked in surprise, jumping back into the middle of the intersection.

"Xolin! Oh" he said, trying to calm his racing heart, "You uh...startled me".

"...So I see" she replied, a slight bemusement on her expression.

"So...what are you doing here?"

She switched back to deadpan, "*I* am trying to get lunch. *You* are in my way".

Sid glanced down at the workbay just a few more feet down the hall, "...Oh, right". He cleared his throat, stepping back and ushering her around the corner. She rolled her eyes as he stepped in line behind her.

"...What WERE you doing, for the record?" Xolin asked as they entered the workbay.

"...Hiding" Sid grumbled, his voice barely audible.

She gave him an odd look, "You're really kind of messed up about this, aren't you?"

"Wouldn't you be if *your* dad was here?"

Okay, he had her there, "...Point".

The two of them made their way over to the synthatron, Sid allowing Xolin to have the first go at the machine. "...So, are you just going to hide in your room for the duration of the mission?" she asked.

"As much as I can, I guess. Just gotta keep out of his way".

"And what about the mission itself, when we have to be planetside?" she brought up the holoscreen, quickly waving through the menus to her preselected dishes, then chose one.

Sid shrugged, "Then I guess it won't matter because he'll be busy doing diplomacy...stuff" Sid made a vague handwave.

Xolin eyed him incredulously as her food was prepared, her hand on her hip, "...Diplomacy 'stuff'?"

"I've never claimed to have been a diplomat" Sid replied.

Xolin broke into a smile as her food finished and she opened the synathron, "Diplomacy stuff".

"You get amused by the weirdest things" Sid grumbled as she moved past him towards the table. He surfed through the menus himself, straight to his own preselects. He wasn't really in the mood for anything out of the ordinary.

"I have to, otherwise I'd go mad" she replied, with a hint of seriousness.

Sid pulled his food out of the synthatron, "...Heh, yeah, I guess you w-" Sid froze in his tracks; upon turning around he found himself face-to-face with the exact person he'd been wanting to avoid; Admiral Alexander Drake. Middle aged; bearded, graying hair. He hadn't aged a day since Sid had seen him last. He also seemed to be just as unnerved to see Sid here as Sid was to see him. To the side, the newly arrived Trok and Sel seemed to shift glances between the two men worriedly, as if something terrible was about to happen.

"...Sid" his father attempted, cordially.

"...Dad" Sid returned.

An uneasy silence settled between them. When he couldn't take it any more, Sid stuttered, "I uh...I have to...go..." With that, the leader of the team uncharacteristically lowered his head and beat a hasty retreat out of the room, leaving the solemn figure of his father behind.

Glaring, Xolin punched Trok in the arm—and not playfully.

"Ow!" the horathian exclaimed, rubbing his upper arm. He shot an annoyed look back at Xolin, "Hey, not my fault! I didn't know Sid would be here, I thought he'd still be in his room!"

Xolin sighed, pulling her hand through her hair.

"It was my fault" the admiral said, "I asked your friend here to direct me to the synthatron" he motioned to Trok.

"...Sorry" Xolin mumbled towards Trok, "I didn't mean it. I just...it's one of those days" she grimaced, "...Been having a lot of those as of late".

"So do you two like, hate each other?" Trok asked the admiral. Xolin seemed about ready to punch him again.

The older man gave the horathean a sad smile, "...Sid and I have had our...differences".

"That's putting it mildly" Trok mused. Another punch to the shoulder, "Ow!"

"I *did* mean that one" Xolin muttered, her fist threateningly poised for another blow. Trok put his hands up in a plea.

The admiral managed a chuckle, "I don't think it's my place to dig up dirty laundry. If Sid wishes to tell you, then he will".

"Sid said it was something about what happened after his last team...well...died" Sel said quietly.

The admiral's face bunched into a frown, his hands clasping behind his back, "...Yes. There were many troubles before then but...yes. I'm sorry, if he didn't tell you more, then than I'm not comfortable discussing it".

"Of course" Xolin bowed slightly, then gave Trok another nasty look, "We didn't mean to intrude". She then began to push Trok out of the room. Sel followed, "We'll let you enjoy your meal in peace". Xolin picked her meal back up off the table as they left, giving the admiral one more smile and nod.

The admiral watched them exit with mild bemusement, then went to the task of selecting his meal.

Once they were safely out of earshot, down the hall, Trok mused, "He seemed...nicer than I expected, considering".

"Not all family members are card-carrying villains" Xolin replied, still leading him down the hall, "Life's more complicated than that. Also, you're an idiot and I can't take you anywhere".

"You're taking me somewhere right now, aren't you?" Trok asked glibly.

"Keep pushing" she deadpanned, "And I'll take you right out the airlock".

* * *

Machine space seemed a lot like Confederate space. Honestly, Trok wasn't sure what he was expecting, but it was still a small bit of comfort that even away from home, space still looked the same.

The Megaship was parked over the world of Artan III, which was by all accounts a fairly unpleasant looking chunk of rock. Wispy white clouds hovered over the uninviting brown land just below it; the monotonous color broken up not by oceans, but by glowing red rivers of lava.

"Mmm, fun place they've chosen" Sid muttered as the five rangers plus Iota and the ambassadors stood on the bridge, "Come for the dirt, stay for the active geysers of molten rock". He'd made a conscious effort keep to the opposite side of the bridge as the delegation group.

"It was likely convenient. Machines don't much care for organic aesthetic concerns" Isdilian replied.

"Do you?" Sid asked him.

The karovian looked at Sid, not an inch of humor on his face, "...No".

The two looked back at the screen. "Always the fun one" Sid sighed.

A small holoscreen appeared in front of Iota, currently sitting in the captain's chair. It was an alert; "Ah, we are being hailed" he said, allowing everyone else to know what was happening as he accepted the request. The bridge viewscreen shifted from that of the planet below to that of a robot.

Well, that was a bit underselling it. How about a cowboy robot? Because this guy was decked out in full stereotypical Earth ninteenth century old west cowboy getup, complete with a metallic cowboy hat and armor that looked distinctly like a poncho. How any of that made any lick of sense was beyond Sid. He'd have loved to have known the design lineage behind that one.

"Howdy!" the robot said in a jovial tone, "I reckon you're the boys lookin' to mix words with us machine folk".

"Er, yes" Iota said, seemingly a little taken aback as well by the...informality? "I am Commander Iota of Confederate Peacekeeper team twelve. I have with me the Confederate delegation" he motioned towards the diplomats.

"Ah!" the cowboy nodded approvingly, "Welcome, folks! I'm General Quickspur of the Glorious Machine Empire!"

"I am Ambassador Reya" the edenoite ambassador next to Coros stated, stepping up to the center of the room, "On behalf of the Confederation of Worlds, I thank you for your acceptance of our diplomatic request".

"No thanks necessary, ma'am" Quickspur replied, tipping his cowboy hat slightly, "We's just exchangin' words here. I'm providin' y'all with coordinates, so when y'alls ready, come on down!"

Iota checked his holoscreen, then nodded, "Coordinates received, we'll be down shortly".

Quickspur gave a mock salute before the link terminated, replacing his image once more with the planet below.

"Well" Sid muttered, "That...happened".

* * *

The Megaship made its way through the planet's atmosphere as it prepared for its final approach to the coordinates provided, which looked more and more to be some kind of mining base. The planet's surface was just as uninviting as it had appeared from orbit; brown, broken rock formations littered the uneven ground, occasionally broken up by open rivers of lava cascading down towards the volcanic 'oceans', complete with lavafalls and rapids. The sky was an ugly tan, with white clouds pockmarking the otherwise monotone color. The base they were heading towards was situated strategically at the foot of a mountain, with rocky spires poking out around it. The complex was flanked by a large lava river cascading around the rim of the mountain and down, complete with a large lavafall coming down next to the base. The Megaship parked on the complex's main landing pad, its undercarriage settling in place.

The base itself was jagged and forbidding, very asymmetrical and industrial; utilitarian. It didn't even look like a major base, just an outpost on the edge of space. Certainly, it didn't look like a place for a diplomatic meeting.

"They do know how to pick them" Xolin mused to herself as the rangers stepped off the ship first, before the delegation. They were once again morphed, though sans helmets again—the closest they could get to a dress uniform. Iota led them, nodding towards the three machines approaching them and their guard. The first was the one the rangers recognized; Quickspur. The other two were just as unique though; one was a robotic parody of a man in a high-class terran nineteenth century suit and tophat with a monocle (gear-shaped, of course) and cane. The other was vaguely feminine in shape, a mix of a humanoid phonograph within a Victorian gown.

"...I'm sensing a theme here" Sid said to Xolin.

However, it was the guard that broke that theme, for they were fully battle armed androids, with thick armored plating and a fearsome combat-ready appearance. Sid had always found the archive footage of the old Machine Empire back in the day amusing; what with their main frontline troops acting almost like jungle apes; skulking around and pounding their chests. But these guys...they were much more combat oriented, and solemn—there was no sign of the old wacky Cog behavior..

"Howdy!" Quickspur waved, "Allow me to introduce my partners in crime, Generals Phonobot" he motioned towards the Victorian robot, "And Ancillary Adjunct Fifty-Six Dash Thirty-Two Gearhead Managerbot Esquire The Third. We usually just call 'him 'Esquire'".

"Charmed, I'm sure" Phonobot said, displaying a little curtsy.

"Hmm" Esquire leaned in at Sel, adjusting his monocle as he studied her. She stepped back a bit, unsettled, "Not much to look at, are they?" he asked in a high-class english accent.

"Now now, let's not scare the poor buggers off before they can even get some words in!" Quickspur said with a hearty chuckle. Then he waved everyone towards the base, "What are we standin' around here for? Let's go settle in that there saloon!".

"...Did cowboys really talk like that?" Trok whispered to Sid, curious.

Sid's expression was one of bemused befuddlement, "...Somehow, I doubt it".

* * *

The machine mining base, as it turned out, was far more than the rangers had assumed. Certainly it WAS a mining base, but…

Well for one, it was much larger under the surface than they had thought. This base was *deep*, and *wide*, and *vast*. In fact, Sid was starting to see why they'd chosen this place. As they were led down the giant elevator platform (one of many, it turned out) that cut right through the middle of the complex, they were greeted with many chambers, one after the other, full of hundreds of thousands of Cogs diligently preforming their tasks; mining, sorting, transporting, etc in synchronized harmony, each guard in turn by hundreds upon hundreds of the same armored soldiers that accompanied the generals. This base had been chosen for a reason; first impressions were everything. If this one minor outpost could house such a workforce, what could the rest of the empire do? Clearly, the Machine Empire's message was clear: tread lightly. Basic diplomacy 101.

Suddenly, Sid hoped fervently that this wasn't some sort of trap and that they'd have to fight their way through eleventy seven floors of crazy.

The bottom of the pit where the elevators stopped was a large network of hallways and corridors, though it wasn't really a problem, as the group suddenly found themselves on a moving walkway. In the Machine Empire, literally everything was automated.

Their final destination was, Sid had to admit, gorgeous in its own alien way. It was an absolutely massive cavern which the base jutted out into just a little ways, so that their meeting space was effectively an interior open balcony. Rivers of lava burst from the rockface, pouring down further into the cavern below, pooling from the falls into a large molten lake below them. It wasn't incredibly hot though; Sid had already noticed the faint flicker of a force field up above. Classy.

"Welcome to our home away from home!" Quickspur said jovially as he spun around to face the others, still walking out towards the lake. It was clear the balcony was not designed for its current purpose; it was industrial in nature, much like the rest of the base, and there were clear signs of equipment and material having been moved out, leaving oddly empty spaces. They had been replaced by some basic tables and chairs; not the most comfortable, but functional. Sid figured the area was usually used as a loading bay of sorts, if the rails leading down from the edge into the pit below were any indication. Likely, this was one of several balconies within the complex, given its size.

"So" Esquire said, leaning on his cane, "Shall we begin?"

* * *

Some days, he loved being bad. Taking a deep breath of air, Capricorn took in the screams of terrified civilians as they ran out of the commercial transport he was in the middle of commandeering. In days past, he would have just stepped onboard while it was docked and taken it right then and there. But that was back when he had a crew; a force to keep opposition at bay. With him alone now, trying to take the ship through blunt force would have been suicide. The spaceport authority would have locked the hanger down in a heartbeat.

So, after the transport had left the station, Capricorn had emerged from his hiding place in the cargo bay, and proceeded to begin terrorizing the occupants. Many made it to the escape pods. Some did not get that far.

The limp body of the pilot dropped to the floor, released from Capricorn's hold as the goat slid into his seat, checking the internal sensors to make sure he was indeed the only one left onboard.

"I assume you have a plan, then?"

Any good feelings the monster had evaporated as he nearly had a heart attack. Standing next to him, from out of nowhere, was the briefcase man.

"...How..." the goat managed to croak out.

"I have my methods" the man said simply, "Do you have yours?"

"...Yes" Capricorn gritted as he adjusted their course.

"I don't have to remind you what will happen if you fail".

"I won't fail".

The man gave him a somewhat bemused expression, but said nothing. Capricorn just kept his eyes on the stars flying by in front of him, imagining what it would be like to squeeze the life out of the rangers who had ruined his life. He would relish the end of each of them, but he would take a special attention to the death of the red ranger; the leader of that damned team, and the one that had personally stopped him from selling that girl off to his employers all those months ago. The man who had broken his swords, his armor, his crew, and his career. He would kill each of them sans the xybrian, certainly, but only after they had suffered enough.

He was acting through fear, sure. But he was also acting through vengeance.

* * *

The initial novelty watching diplomats handle the Machine Empire inside a giant magma cavern had worn off quickly. Being stuck on that balcony for hours on end, listening to the discussion get increasingly nitty-gritty over trade deals no one really cared about while dancing around what they REALLY wanted, Sid had eventually resorted to simply playing games on his morpher.

Guard duty sucked.

So it was to his immense appreciation then, when the parties finally agreed to break so they could contact their respective governments. Two of them, Coros and the karovian—Ambassador Quinan or something or other, had elected to return to the Megaship, and Sid and Sel had jumped at the opportunity to escort them back. For Sel, Sid figured it was just about returning to familiarity after several hours. For Sid, it was simply about getting further away from his father.

So now Sid stood inside the ship's observation lounge, watching the lavafalls flank the base on the other side. There was a storm approaching in the distance; the clouds were becoming heavier, and he could see lightning on the horizon.

The soft 'swish' of the door indicated to Sid that someone else had entered the room. At first he had figured it was Sel, but when he turned...well, he stood face to face with his father. The one person he didn't want it to be.

"...Hello, Sid" he said cordially, hands behind his back.

He was trapped. The one situation he hadn't wanted was here now; his father stood between him and the door. It was like awkward city times a thousand.

"...What do you want?" Sid asked warily.

His father's face frowned a bit, "...It's been years since we've seen each other, and that's all you have to say? 'What do you want'?"

Sid's own face hardened, "What? Did you expect me to just welcome you with open arms? Gee golly, dad! It's great to see you! Wanna toss the ol' pig skin?" he asked with an exaggerated and over-the-top sarcastic glee.

"I think that's a bit uncalled for" his father said disapprovingly.

Sid's shoulders sagged as he let the facade drop, "Is it dad? Is it really? It's about all I ever got. I mean besides, y'know, 'your grades could be better' and 'stop fooling around'".

"I was trying to get you to reach your potential" his father replied, annoyed, "Is that what this is about? Getting back at me because I didn't give you enough praise?"

"Would have been nice once in awhile while you were busy tearing me down every ten minutes. If you weren't ignoring me outright, anyway".

Admiral Drake's frown deepened, "I was busy; you know that. I wasn't ignoring you, I always kept tabs. But I left your mother in charge of the day to day stuff".

"And when she died?" Sid asked, turning back towards the window.

"I was...busy" his father said hoarsely, clearly remembering less-than-great times.

"Yeah" Sid spit out bitterly, "So was I. Would have been nice to have heard...oh, I dunno, 'happy birthday' or maybe 'good job on acing the SPD Academy graduation exam'. Which, by the way, was all your idea, not mine. I never wanted to go to military school".

"You were having problems" his father replied.

Sid mocked horror, "Oh no, the teenager doesn't know what he wants to be when he grows up. Forget college, let's just throw him into boot camp. Mold him to be like his old man. Builds character, right?"

"It's a better path than knocking over liquor stores with your buddies at three in the morning".

Sid glanced away in a bit of shame, "...That was one time". A pause, then more quietly, "...And it was Mardi Gras".

An uncomfortable silence engulfed the two. His father spoke, "So, that's it then? The reason why you haven't spoken a word to me in over five years is because I threw you into the military?"

Sid scoffed, "No. The reason I haven't talked to you is because you made it pretty clear where we stood after...after that day" he finished lamely. That day. The day he lost his team.

His father sighed with regret as he remembered all too well the conversation Sid was referring to, "I will admit, I may have...overstepped my boundaries. Said things in the heat of the moment I shouldn't have". He walked over to one of the pictures on the side wall, studying it closely.

"You left me to the wolves!" Sid said, his voice rising a bit as he looked over his shoulders at his dad. There was anger in his eyes, pure and raging.

His father blinked, "...Sid, you went AWOL. Your entire team disobeyed orders and got themselves killed. There was nothing I could do; people wanted blood. Hell, you're lucky you weren't strung up and executed".

"But you were all too happy to let them".

"What would you have had me done?" the admiral asked, turning back to him, becoming increasingly annoyed by the second, "Break you out of jail? You figured out how to do that all on your own" he scoffed, shaking his head in utter disbelief that he was having to defend why he hadn't broken the law, "But unlike you, Sid, I don't buck authority just because I don't like it. That was always your problem".

"Yeah, well maybe if authority would listen to me once in awhile, things would have turned out for the better!" Sid yelled back.

"Or maybe you should have just listened to authority and NOT GONE!" his father roared, his temper finally having snapped, "Do NOT try to blame their deaths on me! I'm not the one who decided to steal a transport and go AWOL!"

Sid roared back, pain evident in his eyes, "You think I don't know that?! I carry that guilt with me EVERY SINGLE FRIGGIN' DAY! Every time I close my eyes-" he paused, unable to continue. Clenching his face shut, he willed away the tears. He resumed speaking, his voice calmer than before, but broken, "...I needed support dad. I needed support for once in my life, and you...you were too busy telling me how much of a disappointment I was. How much you were done with me. How much mom would have..." his fists clenched tightly. How much mom would have hated this. "You all but disowned me".

"I might have said things...in haste" his father admitted.

"'In haste' he says" Sid chuckled to himself, "And so you just walk in here right now and ask how things are going like it never happened".

"What do you want from me?" his father asked, "An apology? Fine, I'm sorry. I just thought that after five years-".

Sid cut him off, turning back towards the window for the final time, "What I *want*, dad, is for you to go away".

Alexander Drake visibly sagged, deflated by that one simple request. He didn't press harder, he didn't attempt any parting shot, instead the older man, now looking even older and haggard, silently exited through the door.

"...So that's it then" said Trok, watching Alexander leave. Sid turned back around in surprise—he hadn't seen Trok come in, but it made sense considering. Someone would have had to have escorted his father back from the lower levels of the Machine base. "You're just going to let him go". The disappointment in his tone was clear, even if he was trying to hide it. "He asked me to bring him up here just so he could finally talk to you".

"...He made his choice years ago" Sid said, gritting his teeth. Trok's optimism was usually his strong suit, but here it just made him sound like an asshole. Trok didn't know the situation, he hadn't been there. He didn't understand it. Who was he to judge?

"Well, good to know he's damned by that choice forever, and can't ever try to make amends" Trok replied, more disappointment seeping through.

Sid scoffed, "He wasn't trying to make amends, he was trying to pretend it never happened!"

"So were you, from the sounds of it" Trok replied, he turned to leave, "But what do I know? My parents are gone. That boat sailed". He threw one last look of disappointment at Sid, before leaving him alone in the room with his thoughts.

* * *

When Trok made it outside onto the elevator platform, Alexander Drake was already there waiting for him. The green ranger stepped onboard as the platform began to descend into the base. He didn't look at the admiral as he spoke, "...I'm sorry". He meant it too; he hated seeing fighting like this.

"It's quite alright" the admiral said, though it was clear it really wasn't, "I suppose we all must live with our actions. Or inactions".

After a short silence, Trok asked, "...Did Sid really escape from prison?" Trok had literally never heard about this before. But then, Sid rarely talked about his own past, and so aside from being an SPD ranger and his old team dying, Trok didn't know much about Sid's escapades before meeting him. He wondered just how many stories Sid had to tell.

An odd smirk came to the older man's face, "...Not exactly. Sid was technically never sentenced, though we all knew where it was heading. He escaped custody about a week before the court-martial. I'm still not exactly sure how he pulled it off". Was that a hint of...pride in his voice? "He somehow managed to fool the guards with the old 'already escaped' trick, blindsided the guards and then..." he shrugged, "He led the entire base on a cat and mouse routine for over six hours before we realized he just wasn't in the base anymore. By that point, he'd already booked passage offworld".

"...He did that all by himself?" Trok asked with a hint of wonder. Right back to the hero worshiping days...a little bit, anyway.

The admiral chuckled, hands in his pockets, "I doubt it. We always assumed he had help; other people stationed in the base that he knew. Maybe a lot of them—you have to realize, when you're a ranger stationed on a Delta Base, you live there and basically know everyone. And some of them Sid had known since childhood".

"It sounds almost like you admire what he did" Trok said, curious.

"Not what he did, no" Alex said, "But I would be remiss if I didn't find just a little bit of pride that he managed to do it. And that's the thing about Sid. He always had so much potential, but he always wasted it. He was always so rebellious and uncommitted, aways getting into trouble as a kid, or slacking off in school".

"Did you ever tell him that?" Trok asked, then corrected himself when he realized what he'd said, "I mean, that you admired him, not that other stuff".

The older man thought, especially considering the conversation that had just happened, "...I suppose...maybe I should have been a bit more forgiving. I've never been the best at telling others the important things".

"Sid's the same way sometimes" Trok offered a smile, "He's always talking about teamwork, but really I think he just keeps everything locked down inside.

A sad chuckle, "It's a family trait. My father was worse".

"Did you...did you like your father?"

"Hm? No, I suppose I didn't" Alex said, musing on his memories, "He was a military man, like myself, and his father before him. He was also a drunkard, and a mean one at that".

"I'm not saying Sid's in the right, because he's not" Trok said, "But maybe..." he trailed off, hoping he didn't have to finish that sentence, because frankly he didn't quite know HOW to.

But the admiral caught his drift, "It was presumptuous of me to just go in there, I know. I was just so busy, and the war and..." he sighed, "There were always excuses".

"You know, my dad was always busy too. Too busy running the clan. Would have been nice to see him more often, even if he and my mom were always just grooming me for something I didn't want to do".

"You were a Khan?" Alex asked, surprised.

Trok giggled a bit at his reaction, but shook his head, "No, never got crowned. Things...happened. And like I said, I never really wanted to be" he watched as once again they were passing by chambers of Cog workers busy mining and building, "...Can I ask you a question?"

"You have been already" the admiral said coyly.

Trok shrugged with a grin, "Why now? I mean, you guys haven't spoken to each other in years, so why now?"

"Convenience, probably" the admiral replied, "Our occupations finally intersected, and so here we are. But also..." he sighed, "Once the war ended and the Mirinoi branch of SPD dissolved I ended up having a bit more free time and I..." he paused, "...Have you ever come home and found it empty?"

Trok thought for a moment. The Megaship was always full of people and life, every time he stepped back onboard. But what would it be like if everyone was gone? He didn't even want to think about the atmosphere that would create, "...No, I can't say I have. But I also can't say I'd like it".

The admiral nodded, a melancholic feeling rising within him , "I lost my wife almost ten years ago. She was the light of my life, and when she was gone, I buried myself in my work to help forget. Then the war started, and I was busy with that. And then one day when I wasn't looking, Sid was gone too. And I was just an old man with an empty house".

"I'm sorry" Trok repeated.

"It's not your fault" the admiral said as they finally reached the bottom of the lift, "It's simply the hands we are dealt in life, and the consequences of what we do with them".

* * *

Sel was worried. Sid hadn't come back down to the Machine base with her and the delegates like he had been supposed to. She'd urged him, but he had been adamant; he'd wanted to be left alone. So, she'd left him, reluctantly, as she guarded the two ambassadors back down.

Never having the greatest grasp of her own feelings, she'd been learning how to simply avoid them when she didn't want or simply couldn't deal with them. Instead of fixating on whatever was bothering her and driving herself nuts, she'd begun working on something else to keep her busy—which was successful to varying degrees. Sometimes it didn't work so well, and she'd be eventually forced away from whatever she was doing; painting, studying, etc, because she couldn't take it anymore. Other times, well…

She currently had about sixty tabs up on her morpher, split up over five or so holoscreens. The subject? Everything she could get her hands on about the Machine Empire. If she was going to distract herself, it might as well be homework about the current assignment, right? There wasn't *too* much out there, thanks to the Empire being highly isolationist in recent centuries. Most of the information came from those who had fought them or been invaded centuries ago, which mainly meant outdated military stuff, which was less interesting to her.

Still, there were a few things. Known classifications of Machine bots and ships, reconstructions of Machine political dynamics via the royal houses, and the mysterious shift in foreign policy after the war of '98 and the Serpenterra incident a few years later (and indeed, the resurgence of the Empire from near-extinction in the first place, and theories over how they survived the so-called Z-Wave)-enough to keep her occupied.

"What are you doing?"

Sel jumped in surprise at Xolin's voice. She'd delved so deep into her studies she'd sort of tuned out the world around her.

The blue ranger gave her an odd head tilt as she sat down on the table next to her. The two sat within the massive cavernous pit of fire and rock that the balcony rested in. Across from them, on the front end of the balcony, sat a number of the Machine and Confederate representatives, back at work. Coros and Esquire were currently talking about something, while Phonobot was busy with the human and karovian ambassadors. The edeonite one—she couldn't recall her name—was currently chatting with Iota and the admiral. "Sorry" Xolin said apologetically, "Didn't mean to scare you".

"Oh, no" Sel waved, "You're fine, I was just...erm, occupied".

"...So what is this?" Xolin asked, looking over the holoscreens. Quickly skimming some of the page headlines, she turned back to the yellow ranger, currently leaning against the back of her chair, legs bent and feet pushing against the table.

She frowned a bit under her helmet, "Everything I can find on the Machine Empire. Which...isn't much".

Xolin nodded as she took one of the holoscreens and began reading, "Not surprising, considering just how isolated they've been. Anything good?"

"Just stuff on the wars a few centuries back. Some stuff on royal dynastic politics and..." Sel flipped through a few tabs, "...Oh, and some neat conspiracy theories".

Xolin read from the tab Sel had just pulled up, "...Machines are the heralds of an ancient race from the Pavo-Indus Supercluster...what?"

Sel shrugged as she received the window back from Xolin, "Apparently some people think the Machines are the long-lost mechanized army and workforce of an ancient alien empire from the other end of the universe, way beyond our own Supercluster. And that's one of the less...crazy ones".

Blue eyed yellow, "...What are the crazy ones?"

Sel shifted through a few more tabs, before handing another one to Xolin.

"...Government illusions...machine empire never existed? Faked footage? Government planted robots?" Xolin laughed as she skimmed, "...And what's this about a time cube?"

Again, the yellow ranger shrugged, "I gave up trying to decipher that after a few minutes. Didn't much interest me anyway".

"So what DID have you so engrossed you didn't notice me?" Xolin asked.

Sel thought for a moment, then tossed a third window at Xolin, who caught it. It was an article about the War of '98—specifically, the Machine attack on Gratha and other aquitian holdings. The yellow ranger spoke, "I've been trying to figure out the discrepancy between the Machine Empire in the historical record and now. Before they seemed to be all about conquest and enslavement, yet now they seem to be pretty much okay with just keeping to themselves".

"...And then on a whim opens diplomatic ties" Xolin finished for her, curiosity now beginning to fill her as well. Sel nodded.

"You might be surprised by how much a few centuries changes things".

The two rangers looked up. There between them stood Quickspur. Xolin blinked, *very* surprised that the de-facto leader of the machine delegation was talking to them. "...Um..."

"Catbot got your tongue?" the machine laughed, circling around them towards an empty seat on the other side of the table.

"...Aren't you supposed to be sorting out trade deals or...something?" Xolin finally managed to ask.

Quickspur plopped down into the chair, leaning back as he put his metallic cowboy boots up on the table, "Naw. Not my kind of thing, and I think Esquire's got that locked down. I just thought I'd see what the defenders of the Confederacy were like".

The two rangers glanced at each other hesitantly, then back at the robot. "...Are you trying to fish information out of us?" Xolin asked.

Quickspur let out a deep, guttural laugh as he slapped his thigh and pointed at her, "Ha! I like you, yer smart! Naw, nothin' nefarious like that. Just doin' my duty of getting to know more about the people I'm signin' treaties with. All a part of bein' one of them diplomatic folks".

Again, the two rangers spared each other a brief glace. Quickspur sighed; they weren't going to trust a machine general that easily. Understandable. He decided to try a different track, "...Let me ask you girls a question. Do you believe good and evil are absolute?"

"How do you mean?" Sel asked, a bit thrown for a loop that he'd drop into something so deep so quickly.

The robot tipped his cowboy hat forward as he settled in, "I mean, do you believe that we are born good or evil, or that we choose them ourselves?"

"Ourselves, of course" Xolin said without a second thought. Everyone had the capacity for free will; one of the tenets of her religion was the struggle for good karma against the bad. If everything was already determined, then what would be the point of anything? Free will was free will.

Quickspur nodded, "In which case, it would make sense to say that not all members of the Machine Empire are card-carryin' megalomaniacs, am I right?"

The two rangers thought, then nodded. Xolin hadn't really thought about it much but...yeah, actually, that made sense. And if it counted for Machines, then other monsters...huh. Both curious and troubling. Quickspur returned their nod, "The Royal House of Gadgetry ruled the Empire with an iron fist for thousands of years. In that time our name became feared and reviled. The kings of the House of Gadgetry were bad news; almost every single one of them. The few that weren't quickly ended up getting offed by more...erm, ambitious members of the family".

"So what happened?" Sel asked, curious.

"The Z-Wave happened" Quickspur replied, "Almost the entire line of the house was wiped out, along with a good chunk of the empire. What was left was shattered into little pieces, ruled by other houses and local warlords".

"...Venjix" Sel mused, flipping though her tabs again towards the Serpenterra incident.

Quickspur nodded, "Yep, Venjix was one of them wanna-be kings, a general-turned-warlord who converted many to his cause" he chuckled, "We saw how well that turned out for him".

"So..." Sel connected the dots to where this left them, "The empire shattered, and then...came back together?"

"Yep!" said Quickspur, "Bit of nasty civil wars for awhile there, and we're still cleaning up them hinterland systems, but ya'll can thank the Royal House of Cybernetics for this wonderful meetin' we're all havin'" he paused, taking note of a blinking light on his wrist. Looking back, he noticed Esquire waving him over. "...Ah, speakin' of which" he got up from his seat, "Seems I gotta get back to work. Fancy chattin' with you darlin's. And your names would be…?"

"Oh, uh, I'm Xolin" the blue ranger said. It was a little weird, giving out names. Before the war, when they'd been only covertly authorized by the government, they'd of course kept quiet about their secret identities. But with the war now, they were public figures, heroes that the Confederacy was trying to promote—even if many still didn't take kindly to their existence.

"...Sel" yellow followed suit.

Quickspur nodded approvingly, "Well, good to meet you gals. Hopefully I get to meet more of y'all". He gave one more tip from his hat, then headed over to the main discussion table.

Sel looked at Xolin, "...He seemed nice".

Xolin nodded, only half-paying attention. He'd given her just a little to think about.

* * *

By the time Sid returned, the meeting was once again in full swing. He didn't really care about being late; what could Iota do? It was quite clear at this point that Iota needed him for...some reason, and after getting beaten to a pulp by Isdilian, he'd just sort of built up an apathetic outlook on the job he found himself married to via blackmail.

"You're late" said Isdilian, leaning against the door at the end of the balcony that Sid had just walked through, arms folded.

...Speak of the devil.

"Does it matter?" Sid asked, shrugging.

"If we were ambushed and surrounded? Yes, it would matter".

"Then I would have been an excellent position to flank the enemy from behind" Sid replied, in no way willing to give Isdilian any shits whatsoever. He'd had a pretty bad day so far, and was in no mood to take crap from Mr. Soldier.

If Isdilian was going to respond, then the silver ranger never got the chance, as suddenly a loud bleeting laugh cut through everyone's conversations. Sid's eyebrows furrowed in annoyed thought as he tried to place the source, "...Wait, I know that laugh..."

Right on cue, a familiar humanoid goat monster in thick space armor that more than slightly resembled ancient Greek hoplite armor slowly hovered up just opposite of the balcony. His armor was scorched and burnt and dented, and it was clear he'd been through many tough battles as of late. But here now, he was only triumphant.

...Wait, hovering?

As he continued to rise up, everyone realized he was standing ontop of a machine fightercraft. Not a Quadrafighter, but clearly something descended from it, with multiple spread out gunports resembling a metallic octopus, but far more streamlined than the original it was based on. Machine tech had advanced in the last few centuries, after all.

"...Oh, crap" Sid said, his body shifting into a battle ready pose almost on instinct; semi-crouching as his muscles prepared to jump at the slightest sign of danger.

"You were saying?" Isdilian muttered. Sid ignored him, keeping his attention on their old adversary.

"My word" Esquire exclaimed in surprise, adjusting his monocle to get a better view. Everyone stood up, their attention all drawn to the newcomer.

"What in tarnation is goin' on here?!" Quickspur demanded to know.

"Everyone get behind us!" Sid commanded, as he and the other rangers filled in the ranks between Capricorn and the diplomats. This was bad. And Sid couldn't help but wonder...where'd he get the fightcraft?

"...Huh, I was starting to wonder if we'd ever see him again" Trok muttered.

Capricorn laughed, "Yes rangers, your archnemesis has returned!"

The rangers looked at each other "...Wait" Sid asked them, "Does he count as our archnemesis?"

"We *have* fought him a couple times" Xolin said, a bit reluctantly, "And he has been trailing us".

"That just makes him a hanger on!" Sid said, "Does that mean that armored green guy we fought when we met Isdilian counts as an archnemesis? Or Briefcase Guy?"

"...Whatever happened to briefcase guy anyway?" Trok asked, partially to himself, "...He seemed like he was gonna be a big thing, and then just sort of...vanished".

Xolin snorted, "Maybe Naga was our archnemesis. Too bad he's dead now".

"The snake dude?" Sid asked, thinking, "...Nah. I can't see it".

"...Excuse me" Capricorn said, trying to get their attention. He was ignored.

"Considering the war and all, wouldn't SPD be our archnemesis? Or the Alliance in general?" asked Sel.

Xolin's shoulders sagged in disappointment, "That seems so...impersonal".

Capricorn, fed up with the conversation not being about him, shouted, "HEY!"

To his credit, the rangers turned their attention back to him. "...You're still here?" Sid asked.

Capricorn stamped his foot down, "YES I'm still here!" he bleated, clearly very irritated now, "Normally this would be the point where I would demand you hand over the yellow ranger to me, but at this point I've just about had enough of all you losers. So I'm going to kill each of you slowly and painfully, and I'm going to watch and laugh as you suffer through an inkling of the horrors I've been through in the last few months. And then I'm going to take the yellow ranger with me, and finally complete my contract. And then I'm going to hijack the biggest space yacht you can imagine and comfortably retire because to HELL with this job and to HELL with all of you!" he was basically screaming at this point, his ranting becoming increasingly detached.

"...Did...someone piss in your cornflakes this morning?" Sid asked, head tilting in confusion.

"AAAAAAAAH!" Capricorn screamed, before leaping off the fighter and landing on the end of the balcony, directly in front of the rangers.

Isdilian stepped up, "How about you turn around and leave before you do something we'll make you regret?"

The goat looked at the silver ranger, seemingly baffled, "...And who the hell is *this* guy?!"

"Maddening, isn't it?" Sid smirked, "You go away for a few months, and everything changes".

Isdilian gave a far more straightforward answer, "I'm the leader of this team, and I'm telling you to back off and leave. Last chance".

Capricorn glared at him with his black beady eyes, "No, I don't think so. It doesn't matter how many of fellow roaches you dig up, I'll squash you all".

"Oh yeah?" Xolin asked, "And how do you intend to do that? It's five on one; those feel like good odds to you?"

"You want odds, eh?" Capricorn tapped a small device strapped to his wrist. Almost immediately, the rangers were drawn to the cries of the three Machine Generals. Their bodies seemed to be seizing up as they bent over, their joints sparking.

"RAUGH!" Quickspur cried, "What...what are you do-do-do-do-do-" he seemed to be stuck in a loop.

Capricorn cackled, "Just a little something I picked up on my way in. See, there's a little karovian colony a few dozen light-years away that's always been a little unnerved about living on the border of the Machine Empire. Something about being raided every other month back in the old days. Anyway, they've invested so much in anti-machine weaponry, 'just-in-case'. So I just helped myself to some of their stock, such as this neat little virus".

"...What have you done?!" Sid asked, a bit horrified by the sudden fits of agony the generals seemed to be experiencing.

"Nothing much" Capricorn replied with glee as the machines settled down, "...But you might want to recount those odds".

The three machine generals stood and stared down the rangers with glowing red eyes, their faces vacant and empty of life.

"...Oh, that can't be good" Xolin noted with worry.

"Minions!" Capricorn commanded, "Destroy the rangers!"

The five rangers got into defensive poses as the three generals began to approach them. Isdilian took point, "Alright, this just became a combat situation. Sid, you're with me; we're going to shut these things down. The rest of you, get the ambassadors out".

"Wait!" Sel exclaimed in shock, "We can't just destroy them!"

"...Yes, we can" Isdilian said plainly, "And we have to; this isn't up for debate".

Xolin shook her head as she remembered their conversation with Quickspur earlier, "No, she's right. They're people too. They don't deserve to be destroyed just because some psycho hacked them or whatever".

Isdilian growled. They were really having an ethics argument NOW? They were all trapped in the bottom of a giant machine base that had just gone completely hostile if those two robot guards stationed at the door now heading towards them were any indication. They were all going to die. "What they deserve is irrelevant" he said with gritted teeth, "They are now the enemy. This isn't any different than us taking out SPD soldiers".

"Yes it is!" Xolin protested, "They're unwilling noncombatants, not an enemy force!"

Isdilian glared at her, "They're Generals. Your argument is moot".

"They're right, Isdilian" surprisingly, it was Iota who had spoken up, even as he moved to guard the other diplomats, "The death of the Machine Generals and-or the destruction of the mining base is an international incident we can ill-afford. And at any rate, there is no way we can fight our way through an entire base, and there are teleporter barriers keeping us from escaping.

"So what, we just lay down and die?!" Isdilian crowed angrily.

Iota looked at him as he took command of the situation, "Hardly. Sel, you're with me. We're getting the diplomats out of here and somewhere safe. Sid, you and the others keep the generals and Capricorn busy. Trok? Hack into the mainframe and find a way to purge that virus! Everyone, with me!" he waved at the diplomats.

Trok gaped as Sel hurried to meet with Iota, "...Purge? I don't even know what I'm looking for!"

"Oh, yes. Keep me busy" Capricorn laughed triumphantly as the rangers moved into position, "Keep me entertained" Iota corralled the diplomats towards the door as the others intercepted the generals, "Bread and circuses! All for me!"

Iota quickly dispatched the two machine guards; grabbing one by the arm and swinging it into the other caused them to topple to the ground, allowing the diplomats to hurry through the exit, with Iota bringing up the rear as they vanished from view.

"Leaving so soon?!" Capricorn cackled, clearly a little unhinged, as he chased after them, "But the party's just getting started!"

By now Xolin, Sid, and Isdilian were neck-deep in Generals. Blue had taken Esquire, blocking his cane with her lance. Silver was dodging Phonobot's sonic wave blasts, while red was in the middle of a short-range hand-to-hand fight with Quickspur. Each were handicapped by their restrictions: don't kill anyone.

Trok, currently plugging his morpher into the nearest terminal on the wall, was the first to notice Capricorn heading towards the door, "Hey!" he shouted, preparing to drop what he was doing and follow.

But Sid noticed this as well, even as he had Quickspur in a hold, "Trok, ignore him, I've got him!" he shouted at the green ranger, "Just keep doing what you're doing!" He knocked Quickspur back with a kick towards the silver ranger, "Isdilian, take my share!" he said, before taking off in Capricorn's direction.

"...What?" the silver ranger half-asked, half-protested, but he didn't really have a choice as the cowboy robot tumbled into his range. Two on one. Great. Fantastic.

Trok took note as Capricorn exited through the door, Sid in hot pursuit. "...Trok, hack into the mainframe. Trok, purge the virus. Trok, rewrite all the internets to make cookies!" he muttered, irritated as he worked, "...Just hacking into an alien database with no prior knowledge. Not performing any miracles here, no siree".

* * *

Iota hurried the diplomats down the hall, Sel in front as the guard. So far there hadn't been any footsoldiers coming after them, but the further they went into the base, the more likely they'd run into some. They needed to find a room to hold up in. Thankfully, there seemed to be a door to their right directly ahead.

The base was dark and foreboding, just a blank dark steel colored hallway with little to differentiate itself from the rest. Up ahead there was more light, but Iota knew that way led to the larger factory rooms. There was no way they could fight their way all through that to the elevator platforms.

"Everyone, in there!" Iota said, pointing to the door. Sel pressed the 'open' button, revealing a thankfully vacated storage room, full of crates, mining supplies, and maintenance stuff. Gears whose purpose seemed unknown slowly rotated on the far wall. The party hurried inside.

"...What are we going to do?!" the karovian said, his voice indicating that he was on the verge of panicking. That was exactly what Iota *didn't* need right now. The second one did, well…

"We're all going to die!" the terran shouted.

Sigh.

"No one is going to die, ambassador" Iota said sternly. He nodded at Sel, who silently took up a spot at the door as a lookout, bow at the ready. Iota continued, "My team is highly trained and skilled. Trok will have the virus purged soon, and the others will keep the enemy at bay. All we have to do is hold out".

"Oh, I don't think so" Capricorn laughed, his voice echoing from down the hallway. Sel turned, aiming her weapon as the goat approached. She got off two shots, but the monster was charging, and soon the yellow ranger was pinned to the wall, "Still not good eno-" Capricorn paused in mid-laugh as he felt someone tap his shoulder. Confused, he turned around and was promptly introduced to Sid's fist.

"I'm having a *really* lousy day" he said, matter-of-factly, "And you're not helping" he turned to Sel as the goat stumbled back, "You okay?"

"Always" she nodded back, "Shall we?"

Sid grinned, and the two rangers made a barrier between the diplomats and their opponent.

"Lousy, huh?" Capricorn chuckled as he felt his jaw, "Allow me to show you the real meaning of the word!" he charged.

* * *

SLASH. Esquire's cane broke in two and he toppled back. But Xolin had no time to rest, as the two machine guards were rushing in towards her.

"How's it coming, Trok!?" she demanded to know, with just a twinge of frustration and panic in her voice as she gave a glancing blow to the helmet of one of the guards.

"Uh..." the green ranger's hands froze as he...well, he didn't really know what he was even looking at.

"...Trok!?" his utterance did NOT sound comforting.

"YOU try messing with an alien interface and see how you like it!" he shouted back, ENTIRELY frustrated, "I don't even know what I'm looking for!".

"Look for a karovian footprint!" Isdilian shouted, before flipping phonobot over. His shield blocked Quickspur's pistol shots.

"...Look for karovian footprints he says" Trok said sarcastically, then called back more loudly, "Do you even know how computers work?!"

"Just do your best, Trok!" Xolin chimed back in, trying to ignore Isdilian as she dodged Esquire's punch and elbowed him in the back of the neck, "You can do it!"

"'I can do it'" he mumbled, still searching aimlessly through the various holoscreens he had open for the computer's basic functions. He shook his head, "...I should have been a wizard. But no, I liked being 'hands on' with stuff..."

* * *

Another yellow bolt was deflected by one of Capricorn's swords as the other met with the bladed end of Sid's ax. The first sword swung around, cutting into Sid's side as the red ranger fell back. However, that just made the goat a bigger target; two more yellow bolts fired at him. Both were again deflected. Charging up his blades, Capricorn crossed them and sent a stream of cyan electrical energy flying at Sel. The yellow ranger was hit right in the chest, and she crumbled in a heap. A counterattacking Sid was met with two more slashes.

"Face it rangers, this time I've won!" the Goat bleated with glee. Triumph was within his grasp. Victory, fame, glory, money.

Salvation.

A third slash was deflected by the red ranger's ax, who then twisted it before kicking away the other arm. "Sel, now!"

The yellow ranger raced in from down the hall, bow first as she fired off one, two, three shots. The fourth never came; instead her foot came down on Capricorn's face as he took a tumble to the floor. The goat rebounded quickly, avoiding Sid's finishing move before knocking him off-balance with a counterattack. He wasn't fast enough to evade Sel coming down on his side with her bow-blade though. Capricorn spun around, letting his sword fly into Sel, who blocked before pulling the weapons down and aside.

BAM! A shot to the monster's foot. He lept back with a shout of pain. Another hit from Sid to his backside sent another shot of pain through him. As he backed away, the two ranger struck him in tandem. He crumbled, back, his defenses falling.

Why couldn't he win?

No...he had another way. He reached for his wrist device…

* * *

From inside the storeroom they'd been hauled into, Admiral Drake could hear the sounds of battle outside in the hallway. A grunt from his son, a yell from that girl ranger. A laugh from the monster. The clash of blades. The sounds of sparks flying off a ranger suit. After a few moments, he couldn't take it anymore. The admiral stood, getting up off the low-lying crate and moving his way towards the door.

"What are you doing?" the karovian ambassador asked anxiously.

"Getting a better seat" the admiral replied. He had little time for cowards. To his surprise, Iota said nothing as he leaned against the door frame, watching the battle progress. He'd expected a little resistance from him, but the armored figure was silent, only giving him a short look before lazily returning to watch the fight. As he watched, the goat monster got off a lucky hit, but as the battle progressed, Admiral Drake noticed something—the tide of battle was turning. He was getting less and less hits in as the two rangers flanked him almost flawlessly, fighting almost in sync even without talking. Soon, Capricorn was simply being taken down. A little bit of fatherly pride seeped in.

Capricorn reached for the device on his wrist—the same one that had started all this. Admiral Drake's gut dropped.

On cue, multiple panels on the walls in the hallway slid open, and six machine troops stepped out from their hidden alcoves, turning and staring down the two rangers. The two of them turned, just before delivering a finishing blow to Capricorn.

"...Sel, DOWN!" Sid shouted, pushing yellow and himself down just before the troops opened fire. They began marching forward, still firing.

They were trapped. What could they do? Sid''s first instinct was to shoot the legs out from under them, but...they couldn't harm them. Damnit. He needed to upset their offensive somehow. Blunt it, and then turn it around on them.

"...Sel, energy shield, now!"

"...What?!" yellow shouted back, confused and panicking.

Sid explained, "Your powers! Create a wall of morphin' energy between us and the soldiers!"

"I ca-"

Sid cut her off, "Yes, you CAN. I KNOW you can. Now try!" he shouted over the laserfire.

Sel promptly stopped protesting, and stretched her arms out from her crouched position, channeling as much power as she could into her outstretched fingers. It was...difficult. Morphin' energies were hard to command, it was so overwhelming and chaotic, like trying to push air, except in a hurricane. But she tried. Sid was counting on her, so she TRIED. She pushed her way through the hurricane, feeling the raw power burning through her nerves as she channeled the ambient grid energy all around them into a wall, visualizing it in her mind. A wall. A WALL.

Well, she succeeded. Kinda. She built a wall. Too bad it was going fifteen miles an hour and slammed through the offending units. They flew through the air, landing in a heap a few feet back. Sid tilted his head as they stood back up.

"...I guess that counts".

* * *

Trok was panicking. Not like in the nervous 'oh, shit's bad' kind of way, but in the genuine 'oh god oh god this is hopeless' kind of way. He'd been searching through the base computer this entire time, but he literally had no idea what he was doing. He could barely navigate the OS, how could he possibly hope to hunt down and disable a virus?!

The sounds of battle behind him only made the pressure worse, because it was an ever-present reminder that he was their only hope. He HAD to find a solution and soon, or else they were all going to die. But there wasn't any solution. This was bullshit! If this was some sort of test, or trial back home, he'd have given up by now. Better luck next time. But he couldn't. This was real.

So the question remained. How could you hunt something that didn't want to be found?

…

Wait.

What if he was looking at this the wrong way? Why hunt for something that didn't want to be found, when he didn't even know how to fight it even if he DID find it, when he could just hunt for something that WOULD want to be found and have a probable solution ready?

Hope fluttered as he abandoned his hunt, directing his attentions to the OS's base functions. He'd managed his way around enough in the system that he at least had some concept of how this worked. He fervently hunted down what he needed. Come on...come on…

…Ah-hah.

Trok's eyes widened, a small grin forming as he realized he had it. Boy he hoped this was going to work, and wouldn't kill them all horribly. A little bit more work and...voila.

The entire base shut down. Every light, every generator, even the force field keeping the heat out of the balcony and stabilizing the structure.

"...Uh, Trok!?" Xolin yelled back in fear, holding her lance against Esquire even as he pressed her against the balcony's edge, the harsh glow of the magma below the only source of light. The balcony groaned under its own weight.

"Give it a moment!" Trok called back, then added quietly, "...I hope…"

"What did you do?!" Isdilian demanded to know.

The power came back on. All of it; the lights, the forcefield, it was all back on. Trok grinned triumphantly as his holoscreens returned, showing the system booting back up, "Reset the system" he said with glee, "I loaded an earlier savepoint for the mainframe, cutting the roots of the virus off from the core systems and keeping it isolated".

"Okay, great, what about the Generals?!" asked Xolin, having escaped Esquire, but was now in the process of avoiding his knife-throwing.

Trok checked the holoscreen. His grin grew wider, "...Don't worry about it! The computer's running its antivirus systems now on all local targets. Give it just a second!"

Right on cue, all three generals and the two soldier-bots froze in mid-battle, their bodies sparking and sputtering before all life drained out of their systems. They dropped to the floor, limp and dead.

"...Uh" Xolin grunted wearily. They weren't supposed to kill them…

"Don't worry, they'll be back up and running momentarily" Trok said, triumph lacing his voice as he shut down the holoscreen, severed his morpher's connection with the mainframe, and ran over to the other two rangers.

Isdilian nodded approvingly at the situation; several downed machines and a working base, "...Good work" he said, a bit reluctantly, but earnest nonetheless.

Both blue and green turned to silver quizzically.

"...What?" Isdilian asked, noticing they were both staring at him.

"...You just complimented me" Trok said, a little stunned, "You *never* compliment us".

"You completed all mission objectives within an acceptable timeframe" Isdilian replied, shrugging, "I have nothing else to say".

"...Wow" Xolin mused, as Isdilian walked away, trying to avoid looking or feeling awkward at the whole situation.

"...I know" Trok whispered back, "I feel weird".

"Eugh" Isdilian muttered in disgust under his breath, rolling his eyes.

* * *

The machines were getting back up.

"...Think you can give that barrier another shot?" Sid asked Sel, behind him. She was hunched over a little, still panting.

She shook her head numbly, "...I can...try, maybe. No promises".

Okay, so that plan was out. She was way too exhausted to try that again. So...new plan.

Suddenly, the power went out, casting them into complete darkness except for the brief few lights on their helmets and the recovering machine troops. Sid looked around in confusion, and was about to turn his nightvision on but...then the power came back on.

"...Trok?" he asked, very confused.

The incoming machine troops dropped dead.

"...Yep, Trok" Sid sighed with a grin, letting his body sag a bit in relief.

Capricorn, behind them in a half-crouch, stared blankly in the sudden silent. He couldn't believe it. He'd lost again. Lost before he'd even gotten close.

_How?_

Why couldn't he win? He'd thrown everything he could at them, again and again. BRILLIANT plans. Plans that should have worked.

Rage overtook him. If he was going to die, he'd take them all with him, once and for all. Their backs were turned. He could do it. Capricorn struck.

"SID!"

Sid heard his father's voice call out his name. His world slowed as he turned around. Capricorn's sword came for him. Another shape, a human one, came between them. Sid watched in horror as crimson energy cut down, through the form of his father. His father grunted in pain, stumbling back from the impact, arms out, before stepping forward, and dropping to his knees, and then slumping to the floor, face-first. Sid's eyes widened.

"DAD!"

Sel unloaded another volley from her bow into Capricorn's midsection. He recoiled, and wasn't ready for Sid's counterattack. But really, who could have been?

The red ranger rammed into the goat monster with a fury and vengeance he'd never seen before. Capricorn tried to counter, but every strike he made just seemed to bounce off of the red ranger, as if he didn't even feel it. His opponent was a berserker, a force of nature, an instrument of a vengeful god. Capricorn was hit by strike after strike after strike. Sid grabbed him by the horns, before swinging him around and kicking him into the wall.

He had to run. Capricorn had to run and get some distance. It was the only way. Charging up his blade, he swung his weapon around, letting it hit the floors and wall with the same crimson energy as before, creating a storm of sparks between him and Sid. Using the moment to his advantage, the goat fled down the hall, into the base itself. Sid uttered a guttural roar and followed as fast as his legs could take him.

As Sid charged down the hall, the others finally made it inside.

"What the hell is-" Trok stopped in mid-sentence, looking down at the fallen body, and recognizing instantly who it was, "...Oh. Oh spirits".

"You okay?" Iota asked Sel, helping her up.

She nodded, leaning herself against the wall, "I'm fine, just...a little winded still".

Xolin took note of the body, and seconds later shot off in Sid's direction, Trok soon following. Sel and Isdilian stayed behind. The former was simply too tired, the latter knew his duty was to stay and guard. With three rangers on his tail, the monster would be dealt with soon enough.

* * *

Left. Right. Straight. Left. Left. Right.

Capricorn raced, as fast as possible. The red ranger was right on his tail.

How. Why? The red ranger was formidable, but never this..insane? Overpowering?

Terrifying?

The next hall up ahead had numerous steamvent pits placed in equal distances to each other laid out on the floor, with harsh reddish-orange light leaking through. An idea shot through Capricorn's head. Gripping his swords, he let out another blast of cyan electrical energy, blasting apart the second vent as he ran, before jumping in.

Sid quickly followed suit, dropping into the metallic tunnel below. The metal soon gave way to rock, then to open air as the two dropped into the large cavern beneath the base. Sid grasped at the neck of Capricorn's armor, pulling him towards him before delivering a punch, and another punch. And another. And another. The two grappled, past the magma falls until they slammed into a rocky outcropping next to another magma lake.

Capricorn crawled away on his hands and knees. Sid got up, grabbing him from the back again and pulling him around for another hit, but the monster got the better of him, gripping his swords and crossing them—letting loose a second blast of electrical energy right into Sid's helmet. The red ranger fell back, giving the goat time to stand up and back away.

"What...what *are* you?!" Capricorn gasped as the red ranger rebounded.

"The guy that's going to kill you" Sid replied, his voice breaking a bit as he stepped forward. Capricorn stepped back, until he reached the edge of the outcropping. The only way down from here was into the lava. This was it. Sid continued to approach, "You hurt my friends, my *team*. You hunted them and wouldn't leave them alone. You hit colonies, ruin lives in collateral damage with your stupid schemes!"

"...What are you…?" Capricorn repeated, barely above a whisper. Behind Sid, the green and blue rangers had dropped down, and were now watching Sid finish this ugly drama.

"You KILLED MY FATHER!"

Capricorn's eyes widened, his arms shaking even as he straightened his swords for combat. There was fear, yes, but also anger, rage. He DARED call him out for his transgressions?

"And you RUINED MY LIFE!" Capricorn roared back, striking out, his twin swords charged with blazing red power. Sid's ax ignited with flame, and the three blades clashed above the roiling molten rock below. They separated, and clashed again. Capricorn's first sword blocked the ax, while his second aimed for Sid's abdomen. The red ranger's leg spun up and around, pushing the blade into the dirt, before freeing his ax and cutting into the monster's armor. Capricorn attempted one last attempt at a counter-attack, crossing his swords together. Their power surged, preparing for another electrical burst. Sid's ax swung up, between the blades just as they prepared to fire. A flash of blinding light, and the ax cleaved through the two swords, leaving Capricorn with stumps.

Capricorn lost his balance. His eyes widened in terror.

Sid's ax, fully charged, came down one final time. It cut through hide and fur and armor all the same, burning through its target like an unstoppable divine force. A meteor crashing to Earth. A bullet passing through cardboard. Sparks erupted and Capricorn tumbled, over the side of the cliff, letting go the remains of his weapons as he cried out in a mixture of pain and panic.

He was gone.

"...Sid" Trok said, hesitantly after a moment of silence. Neither he or Xolin approached the red ranger, who simply turned halfway to them, glancing at them for a second, before turning his attention back to the pit.

* * *

"I suppose we've got a lot to thank ya'll about" said Quickspur, "Ya could have slagged us, and it woulda been yer right, considerin', but ya didn't".

The group stood in front of the Megaship. After that whole escapade, the diplomatic team had requested another respite—located somewhere *not* under a mile of rock and metal. Most of them had retired for now, leaving just Iota, Coros, and four of the five rangers to meet with the three Machine generals.

"You gave us a lot to think about" Xolin offered back, "About good and evil, I mean".

Quickspur let out a deep laugh, "I was just makin' idle chatter, ma'am. Didn't mean to make you have one of them ethical crises. Though I won't argue with the results".

"We've contacted our government" said Esquire, nodding towards Coros, "We have been authorized to agree with the trade deal we discussed, as well as open regular diplomatic channels with the Confederacy. You've made quite an impression. Congratulations".

Trok shrugged, "We were just cleaning up our own mess. Sorry you had to get involved".

Quickspur waved him off, "Pirates will be pirates. No harm, no foul" he groaned, "...Hmm, speakin' of which, how's your wounded?"

"The Admiral was hit point-blank by an energy-charged sword. He's not dead, but he's going to be out of commission for a while" Iota said grimly, "Though I'm sure his son appreciates the former".

Quickspur nodded solemnly, "...You know, I like you kids. Much better than that SPD delegation they dun' sent a few weeks back".

Xolin perked up, "...SPD? They were here?!"

The general nodded, "Came in offerin' all sorts of odd deals. Promisin' us lots of stuff for makin' threatenin' movements towards the Confederacy and the League. Much prefer your trade deals to their Faustian' setups".

"...The League?" asked Iota, both curious and concerned, "As in the Intergalactic League? Are you sure?" The League was, to his knowledge, completely unrelated to the war, and existed on the opposite end of Confederate space from the Alliance. Why would they want the Machines to target them? The answers that came to mind weren't comforting.

"The very same" said Quickspur, "Odd group, too. Two armored folk, little bit like you. Big green guy and a gal in orange".

Xolin's eyes widened a bit under her helmet. Big green guy, armored. Looked a little like Iota. While she and Sid had told Iota about the green armored warrior they'd faced on that mission to the SPD base when they first ran into Isdilian, they'd never confronted him about how they looked mildly similar to each other, as if the armor had been from the same design lineage. The whole mutiny had happened and then, well, you just didn't talk to people you suspected of having their own nefarious agenda.

"Any relation?" Quickspur asked, curious.

Isdilian shook his head, though his posture had stiffened, "Can't say there is. There are a great many armored warriors wandering the cosmos".

"There is truth to that" the general agreed with a laugh.

Xolin wasn't so sure.

* * *

The room was silent, except for the beeps. The beeps, and the breathing.

Sid sat on in a chair he'd pulled up to the bed closest to the medbay doors. On the frame in front of him lay the still form of his father, Admiral Alexander Drake.

He wasn't dead. But he'd certainly been better. Thank god for small miracles? What Trok had said was still echoing in Sid's head. Damnit.

"You know, I hated you growing up" he said quietly. He was sure his dad couldn't hear him, but he just...he just had to talk. "...You...you were always so distant and angry. And when I DID get your attention, you were so demanding. I started doing little annoying stuff just to annoy you. Like..." a bitter smile as memories trickled in, "...Like keeping my phone off while I was out. Or 'forgetting' chores. Flunked sixth grade math just to piss you off because you hired that tutor I hated".

The smile vanished.

"Then mom died, and I couldn't reach you at all. I needed you. I needed *someone*, and the house was empty. I know you must have hurt, but...damnit dad" his voice broke, and he paused. "I never wanted to be in the military. You threw me in because you didn't know what to do with me, and I stuck with SPD because, I guess on some level, I still wanted to be close to you. Even if I didn't like you. And frankly..." he sighed, "You were right, I didn't know WHAT I wanted to do, so I just never left. And as it turned out, I was really good at it. And...as it went on, maybe I just wanted to show you up a bit. Make you proud, in some twisted way, I guess".

A pause, as Sid considered his next words.

"...You weren't there when I graduated from the academy. When I got promoted to D-Squad, or became their leader, you were only ever there as our commander". A sigh as he thought back. The rare times that his father *had* tried to reach out, Sid had ignored out of malice; a petty need to get back at him, "...And maybe some of it was my fault".

Silence.

"Where did we go wrong, dad?"

"You know..." a voice struggled to speak. Sid realized it was his father, and he looked up in a mixture of surprise and franticness at the labored figure still laying in the bed, but who's face had turned towards Sid, "...I told your friend this, because he made me realize on some level...what I already knew. We Drakes are a stubborn breed. Always too concerned with what's in front of us that...that we never stop to consider what's around us".

"...Dad?" Sid asked, having a vague idea where this was going, but curious nonetheless.

"When your mother died...I buried myself. I didn't think, I just...did my duty. And because of that, I lost what little connection I had with you. And one day, I came home and..."

"...And it was empty" Sid finished for him, understanding fully where he was coming from.

His father nodded, "I'd lost my entire family, and I'd never lifted a finger to keep them".

Silence.

"Well..." Sid shrugged helplessly. He was never good with this kind of stuff, "...I'm here now". He was serious too. Before today, he'd not cared, or even WANTED to be estranged. Funny how almost losing a person for real changes your priorities.

"...So you are". His father let out a small chuckle. Sid joined him. It was stupid. Stupid and silly. Stupid, and silly, and broken, and with so many issues and bad memories to sort out and…

...And for now, maybe, this was enough.

* * *

He grasped the rockface, forcing himself up even as pain rocked through his body. How was he even alive? That is, if Capricorn could even consider this alive. His armor was cracked and broken, his fur singed and burnt. He was broken in every definition of the term. But, somehow, miraculously, there had been a small ledge just above the lake of magma where he had fallen too. Inch by inch, he forced himself in to a small cave he'd found. Escape.

Freedom.

He'd find a way out, and he'd hid, and find some way to track the rangers down again. And then he'd-

Capricorn froze. There, in front of him, stood all his nightmares.

"Failed again, I see" the man with the briefcase said, disappointingly.

"...No" the goat monster said, stepping back and falling down before scooting back in pure, unadulterated terror. "Please no!"

"I warned you" the man said, matter-of-factly as he approached the scurrying remains of the former pirate lord. Capricorn backed up until he was at the magma's edge. He had nowhere else to go.

"No, please, no, please".

The man sighed, pushing his glasses up to his face, before pulling his briefcase up and unlatching the object. He crouched down, in front of the cowering monster.

"Please I beg of you!" he wailed.

The man opened the case, and turned it towards Capricorn, "It's time. I'm terribly sorry, but your services are no longer required".

"NO! NOOOOO!"

He didn't look. Capricorn didn't WANT to look. But...but he had to. He had to look. And he saw...he saw…

For a brief split second, he understood. He understood everything. God how he wished he didn't understand. How it burned. How it tormented him. The maddening chaos, the horrifying truth. It was beyond comprehension, but somehow he KNEW. He KNEW existence, he KNEW the totality of truth, and the lies we tell ourselves to make it through the day. He looked at and acknowledged what others ignore. His mind warped, his soul frayed.

Capricorn screamed as his body melted, his form and armor dissolving into a black ichor as shadowy tentacles lashed out from his decaying body. He screamed, but not in pain—that was beyond him now. No, he screamed in madness. Terrible, terrible madness.

And then, he was gone, as if he'd never existed.

The man again adjusted his glasses, before closing the briefcase and picking it back up. Adjusting his suit, the unassuming middle-aged balding man turned and left in a casual stroll the way he came.

* * *

_**To be continued...**_


	18. 2x05: The Folly of Rangers

The mushroom forest was usually quiet at night. The giant stalks and fruiting bodies would block out most wind, much like a tree forest, except they had no leaves or branches that would rustle in the breeze. Occasionally, scurrying could be heard from a creature or two leaping from one giant toadstool to the next, or this world's equivalent of crickets could be heard chirping, but other than that, there was nothing.

Bio-luminescent bigs hovered in the dark hours just after sunset, accenting the faint bluish-purple glow some of the mushroom bodies gave off in quiet serenity.

The forest wasn't quiet tonight, however. The splatter of boots against the soaked, muddy earth echoed through the fungal woods, sounding off alongside heavy breathing. Someone was running. No...two people were running.

Masked Rider Apollo charged through the forest as fast as his legs would take him, his white and gold armor with a black undersuit stood out in the otherwise very dimly-lit path. He brushed through a fungal bush, heading uphill towards a clearing.

"Stop!" came a voice, female, from somewhere behind him. He didn't. "I said stop!" the voice demanded again. He still didn't. He couldn't. He was almost free—up ahead he could see the lights of the transport. Her ship.

He'd gotten what he'd came for, now he needed to just escape. She'd destroyed his ship after he'd landed; only made sense that he'd return the favor, so to speak.

"STOP!"

Apollo ran up the catwalk of the small transport. It was of karovian design; dark hulled but fashionable with a streamlined vaguely bird-like shape, and built for only one or two people. Really, it was little better than a fightercraft. But it would do. Racing into the ship, he pressed a button on the side of the doorframe, allowing the catwalk to recede as the doors closed.

"NO!"

She was too late. As she reached the top of the hill where her ship was, it began to take off. "DAMNIT!" she shouted, stomping her foot in the mud. She wore a black ranger suit, with silver and dark purple accents, much in the same style as some of the Peacekeeper teams. Thinking quickly, she drew her two pistols out of her dual holsters before combining them into a single larger rifle and opened fire on her own ship. If she couldn't have it, no one could.

Success; her shots punctured the ship's hull, causing moderate damage to what she assumed was the engines and life support. The vessel was crippled.

...Not crippled enough though it seemed, as the ship powered up its Hyperrush drive. She frantically fired off a few more shots, but it was in vain as the vessel engaged its FTL and vanished in a flash of light, the inertia of spacetime being violently torn asunder causing a shockwave to flow through the air and escape into the forest. The impact of the blast sent the black ranger back, tumbling downhill until she landed in a heap in a fairly deep puddle at the bottom, her suit now covered in disgusting mud and algae.

"Eugh" she groaned, standing up before activating her morpher's tracking systems. Good thing she could still keep tabs on her ship. The damage she'd inflicted meant Apollo wouldn't be getting very far before he needed to stop for repairs.

...Huh, that was interesting. He was headed for Meridian III, near the front lines. But wasn't that...huh, quite the coincidence. She guessed it was time to go pay her commander a visit in person. She opened her communication holo-window. "Shadow to Iota. There's been a...complication".

* * *

**Power Rangers Peacekeepers**

**Season 2**

**2.05: The Folly of Rangers**

* * *

The green ranger's skycycle shot through the air over the open terrain below. It had at one time been scenic; forests and farms, with the metropolis of Arcadia dominating in the distance. And while the outlines could still be seen, Trok knew this place had seen better days before the war had come here.

His job today was simple...kinda. It was reconnaissance, and zooming over the devastated farmland below, one could be forgiven for thinking this was easy work. But Trok still knew he was behind enemy lines, and that 'peace and tranquility' could shift into mortal danger at the drop of a hat. Trok didn't have any hats, and the metaphor was kind of lost on him (why hats? Did they drop faster than other objects?), but regardless. He understood.

"North-east sector's clear for now" he said, having opened a channel to base, "Moving to North-north east".

Xolin's voice echoed out of his morpher, _"Change of plans, Trok. Sel's picked up enemy signatures incoming from the northwest. Head back to base, we're about to be hit"_.

His helmet's sensors suddenly picked up something above. Looking up, his eyes widened in surprise as he saw a large plume of jet-black smoke plummeting from the sky. "...Wait, I got...something incoming from orbit". His helmet's readouts confirmed—it was a ship, karovian in design, and badly damaged. "I got some kind of karovian scoutship on a crash course". It flew past him, at a slanted trajectory before it slammed into the planet's surface a mile or two away. "Moving to intercept".

"_Trok!"_ Xolin protested.

Trok knew he needed to get back and help with the fight, but he couldn't just leave someone stranded behind enemy lines—if they were still alive, that was. "I'll be back soon" he said, "But I gotta see if anyone made it out of the crash alive. Could be survivors of a ship shot down in orbit".

Xolin sighed, knowing he was right, _"...Be careful. You're in enemy territory"_.

"Don't worry, I'll be right back!" Trok repeated, before severing the link and making a straight shot at the crash site.

* * *

"Here they come!"

Sid glanced through one of the portholes in the makeshift barricade built out of debris, cars, and anything not bolted down (and a few that were) that now divided 34th Street into a north end and a south end—and it was just one of many that now protected the side of Arcadia City that wasn't bound by the Jerusalem River. Five days of siege now, as Alliance forces had been streaming south on the northwestern continent from their landing sites near the arctic circle. They'd managed to drop during a brief breakthrough of the orbital defenses; the Terran Fifth Fleet had been punctured, and it had taken almost a day for them to regroup from the unexpected assault, more than enough time to drop troops. They'd since begun challenging the invading SPD fleet for orbital control, but it was a close thing.

Meridian III had once been a beautiful place, Sid had been told. Looking at the bombed out forests and ruined city, he could almost see where they were coming from. Whatever beauty had been here however, was long gone now. Plums of smoke rose up higher than the battered skyscrapers, and the skyline was littered with broken and severed rail lines. Garbage littered the streets in piles.

And the lookout had been right; the next wave was incoming. The ground shook as another division of walkers arrived on the scene; each elongated tank-like robots with six legs each and enough guns to level a building easy. Rolling up ontop of what had once been a parking deck before it collapsed were a collection of battle tanks. And the Alliance infantry were swarming in.

"HOLD!" Sid shouted at his troops, commanding them to wait even as the front lines began to feel the receiving end of the incoming barrage. He wanted the enemy to be in the optimum range.

A little closer…

"AIM...FIRE!" the red ranger shouted. Every gun, from the street anti-infantry turrets to the shelling howitzers opened fire simultaneously on the opposing force. A tank exploded. A walker lost two of its legs and fell to the side in a heap. One of Sid's cannons exploded, the victim of the opposing strike. Its horathean gunner screamed as he was thrown from his seat. The troops on the barricade and in the ruined buildings on their flanks aimed their guns through the makeshift portholes of the barricade, unleashing rifle fire as the enemy infantry swarmed in, many taking cover behind various debris and ruins.

Up above, a wing of four SPD VTOL attack craft soared into the battlespace, opening with a salvo of laserfire on the makeshift installation. Two soldiers perished instantly. Sid grimaced, deflecting a few shots with his ax, "Gunners, I want those ships *GONE*".

Two turrets rose up out of the ground behind the barricade. Once in position, the square-like rotating devices unloaded with four missiles each, all of them snaking a path that ultimately ended in the destruction of half of the offending areal force. The other two wisely decided that it was a good time to pull back, before the turrets had time to reload.

The nearest walker arrived at the barricade. The hatch of its upper level opened up, allowing dozens of armed Alliance soldiers to swarm over onto the top of the barricade. Sid frowned as he heard the screams of battle to his left. So, that was how they wanted to play it.

Summon his ax, the red ranger lept into the fray, cutting down troops as they piled in onto the narrow catwalks that constituted his base of operations. Two cat people went down easy. The siriusian was harder, the alien canine being extremely adept at swordplay. The two clashed, Sid unable to deliver a decisive strike.

Blam. A shot to the back from an aquitian soldier knocked the fight right of the humanoid dog-like alien, who slumped and fell over the side. Sid gave the soldier a thumbs up, before moving to block the attack from a fernovian. A cut to her side sent her over and gave Sid the chance to storm the walker, "FORWARD!" he shouted, as several Confederate troops followed him in. The red ranger swung in like a force of nature, his ax sending multiple Alliance soldiers over the side, sparks flying as they were hit.

He turned to the two soldiers behind him, "You two, get this walker turned the other direction, if-you-know-what-I-mean". The two nodded with a brief salute, before waving their men to follow them into the machine's cockpit, just as an explosion shifted Sid's attention.

"...Oh no" he whispered, realizing that as of two seconds ago, one of the SPD heavy cannons had managed to blow a hole clean through his barricades...and troops were now rushing in.

"GET MEN IN THAT HOLE!" the red ranger shouted as he made a B-line for the open wound in his lines, "BLOCK THEIR ADVANCE!"

This was bad; more walkers with more troops were arriving at the wall now, and the cannons were still shelling. Another one of Sid's cannons on the half-destroyed ruins of the skyscraper above him exploded. Even as the red ranger jumped into the gap in the barricades and began shooting with his blaster and deflecting with his ax, he knew he was going to have to give the order to pull back at this rate to the next barricade defense. There were just too many troops.

A walker was moving into the gap. Shit. Sid moved back, evading the laserfire coming down on him from above, "MOVE, MOVE!" he shouted, urging his troops to get back.

This was it. They were going to have to pull back.

There was a booming sound, and a rush of air. A violet beam shot down from above, lancing through the walker like butter. Sid glanced up as the walker exploded and collapsed, filling in the gap. Up above him floated a larger-than-usual space fighter—no, not a fighter, it was the size of a building. It was maybe vaguely...karovian? Or maybe some kind of terran stealth vehicle? It was black, with purple accents and silver trim, shaped like a predatory bird.

No, wait. That wasn't a fighter at all. Sid's helmet display confirmed for him—it was a zord! It lurched forward, lancing beams slicing through the enemy force, giving the defenders the edge they needed as their remaining guns opened another salvo. Deciding this was too much, the SPD troops began to turn around, their vehicles preparing to pull back. Another salvo and the enemy was in full retreat—for now.

The soldiers cheered, having grasped victory from the jaws of defeat.

"Okay, enough pats on the back!" Sid shouted, jumping back onto the catwalk. He pointed at the gap, "They'll be back soon. I want that hole filled in!"

"Yes sir!" came the reply, as soldiers began rushing over to the wounded defenses in order to construct a new wall ontop of the ruined walker. Sid glanced up again; the ship was veering off towards the center of the city, before...cloaking? Yeah, it had just vanished from view. He wasn't aware there had been any other rangers besides his team on this assignment. Who was that?

* * *

As the green ranger stepped off his freshly-parked skycycle, his eyes wandered above to the sky, where the large black plume of smoke in front of him trailed up into. The ship itself was toast; a twisted mass of burning metal. Whatever had been left intact of the ship after it had been hit hadn't survived impact.

"Hello?!" Trok called, beginning the arduous task of maneuvering through the wreckage, "Is anyone alive?" He thanked the spirits for his ranger suit; being within this amount of fire and smoke would be incredibly hazardous to breath, never mind the heat. His helmet's scanners picked up nothing in the chaos. "Hello?!" he repeated, a little more desperate.

...Didn't look like anyone made it. Trok frowned, but began making his way back to his skycycle—he had promised Xolin he'd be back quickly, and if his scanners weren't picking anything up, well...

The sound of grinding metal, as if one was being pulled off another, took his attention back to the ruins. Wait...there WAS a lifesign! "Hey!" Trok called, hurrying over to where a metal beam had just rolled over another, "Hey! Are you okay?!"

"...Ugh..." came the reply.

Trok hurried over to the lifesign. To his surprise, it was...well, not a ranger suit, but certainly something related. He was definitely registering Grid energies, whatever he was. Helping him up and slinging his arm over his shoulder, Trok helped the mysterious figure out.

"Hey, are...are you okay?" Trok asked again, once they were clear of the wreckage. Trok let the man down gently, resting him against the side of his skycycle and allowing him to catch is breath. The green ranger crouched down next to him, "What happened?"

"Shot down..." the man managed to get out. He took another deep breath, waving off Trok's concerns, "Nah, I'm...fine, just a little banged up".

"All the same, we should get you checked out" Trok replied, worried, "Who are you?"

"Masked Rider Apollo" the man replied, a little more together now, and a lot more cocky, "At your service!"

"...A rider?!" Trok gasped, keeping a lid on his giddiness as much as he could, "I didn't know you guys were still in operation!"

Apollo chuckled, "There's still a few of us running around. More than you'd think, anyway. No thanks to the post-war anti-hero legislation the Confederacy threw up".

Trok shrugged, a little uncomfortable to be talking politics with a stranger, "They...did what they thought was best at the time" he mumbled, "But uh..." he pointed to himself, "It's better now, right?"

"Right" Apollo said with a grin in his voice, "Got another war to fight. Someone's gotta protect everyone, right?"

Relief flooded through Trok as the conversation shifted "Right!" he paused, "...What were you doing, anyway? I mean, before the crash?"

He shrugged, "Like I said, shot down. My ship was already damaged from an earlier firefight, and I ran into a squadron of SPD fighters once I came out of hyperrush. Bad luck for me, I guess".

"Hmm" Trok mused, not entirely sure where to go from here, "I guess I should take you back to base then. You dropped behind enemy lines, so the sooner we get out of here, the better".

"Sounds like a good idea" Apollo grunted as he struggled to stand. Trok helped him up, "...Thanks. I've got no love for SPD, and I'd rather they not find us".

Trok helped him onto his skycyle, before swinging his leg over and plopping himself down in front, "Same here. Don't worry, we'll be back in Confederate territory soon. You gonna stick around? We could really use the help".

"...We'll see" Apollo said non-noncommittally, "I've...got another appointment I've got to make sooner rather than later".

"Oh" Trok said, a little disappointed, "Still, we can get you to wherever you need to be".

"Thanks, dude" the rider said, slapping the ranger on the shoulder from behind, as the skycycle took off and headed straight for the city, "I owe you for this". A moment passed, "So what's your name?"

"Trok, part of Peacekeeper Team Twelve!" the green ranger said with a little bit of triumph in his voice.

"Trok...that's horathean, right?"

"Yep!" the green ranger replied, a little surprised and impressed that Apollo could discern horathean from any number of other cultures. Trok eased a little, becoming more familiar with his passenger. He seemed like a pretty cool guy so far.

"Interesting!" the rider replied, "So, do you like being a ranger, Trok?"

Trok nodded, "Yeah, it's pretty great. I get to see new places and save people. It's like being on a different adventure every week". He thought for a second, "...What about you? You like being a rider? What's that like?"

The other man laughed, "It's kind of like being a ranger I imagine, except solo. I just kind of go where I'm needed. And I like it; no real micromanagement to speak of. I just go where I'm ordered and have cart blanch to do what I need to do. Plus, y'know, like you said. Saving people and stuff. Always great".

"So...you work for the Confederacy then?" Trok asked. He'd had his suspicions, but wasn't sure. He knew that the Peacekeepers had been branching out at the various unaligned 'civilian' teams and heroes operating within Confederate space, but he'd never actually run into any of them.

"You could say that" Apollo replied, "Though I'm sort of freelance. It's complicated".

"Oh..." Trok said, musing on the idea. He was a little confused, though any further questioning was silenced by Xolin.

"_Xolin to Trok, what's your status?"_

Oh! Right, he was supposed to contact her. Oops, "Oh, right. Sorry. We're good, I mean, I'm good. On my way now".

"_...We? You found someone at the crash site?"_

"Yep!" another bit of triumph, "Have him with me now. Get this: he's a rider!"

A pause, _"...Seriously?"_ Xolin replied, her tone definitely registering surprise, _"I didn't know there were many of them left"._

"I get that a lot" Apollo called to Trok's morpher with a grin.

"_Huh. Well, I'll lay out the welcome mat. You know where to land"._

"How's the battle going?" Trok asked, remembering that she'd initially contacted him over another incoming assault.

Xolin sighed a bit, mildly distressed, _"We've got them contained for now. Sid's group just repulsed another attack from the northwest, and Sel and Isdilian have been fending off skirmish patrols all morning. I'd be out there too, but we keep getting reports of incoming orbital strikecraft, so I'm maintaining watch on the inner defenses, in case we need to scramble fighters"._

"Right well, we'll be there soon" Trok said. Xolin responded by severing the link. He turned to Apollo as they crossed over the outer limits of the city, "That was Xolin, the blue ranger. She's a really good friend of mine".

"Close to your team, I take it?" Apollo asked.

"Oh yeah" Trok replied happily, "They're the best".

* * *

The red ranger stepped off his skycycle within seconds of parking it on the government complex's main spaceport. Said spaceport was a cluster of pads suspended many stories above the streets below via walkways that lead into the central structure of the complex—a massive collection of towers that dominated the skyline near the river. Arcadia had once been a thriving metropolis; numerous rail lines could still be seen interlinking the badly damaged skyscrapers that surrounded him, and the government complex itself was less a building and more an archeology. His target was the top of the building—thank god for elevators. It only took Sid a few minutes to make it from the spaceport into the building to the nearest elevator, and then take it up to the highest level.

He had to admit; whoever had designed this place had certainly had an eye for aesthetics. The war room was a large pentagonal chamber flanked by windowed walls overlooking the city below, with numerous tables and control panels arranged in the shape of the room, with a central table with a holographic emitter in the middle—much like a much larger version of their own war room back on the Megaship. It wasn't *actually* the city's war room—cities didn't have war rooms. Not normally, anyway. In peacetime this would have been the control tower for the spaceport; the governmental processes would have been done a few stories down in the office wings. For now though, it was far more practical to work where you could see the situation. Right now there weren't too many elected officials; most were elsewhere, keeping the city running or in other besieged settlements across the planet. Those who were left however, had mostly given Iota and Peacekeeper team twelve cart blanche on how to deal with the situation. One of the upsides of the Confederacy was also its downside; its incredibly decentralized nature (especially among the Terran Alliance colonies) meant that you didn't really have to worry about getting permission the governmental chain of command too much in order to get stuff done—but on the other hand that lack of centralization was killing the coordination of the war effort, leaving the nascent Peacekeeper organization to pick up the slack as best it could.

It was funny, really, considering that a scant few months ago, people would have recoiled in horror at the thought of a Confederate-regulated ranger organization. But now that the war was on, everyone couldn't get enough of them—if reluctantly.

Sid caught sight of another ranger talking with Iota. She was black-suited, with purple accents and silver armor trim—much like his own trim. Huh, so there WAS another ranger here. Curious.

"...You called?" Sid asked, sundering over to his commander. He nodded in a friendly manner towards the newcomer, though she mostly just ignored him. Hrn. He frowned a bit, getting a distinctly bad feeling she was going to be following in the footsteps of Xolin and Isdilian—especially the latter. Man, why were all the rangers he was introduced to aside from Trok such downers?

"Yes, I did" Iota replied, "I would like you to meet Agent Shadow, one of our independent field agents" he motioned towards the black ranger.

"Yo" Sid mock-saluted. She said nothing in response. He turned to Iota after a moment of awkward silence, "...You *do* know how to pick us surly and antisocial, don't you?"

Iota bristled but continued, "...Agent Shadow, meet Sid, *former* leader of Peacekeeper Team Twelve".

"...Ouch" Sid recoiled sarcastically, "But I doubt you had me walk all the way from the front lines just to insult me".

Finally, Shadow spoke, "I've come here trailing a wanted criminal. His ship crashed somewhere outside the city limits".

"...And let me guess, you need our help finding him" Sid finished for her.

"Indeed" Iota replied, "You are to assist Agent Shadow in any capacity she requires—when the city is not in immediate danger, that is".

"And what does her highness require of me now?" Sid asked, bemused.

"Some respect would be nice" Shadow grunted, mildly annoyed.

Iota sighed angrily, "Sid..."

The red ranger put up his hands in defense, "I kid, I kid. But seriously, what's the deal?"

"I just need you and your team to be on the lookout" Shadow replied. She pulled up a holoscreen over her morpher and began typing into it, "I'm uploading the relevant files to your database now. Please distribute them to your team".

Sid pulled up the files as they were brought over to his morpher, his eyes widening in surprise, "...Masked Rider Apollo? I didn't know there were still any riders left. Especially not after the corps was disbanded".

"Riders are a bit like rangers" Iota said, "Just because they might be disallowed by the government doesn't mean they stop existing. Numerous riders are still in operation or at the very least can be reactivated at any time".

Sid continued to scroll through the—admittedly truncated—information. It *was* very brief, not even a secret identity or reasons for why he needed to be apprehended. Really, all there was was a name, a picture, and some tactical information on his suit, powers, and mannerisms. Great; more secrets.

"...And why is he under arrest?" Sid asked, quickly skimming through again to see if he missed something.

Shadow replied, "Theft of sensitive information about the war effort. We don't know what he's planning, but he needs to be stopped—he could do substantial damage if left unchecked".

Sid nodded. Fair enough, "...Alright. I'll let the team know. But why me? Isn't Isdilian in charge?" he asked as he closed the window, a little confused.

"Isdilian is currently occupied away from the city on skirmisher duty. You were the highest ranking ranger on call".

Mmm. Always nice to be needed, right?, "Right, I'll...let them know them" he sighed, before turning away. As he walked away, Sid mused to himself; there were always more secrets, more lies. The Peacekeepers, and quite possibly the Confederacy, wanted this man arrested, for essentially knowing too much. The more Sid worked for the Peacekeepers, the less he liked them.

And yet...why was he even here? He'd stuck on partially to keep Sel safe—and relatedly the other two who had stayed on for the same reasons—but also to keep an eye on Iota. The man was a manipulative blowhard, and too many coincidences surrounded him. Why was he so keen to assemble the team he had? Why did he need Sel, a ticking timebomb of morphin' grid energy, in his pocket? Or Isdilian who by all signs had the same powers? And why had everything lined up so nicely almost as if Iota had *wanted* this war? For the longest time, Sid had assumed that Iota was planning to finish the job the Confederacy had started in the first war, by simply wiping out the Alliance and SPD with his superpowered morphin' grid time bombs. And yet, the war had been going for months now. They weren't winning—in fact, current projections showed that the Confederacy would continue to be slowly pushed back the longer the war went on for. And so far, Iota hadn't done anything with Sel or Isdilian.

So what WAS the plan here?

Damnit. Why didn't anything ever make any sense? It was ridiculous.

He sighed. How much longer was he going to have to wait before something happened where he could intercept? Was there ever going to be a point where he could intercept? Would he even know when it happened? Maybe he was just overly paranoid? Except they WERE hiding things! And they WERE manipulating them!

Ugh.

"...I need a drink" Sid muttered to himself as he headed back towards his skycycle. Suddenly, he heard voices down the hall. Laughter.

"...And that's when I said to the snowman monster, 'I'm putting you on ice!'"

"Oh, classy. Puns" Xolin said, as the blue and green rangers turned the corner, another armored figure in tow. Trok laughed though, and even Xolin's bite seemed mildly amused.

"I can't help it" the figure said jovially, "You gotta take enjoyment out of your work, y'know? Otherwise you'll just drive yourself nuts".

"I hear that" Xolin agreed wholeheartedly.

"Sid!" Trok said happily as they caught sight of the red ranger, "Meet Apollo! I found him outside the city".

"'Found'" Apollo snorted, amused, "Kid pulled me out of a burning spaceship. Saved my life" he playfully smacked Trok in the shoulder.

"It...wasn't *that* big of a deal..." Trok stammered, a little taken aback by the praise. Seriously, he'd just seen if the guy was okay. Wearing a rider suit and having survived the crash itself, he wouldn't have been in that big of trouble.

Apollo turned back to the red ranger, "So, Sid huh? Like Trok said, I'm Apollo. Sort of a hero freelancer. Good to meet you!" he extended his hand.

Sid glanced at the hand for a split second, hesitating. This was the guy they were supposed to arrest but...he was so nice. Did he deserve it? And yet...the alarms were all going off in Sid's head. He was TOO nice. Too forward, too outgoing. Sid could smell the social engineering from a mile away.

Or was he just paranoid?

He wasn't sure who to trust at this point, but he met Apollo's hand, "...Yeah, welcome to Arcadia" he said, before letting go, "So...if you don't mind me asking, what's your real name?"

"Sorry, I'm not *officially* in the employ of the Peacekeepers. So my secret identity is pretty much my only defense, if you know what I mean" he said, shrugging.

...Okay, fair enough, as far as Sid was concerned. It was a legitimate point.

"...What's with you?" Xolin asked Sid. Even with his ranger suit on, he could tell he was hesitant; uncertain, "You look like he's about to bite you or something".

Sigh. He guess he couldn't really hide it from them; he was *supposed* to tell them. "Well..." he started, rubbing the back of his neck in stress, "It's actually a pretty funny story".

"...Uh oh" Xolin's jovial domineer collapsed into deadpan as her shoulders sagged, "Funny stories are never good. What happened?"

"I just got out of a meeting with Iota. There's another ranger here—an Agent Shadow". At that, Apollo seemed to be a little more hesitant himself. Uh oh.

"Another one of Iota's pets?" Xolin asked, folding her arms.

"...Maybe?" Sid shrugged, "I dunno".

Trok's curiosity was peaked, "New ranger? Reinforcements or something?"

"...Not exactly" Sid replied, still hesitant, "She has her own mission to complete here".

"So what's going on?" Xolin asked, a little irritated now, "Just spit it out".

"...She wants me, doesn't she?" Apollo asked, resigned.

Sid nodded and was about to reply, but before he could Shadow's voice spoke up from behind him, "...Yes. I do". The black ranger stepped out from around the corner, arms folded.

"...What's going on?" Trok asked warily, stepping in front of Apollo and between him and Shadow a bit.

"What's going on is that your friend there is under arrest by order of the Peacekeeper Organization" Shadow proclaimed, opening up a holoscreen from her morpher that displayed Apollo's warrant for all to see.

Trok seemed to stare at it for a moment in shock and disbelief, but soon found the words as he looked between the two opposing camps, "...How? Why? What did...why do they want you?" Trok managed to blurt out, dismayed at the sudden turn this had taken.

"Why don't you ask her?" Apollo glared at Shadow, his whole form stiffening, "She's been hunting me for weeks".

Everyone turned to Shadow. She addressed them matter-of-factly, "Masked Rider Apollo, you are under arrest for the crime of stealing heavily classified and sensitive information".

"With what evidence?" Apollo demanded to know.

"Plenty that will be presented at the trial" Shadow replied, "Including your presence at Karovian Station X-13 three weeks ago".

Apollo was indignant, "I was *hired* for defense!"

"And while you were there you hijacked data about the war effort!"

"You have no proof!"

Shadow stepped forward, her voice raised, "We registered a level-twelve telepathic scan. We know you're xybrian, and we know of your dealings with...less than reputable factions".

"Circumstance!" Apollo countered, ripping off his helmet. Long green hair flopped down, his face angry, "I'm a freelancer, I don't answer to your command, I go where people need help. So yeah, I've been outside Confederate space, and surprise, people out there need help. And you can't just profile me just because I'm xybrian! That's bull!"

Trok nodded, moving to protect Apollo, "Yeah, I'm not a fan of this, at all".

"Your approval is irrelevant" Shadow replied, "He's coming with me".

"No!" Trok bit back, "He's right, this is bull! Your evidence is bull! This guy's one of us; he doesn't deserve to be locked up just because he's not part of our organization!"

Iota spoke as he came around the corner, "He won't be locked up, Trok. We just need to talk with him. And if it comes to it; have a trial. And if he's proven innocent, as I'm sure he is, then he'll walk away free. But a breach of security *is* a serious threat".

Trok stood there a moment, shifting his glance between the parties, but a hand on his shoulder from Xolin urged him to reluctantly step down.

Apollo saw he was surrounded, especially as two troops had unceremoniously blocked the exit to the spaceport. He grimaced, his form slumping in resignation as the last of his chances had slipped away. Trok simply stood there, head down and fists bunched up at his side. Shadow nodded at Apollo to follow him as the terran soldiers moved towards each side of him and urged him along behind Shadow and Iota.

"...Yeah, a trial" Sid murmured, "And I'm sure it'll just so happen to be private where no one will ever find it".

Shadow stopped in her tracks, wheeling around as the others kept moving around the corner and out of sight, "...Trying to imply something?" she asked, her tone even and controlled.

Sid glared at her angrily, even if his helmet blocked it, "...You know, it's funny. Looking at the situation, you'd think we'd never revolted against the Alliance. It's amazing how quick 'ranger alliance' becomes 'oppressive police state'. Remember those SPD judgment scanners? All the power in the world, and all the temptation to use it".

"...We're at *war*" Shadow threw back at him angrily, "Extraordinary situations call for extraordinary responses".

Sid snorted grimly, "Yeah, SPD used to say the same thing, didn't it?"

The two stared at each other a moment more, before Shadow prepared to turn away, "...Your objections have been noted and ignored. Get back to your posts, all of you".

Sid pulled off his helmet, "SPD used to say that too".

Shadow stopped in her tracks, staring silently at Sid. He tilted his head, confused, "...What? Something else?"

"..._you_" she uttered in astonishment.

"...Me?" Sid asked, still confused.

Shadow's glare lingered on, as if she was trying to process some sort of information, "...He said your name was Sid, but I didn't think..."

"...Do I know you?" Sid asked, cautious now.

A second more of silence, and Shadow demorphed in a flash of violet light. And there, standing in front of Sid, was a very familiar redhead. But...it couldn't be. It was impossible. His mind tried to wrap itself around the concept, but it was failing at the task, and instead Sid just stood there, his brain short-circuiting.

"What?" Shadow asked, her voice laced with disgust, "Nothing to say?"

Sid blinked, "...Nikki?"

"...Nikki?" Xolin asked,"You know her?"

Sid didn't respond, instead keeping his attention solely on the girl in front of him. "But...how?"

"I managed" she said, her fists balled up, her expression shifting quickly to abject hatred, "No thanks to you". As if to signify her comment, she...well, her form blinked. It glitched, as if she was...as if she was some sort of...hologram. Huh, answers and yet more questions. Too many questions. Nikki turned to the other two rangers, "Word of advice? Don't trust him. He'll only get you killed". With that, she turned and left, in the direction Apollo and Iota had, leaving three very bewildered rangers behind.

"Uh..." Xolin managed to utter, now extremely confused, "What...was that about".

"That...that was Nikki" Sid managed.

Xolin put her hands up in a sign of hopeless confusion, "And 'Nikki' is…?"

"My former second in command" Sid said, "Former white ranger of SPD Mirinoi D-Squad" he sighed, "And my ex-girlfriend".

Trok cleared his throat, hesitating, "Um...Don't take this the wrong way, but uh...didn't you say your SPD team um..."

"Died? ...Yeah, yeah it did" Sid still hadn't looked at ether of them, instead keeping his thousand yard stare on the bulkhead in front of them where the hallway turned.

"Looked like she was some kind of hologram or...something" Xolin mused, "Any ideas?"

"No" Sid replied, his voice finding itself again as rage took over, his fist clenching as the wheels in his head spun, multiple scenarios starting to form but none of them good, "But I think I know where to get them".

* * *

Iota took another glance at the holoscreen with the realtime footage of Masked Rider Apollo. He sighed with relief at at least that was one problem off his plate. In a few hours, more Confederate forces would be arriving to take him offworld to one of the main Peacekeeper bases for...safe keeping, and Shadow would be joining them.

Or rather, she would have been. Iota had other plans; and he'd already cleared them with command. Shadow was important for The Plan, and it was time he'd added her to his lineup. The time would be soon, and as the war had drug on, he'd gotten a little antsy; his old plan of keeping all of his eggs in separate baskets was looking more and more risky thanks to The Enemy's increasingly erratic movements—he couldn't afford to lose any of them. He needed to keep an eye on all his pawns.

"...What the _hell!_"

Speaking of.

Sid marched in, tossing his helmet aside as he rushed up to Iota in a quick march, "What the _*hell*_?!" he repeated with a mixture of rage, confusion, and agastness.

Well, shit.

"...Something on your mind?" Iota asked casually, with a hint of bemusement.

"...Something on my mind?" Sid repeated in befuddlement as he spun around, his arms outstretched as he laughed manically, "He wants to know if there's something on my mind! Wh...this is *your* fault, isn't it?!"

Iota shrugged, faking innocence as he waited for Sid to explain.

Sid glared back at his commander, his face baffled. Where even to *start*?! "W...y...wh-" he stuttered, unable to even put the absurdity of this into words, "..._why?!_" he finally managed to blurt out.

Iota sighed inwardly, "Why is she working for the Peacekeepers? Or why is she alive?"

Sid blinked, "..._YES_!"

Another sigh, "It's...complicated".

"...You THINK!?" Sid facepalmed as he turned around again, pacing around the room, "Jesus Christ. Just...Jesus Christ. What the hell, Iota? What the hell? I mean, I get you like playing with our lives like some twisted god, but what the _hell?!_ This is..." he shook his head, "I don't even have words for this. Was my dad not enough? Now you've actually got my dead girlfriend walking around for your amusement? What is your *problem*?! Where do you get off?!"

"If you can believe it, I actually had nothing to do with this. Or your father, though you clearly refuse to believe the latter".

Sid laughed, "Oh, I can't *wait* to hear how you try to worm your way out of this one".

Iota moved around to one of the other holoscreens hovering over a table. He checked it, making sure everything was running properly as he moved over to the next one, making sure the video feeds of the various barricades were still clear, "...You are aware of the blackbox technology SPD has employed since the sixth generation of morphers, correct?"

"...The brainwave savepoints?" Sid asked as he circled around Iota and the room as a whole, now genuinely curious if still skeptical, "Yeah, but those aren't sentient".

"Normally not, no" Iota replied, still checking station after station, "The blackbox was designed to...'assist' in near-fatal situations. It would scan and save a ranger's mental image on a regular basis in case of severe brain injury, to assist in helping the wounded in case of a variety of situations, including amnesia, dementia, and up to induced vegetative states. But you're right, it was never built to be sentient. There's no AI bluebox program to allow it to think for itself; it's just an assembly of memories and thought processes—software, but no hardware to run it".

"So explain why my dead girlfriend is sending people to jail two floors down" Sid said, his voice steady for the first time, but also demanding.

Iota shrugged, "How it happened exactly? I'm not entirely certain. My current theory is that she's the one who tripped the trap, so to speak. One of the consoles was probably rigged to blow; but something...went wrong, I suppose. Maybe the booby trap was linked to the station's AI. Maybe she was hacking into the computer with her morpher directly and...something happened that shouldn't have. I don't know. But your girlfriend ended up as the new station AI. She told me that she was there for over a month, as the SPD team that came aboard poked and tortured her for information—after they stopped trying to eradicate her for being a virus".

"...Is this supposed to make me feel better?" Sid asked sarcasically, still circling, his fists still locked tight.

"I'm telling you because it's what happened" Iota replied, his gaze focused on a video feed of the barricades on 34th street. Oh, how he wished the Alliance would make another attempt right this second. "Eventually she gained control of the station and...well, long story short made her way back to Confederate space. Eventually she signed up with the Peacekeepers of her own volition. We supplied her with some hard-light holographic technology, and she's been one of our most capable solo agents since".

"And you expect me to believe that".

Iota gave a half-chuckle, "Knowing you? No. But it *is* what happened. And if you don't believe me, feel free to ask her yourself".

"Yay, more awkward conversations with past relations" Sid grunted, before facepalming with both hands, pulling his fingers down over his face in a futile effort to brush off the insanity that was...everything, apparently, "Christ almighty" a pause, "…Is there anyone else you'd like me to talk to? You could dig up my grandma. I know where she's buried. Made a mean pumpkin pie".

"Your attempts at humor don't faze me, Sid" Iota replied, "I'm quite busy, and frankly I advise you to take this lull in battle to talk with your former teammate. Or...rather current teammate".

Sid's response was a single deadpan "What".

"Her abilities as a stealth fighter are exactly what we're lacking, and she could compliment Trok's tech skills admirably".

Sid looked at him, standing still, a deadpan expression on his face, "...You are the worst person. Ever. Of all time".

"Be that as it may" Iota replied, "My suggestion stands".

"I..." Sid started, but realized he had nowhere to go with this. Where could you even go with this? This was madness. This was complete and utter madness and there was just...how...what the shit? Sid was honestly starting to wonder if Iota didn't actually have some grand master plan to conquer the universe or whatever, but instead was only planning on using Sid as his personal scratching post for the rest of eternity.

"...Something else?" Iota asked, turning to him. Sid stared at him for a few more seconds, before shaking his head in numb, flabbergasted disgust and walking away.

Iota returned to watching the video feeds. Boy he wished the enemy would attack. It would be really convenient.

* * *

So it was going to be one of Those days. The whole series of revelations in the prior conversation had dropped so quickly in succession, for a brief moment she had honestly wondered if she'd somehow been sucked into one of those really bad triforian soap operas her mom always used to watch when she was little.

As she exited the building and saw Trok sulking, leaning against his skycycle on the ground of the spaceport in front of her, she realized the jury was still out.

"Credit for your thoughts?" Xolin asked as she approached, easily slipping into the mentor role.

The green ranger looked up at her, then back down at the ground, "This is all bull".

Xolin nodded as she leaned on his skycycle from behind, leering over him. He was probably right, "...Yeah, I agree".

"Sid's right" Trok added glumly, "...We can't trust the Peacekeepers. We *know* we can't trust Iota. How do we know he's even going to have a trial? Why should there be one? They have nothing on him!"

Xolin grimaced, not really wanting to be drawn into this but also knowing this was...a dangerous stance to take, "...We don't actually know that, Trok. Like, we've only known the man for about an hour. I don't think it's a good idea to judge the entire case just on this. We don't actually *know* him".

The green ranger looked at her, his tone angry, "So you'd just let him rot? He's a hero, like us! You heard all the stories he told us!"

Xolin was unmoved, "...Yeah, stories *he* told us".

"So what, you'll take Iota's word over his?!" Trok exclaimed, getting up.

The blue ranger put her hands up in protest, "Woah, I'm just saying we need to *calm down*. Please".

Trok regarded her for a minute, disappointed, and feeling just a little betrayed, "...I thought you of all people would have agreed with me. Aren't you the one who told me not to hide when people need my help?" The green ranger began walking back towards the entrance to the towers.

"Trok..." Xolin started sadly, recalling that exact lesson she'd taught him, back on Horath when they'd fought the giant sand worm in order to save any number of civilians from being charged with the 'crime' his brother had saddled him with. Trok had wanted to keep running, avoiding his responsibility-she'd beaten some perspective into him.

...How long ago that seemed to be now.

"Trok!" she repeated, more firmly when he didn't stop. That caused him to pause briefly at the door. She continued, softer, "...Please don't do anything you'll regret".

He said nothing, instead entering the building, the door shutting behind him. She grimaced, "...Please don't do anything *I'll* regret" she muttered. Xolin sighed, slumping against the skycycle in defeat. It figured he'd listen to her and take her words to heart at the worst possible time. "...And mom always wanted me to have lots of kids, too".

* * *

"...Can we talk?"

After taking Apollo to a holding cell, Nikki had returned to one of the interior spaceport bays in the tower, deciding to work on her zord, currently fully-sized and taking up most of the chamber. She was incredibly thankful for micro-tech—if she'd not had her zord on her at the time, Apollo hijacking her normal transport would have left her stranded. But micro-tech had its downsides; for one, you couldn't do maintenance on your craft as long as it could fit in the palm of your hand.

Taking notice of Sid however, Nikki stopped running her diagnostic on one of the rear thrusters, instead during her attention to him, "...I don't think there's really anything for us *to* talk about" she said, before resuming her work.

Sid stepped further into the room, "...I think there is".

Her face flattened, "...And what do you want, Sid? Do you want us to just fall into each other's arms in a maddening display of love-thought-lost?"

"I..." Sid was a little nonplussed, still wrapping his head around the fact that his dead girlfriend was standing there talking to him after all these years, "...I'm just trying to figure this all out. You're not dead".

"...No thanks to you" she muttered idly, still working.

"...How?"

She frowned, pondering before resuming work, "...I'm sure Iota's already told you about the whole 'AI' thing, am I right?"

So Iota was being truthful after all. Wonder of wonders, "I just...I guess it's hard for me to wrap my head around this".

"Then don't" Nikki replied curtly. She stopped what she was doing and crossed over to him, "Let's get one thing straight. We're not involved with each other anymore. We're not even friends. So if you don't mind, I'd rather you leave so I can do my job".

"...Why all the hate?" Sid asked, confused, "I thought you'd be glad another one of us made it out. I sure am".

She paused again, before dropping her datapad on a workbench and marching over to him, an ugly sneer on her face, "...You want to know why I'm not happy to see you, Sid? How about the fact that you left me to die? You left us ALL to die!"

Sid stepped back, his face pale as memories pushed through his subconscious, playing over and over in horror. Every agonizing detail, every little bit of awful remembrance. He closed his eyes, "...I didn't leave you to die" he managed to say, only a little above a whisper.

"Oh no?" she asked angrily, before stretching her arm out so she could bash random buttons on her morpher, causing her form to flicker like the holographic image she was, "Then explain that, Sid? Explain that!"

"...You were already dead" Sid said quietly, "The room exploded and...and..."

"And you left me there". Her tone was direct, accusatory.

"I didn't know you'd been uploaded to their database! Your body's lifesigns were nonexistent! I'm sorry, but I'm not omniscient!" Sid threw back, currently having the worst possible conversation he could ever have. He told himself day in and day out there was nothing he could have done, that they'd all died before he'd even had a chance to react, and yet...what if he COULD have done more? Would he ever really know?

"You know what they did to me when they found me?" Nikki asked, "They tortured me. They pulled my coding apart and dug into every aspect of my program to find the answers they wanted. For a month. The others weren't even that lucky; they really DID die, all because you ordered me to check out the computer console..." she stopped, her voice breaking. Both seemed on the verge of crying.

"...I'm sorry" Sid whispered.

Her fists balled up, "Sorry isn't good enough". She returned to the workbench, picked up her datapad, and returned to work, clearly indicating that this conversation was over. Sid lingered a moment more, but there was nothing more to say. What COULD he say, honestly? And so defeated, he said nothing and simply left.

* * *

"Hey"

Apollo looked up from his bench in the sparse holding cell, a force-field in place between him and Trok. He was dressed in civilian clothing; his powers having been removed. The green ranger, having removed his helmet, sat down opposite the rider.

"Trok, buddy!" Apollo grinned, "What's up?"

"I'm sorry they have you locked up in here" Trok said morosely.

Apollo shrugged, leaning back against the wall, "They're just doing what they think is right. Can't blame them for it".

"It's still not fair" Trok replied.

"Yeah..." Apollo mused, in thought as he looked away at the wall to his left, "...Sucks about my mission, too. They really needed my help".

Trok's curiosity was piqued, "...Who?"

Apollo glanced back at him, a weary smile on his face, "Oh, nothing. I was supposed to rendezvous with some contacts from Arelius IV, out on the fringe. The colonists there have been suffering from pirate raids for the past few months now".

"That's terrible!" Trok replied as he connected the dots, "If you're not there to help them..."

Apollo sighed as he looked down at the floor, "Yeah...No helping it though, I suppose. Hopefully they can find someone else to protect them" his face contorted with displeasure, "Although..."

"...What?" Trok asked, though he had a sinking suspicion he didn't want to know.

Apollo fidgeted with his fingers, seemingly nervous, "...I just got a message that the pirates caught on that the colonists were trying to find someone to put an end to the raiding. They're massing their forces for a final strike; they're going to try and wipe the entire colony out before anyone can stop them. They figure that if they send this kind of message, the other fringe colony worlds will fall in line".

"...We have to stop them!" Trok exclaimed, lifting himself out of his seat, "All those people are going to die!"

"What can we do?" Apollo shrugged helplessly, "I'm in here" he shook his head and looked down at the floor again, "And there's no way to get out".

Trok thought for a moment, looking around at the mostly-empty hall of unused holding cells. A few cameras—they could be fooled or disabled. The force field would be easy enough too… Dawning realization flooded Trok as he realized what he had to do, "...What if I get you out of here?"

"...What?" Apollo scoffed, taking his gaze off the floor, "You can't do that. Think of the trouble you'd get into!"

Trok shook his head, "Trouble isn't what I'm worried about. It's people getting hurt. Can't be a hero if you're afraid of the consequences, right?"

Apollo smiled, nodding, "...That's right".

"...It'll be safer to move you tonight, when there's less guards patrolling the towers. Can the colonists wait until then?"

Apollo nodded, thinking, "...Yeah, I think they can".

Trok nodded back, "...I'll get you out of here. Don't worry".

"You're a good man, Trok. The best. Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise" Apollo replied with a wide grin—one that made Trok all the more convinced he was making the right choice.

* * *

Sunset.

She'd never really been so thankful for sunset—though, living on a ship most of one's life kind of dulled one's appreciation of planetside solar radiation. The warmth, the coldness in its absence, the annoying shining light directly in your eyes. Really, she'd wish it would just finish setting already; it was really annoying her vision by blocking out everything in front of her, even with her helmet's various alternate video settings (though, she had to admit; the view the dimming sky and fiery-red clouds were giving her was gorgeous. She'd have to remember this when she got back to painting). But still, it was way better than the beating heat from earlier—walking most of the day through an open desecrated field really reminded one of just how hot and humid a place could get. What was worse was that this had once been a dense forest; there were burned out stumps and half-broken mangled husks all around them. Amazing what a little carpet bombing could do.

"We're going the wrong way" Sel muttered.

Isdilian ignored her, instead keeping pace in front of her.

"...We're still going the wrong way" she repeated a few minutes later. They'd been walking for hours; ever since their skycycles had been blown out of the air by the Alliance's anti-aircraft turrets. They'd been chasing another scouting party; the fifth that day, and had accidentally gone too far north and right into the Alliance front defensive line. Now they were headed west for...some reason. A small hint of a grin formed on her face when she saw Isdilian's fist instinctively clench. She was breaking him.

"...So we're just going to go the wrong way forever then?"

Isdilian, evidently having had enough, wheeled on her, "For the love of mercy, *stop talking*!"

"...But we're still goi-"

"The wrong way, yes" the silver ranger muttered, resuming his walk, "So you've said".

"Then why-"

He cut her off again, "Because the way back is blocked off by the enemy's front line, and both them and our own forces in Arcadia have both teleporter and communication jammers employed".

"So what's the plan then?"

"The plan" Isdilian sighed, quickly tiring of her never-ending questions, "Is to circumvent them. Find a weaker point in the front lines and sneak through that".

Sel frowned, considering the fault in his logic, "...But we don't even know where the lines are weakest".

"Correct. The best we can do is trial and error. I'm trying to track their positions on my morpher, but I'm getting significant feedback on sensors".

"...That seems...like sort of a bad idea" Sel replied.

"...You have a better idea?" he asked, turning to her slightly as they continued to walk.

She shook her head reluctantly, "...No. But what's our plan if we end up in a thick section of the line?"

"...We do what we must" was the only reply she received.

Sel sighed; he was even less of a conversation starter than she was, "...So how long until we give it a shot?"

Isdilian let out an aggravated sigh as his entire form shook, "Whenever I think I see a gap in my sensors, *okay*?"

"Okay, sure. No need to get angry" the yellow ranger replied, palms up in defense. A moment passed before she added, "...You know, you could have just told me from the beginning".

"Would it have mattered?" was Isdilian's reply.

Sel blinked. Was he serious? "Uh...yeah?" she replied, "It's helpful when we inform each other what the plan is".

Silence. Isdilian was done talking as they kept walking.

Sel's face scrunched up in a pout; she was most assuredly *not* done. "...I don't get you. I don't think anyone on the team gets you. You're just so...so..." she tried to think of a good word, "...terrible. You treat us like dirt, you don't ever tell us anything, and then you get angry at us when we don't give you exactly what you want".

Isdilian responded, "Your leader requires obedience, imagine that".

Now Sel's fists curled up as she stomped her foot, stopping her walk as her boot hit the dirt in a pout, "How can we obey if you won't tell us what to do!? *Why* should we obey you if all you're going to do is treat us like...like..." she struggled with the words, "I don't know. I just...I don't get it".

Isdilian kept walking and she was soon forced to catch back up to him, "You will obey the chain of command because it's the right thing to do".

She squinted at his reasoning, "...You don't actually have a reason, do you?"

He sputtered, though it was almost unnoticeable, "If you don't obey, you will probably be killed by our enemies" he corrected himself, "All of society is a series of chains of command. We all work for our employers, or our families, or our political process. To deny that would be to invite anarchy, and lose all we have strived to achieve as a civilization".

"...Doesn't mean you have to be a jerk about it" Sel mumbled. It's not like she even asked to be here; a girl with no memories or purpose, and the very first thing she knew she'd been 'acquired' by the Peacekeepers for combat duty, without her consent. And it'd been made clear to her (and the others) that if she'd left, they'd follow. It was only the fact that the other three had stayed with her all this time that she'd put up with it. Well that and...where would she go? And the thought of the Peacekeeper Organization coming after her was terrifying—she couldn't afford to tick them off. She mumbled again, "...I liked Sid more than you. He always tries to work with us. Treats us like people".

"Sid is too soft. He treats you like children, afraid to let you get hurt, to grow".

"So the only alternative is to be as much of a jerk as possible?" she countered.

More silence. With another fit of irritation, she sprinted around to his front even as he kept walking, making sure to keep pace with him as she marched backwards, "What is *wrong* with you? Why do you hate us so much? What did we ever do to you?!"

"Probably because you keep bugging me".

"No!" she protested, angry. Normally she would have just backed down by now but...no, this had her riled up. It was unfair and awful and, and..."You are *not* turning this around on me! You started this! Why is it so hard for you to treat us like people!? And don't you dare start on that chain of command stuff! I'm tired of arguing in CIRCLES!"

Sel was so preoccupied with arguing with Isdilian however, she failed to notice the stump behind her as she walked, and promptly tripped and fell on her back with a grunt, her prone body splayed out on the ground in an embarrassing shape. The silver ranger stepped over her and kept on going, "Maybe because you're incompetent".

There was no immediate reply to that. No ranting, no yelling. The yellow ranger picked herself up silently, watching him continue to walk off towards where the sun had been a moment ago, before it had finally fallen behind the distant mountains.

"...Coming?" he asked.

She stood there for a moment, watching him continue to walk away. Then she looked down, then back where they had come from. Why WAS she following him? Certainly for protection; she didn't want to be out here all alone. But...it's not like she trusted him. He never told her anything, and she was always pretty sure he'd let her or any of her friends fry at the first opportunity…

"...I said, are you coming?" he repeated.

She looked back up at him, "...No".

Isdilian seemed floored, "...Excuse me?"

"Find your own way back" she said, her voice regaining strength as her fists once again tightened, "I'm not following you anymore". Frankly, she had no idea how she was going to get back alone, or fight through the enemy lines but...but that didn't matter right now. She turned to leave.

For an instant, he considered knocking her out and being done with it right here and now; he could hold up in a cave somewhere and wait out for evac. But if he wasn't successful...well, two grid-powered entities such as themselves could easily give their position away if they elected to go head-to-head (even if Sel wasn't as adept at her powers as himself, he didn't wish to risk the chance)-nor did he wish to drain his powers on such a silly fight. A physical ranger fight was one thing, sure, but if she tapped into the grid powers, then, well...and then there was the problem of alerting his commanders with all this sensor and communication jamming. No, this wasn't the time for that. Not now. But...damnit, he had to keep her safe.

"Wait!" he shouted as she walked away.

She stopped.

"...It's better if we stick together" he attempted, clumsily.

The yellow ranger eyed him curiously, "...I don't get you. And no, I won't". She again turned to leave.

"Then..." he half-grumbled, half-sighed in aggravation and contempt, "...I guess...I'll follow you then".

An even more curious look now, even under her helmet, he could see through her body language. She was at a complete loss; what was his deal? Wait. It couldn't be… "...You *do* care, don't you?" she asked hesitantly.

He glared at her and asked in a tired and exasperated tone, "...What do you want from me?"

She asked herself the same question. But realization dawned; it was almost like the inverse of when Trok had finally broken through to her. "...I think..." she said, pondering, "...I want to know why you can't be our friend".

Silence. Not from Isdilian dismissing her, but from him honestly contemplating his answer. When he did respond, it was very uneven and quiet, "...It...it wouldn't be prudent".

"...Why not?"

"I don't...it..." he sighed again, "...I was trained for battle and command, not...whatever it is you people do".

Sel's eyes widened in realization as she understood, finally and completely. All the pieces of the puzzle fell into place; he didn't have memories either, right? He'd literally been trained for war since day one. A small smile formed on her lips, "You know...Sid once told me that we all have to grow and evolve, and try things that might be uncomfortable. And...I know that lesson came from you. I don't know how I know it, I just...felt it when he said it. His emotions; the reluctance. The anger".

So it had come to this. He didn't want to even try. It was a bad idea; it would only end in tears at the end. But...he needed her—and the others—to trust him. At the end of the day, a leader was only as good as his followers. He sighed, "...Fine".

She nodded in understanding, "Lead the way".

Realizing he'd been returned his reigns, Isdilian turned and began walking again, Sel in tow. She couldn't resist though as her face broke into a grin; "...So...are we there yet?"

The noise that came out of Isdilian's mouth was not humanoid.

* * *

It took a minute and a half to hack into the tower complex's internal network from one of the lesser console labs. It took three minutes to figure out the locations of the guards. Another two to pull up building schematics. And another fifty-eight seconds to remotely loop the last thirty seconds of empty corridor footage over and over for the six cameras he needed—it wouldn't fool anyone once they actually took a look at it, but for a one-off glance for anyone barely paying attention in the security wing, it was all he needed. Likewise, he'd shut down all sensor alarms and anything else that could get in his way.

There was an anti-teleportation field in place over the city, so that the Alliance couldn't drop people in just anywhere, so Trok had to do this alone. The unmorphed green ranger slid himself into the open grate, before pulling it shut again and crawling into where he needed.

Time to be a hero.

Trok dropped down from the grate up above, landing behind the two guards in this wing of the holding cells.

"...What the-" one of them got off in surprise, before Trok smashed their heads together and let them drop to the floor in a heap. He felt bad; these guys were only doing their job, and he had nothing against them. But...they'd be discovered soon enough, and be sent to the infirmary. At least, that's how he justified it to himself. Racing down the hall, he soon made it to Apollo's cell.

"...Well I'll be damned" Apollo laughed, looking over from his position laying down on his bench, at the sight of Trok on the other side of the force field. The horathean pulled a small device out of his pocket.

"Hang on, it'll just be a sec" Trok said, placing the device on the wall before activating it. The force field flickered for a moment, then died, allowing Apollo to get up and out of the cell. "...Any idea where they took your morpher?"

"Nova Buckle, actually" the rider said, "And I would assume it's in evidence storage, back up at the front".

"...Oh" Trok muttered, frowning. He'd not thought about that part of the plan. Except...he grabbed hold of a small object in his other pocket. He'd brought it along 'just in case', but, well...this would be one of those times, wouldn't it? "...Don't worry, I have an idea".

* * *

The lone guard in the front office never saw it coming; he'd been leaning back in his chair, boots on the desk reading the news from his data pad, when all of the sudden a small round object rolled into the room. Before he had time to duck and cover, the object exploded into a thick, noxious cloud. The guard pressed the panic button even as he felt the consciousness slip from him, but his last thoughts were in fear about how the button had done nothing. The alarms had already been disabled. He was gone before he could do anything else; in a deep sleep.

The now-morphed green ranger stepped inside a second later, noting the force-field blocking him from the evidence locker. Another wall device later, and the field was down and Trok was already hunting through the small walk-in-closed-sized chamber. Catching sight of the fancy belt buckle-like device he'd seen Apollo's suit wearing before, he seized it and upon exiting the cloudy room into the hall, tossed it to its owner. He took another side glance at the second set of guards he'd had to knock out prior to entering the office, their bodies also slumped against the wall in the hallway near the entrance.

"Thanks, dude. You're *amazing*".

Trok blushed as Apollo transformed, "Ah..I don't...it wasn't that..." he sputtered, now extremely self-conscious.

"Yeah it was!" Apollo slapped him on the shoulder jovially, "That was like, some super-spy shit".

"I uh...we..." Trok cleared his throat, "We better get out of here before the rest of the guards figure out what's going on".

Apollo nodded, "You're absolutely right. Lead the way!"

The green ranger nodded back, and the two raced off, into the grate they'd crawled out from. Next stop: the great outdoors.

* * *

Sid made another pass along the barricade, nodding idly to each soldier he passed as the night shift made their own rounds. The sun had long set; the planet's two moons shone brilliantly overhead, passing across the endless expanse of stars. It had been quiet since the assault that afternoon, but he knew very well another wave could come at any time—sensors only extended so far before they were blocked off by jammers on the other side. The city itself was dark; the barricades were well-lit and some of the interior blocks near the river had power, but most of the buildings along the front line (and outside of it) had been bombed back to the stone age.

Really, they only reflected how he felt: hollow.

"You still up here?"

Sid turned, the blue ranger coming up next to him from further along the catwalk. She waved at him, "You know, technically our shift ended an hour ago".

"Sorry" he replied absentmindedly as he went back to watching the horizon, "Just...haven't felt much like going back".

"Bad day with the girlfriend?" she teased. When he didn't take the bait, she grew a bit more concerned, walking over to him before resting her arms over the edge of the barricade wall, leaning against it for support as she took in the dark view. "...That bad, huh?"

"They all died because of me. That will never go away" he finally said in a subdued voice.

She sighed, "...Yeah, that bad". Xolin struggled to scrounge up something to say, anything, but she couldn't. She just...didn't have an answer that wasn't empty platitudes. How could she? This was something beyond her. "...I'm sorry" she said at last.

"I just don't...I'm glad she's alright, but..." his fingers slid over the front of his helmet, "...I don't know. When I look at her, all I see is death. And she hates me for the same reason". It was more than that though; he felt longing. It was almost like the team was back, except...the others would never return. When it had been just him, he could fool himself—keep himself busy with work, focus on other things. His team was in the past; a memory. But now...she was a representative of everything he'd lost and could never get back. Matt, Akire, Sarah...his connection to them was stronger now, and it just made their absence even more regrettable.

"Well..." Xolin grimaced, "...At least in a few days you'll probably never have to see each other again?" she said, trying to be helpful.

"She's coming with us. Iota's orders" Sid deadpanned, solemnly.

"...Oh" Xolin managed, then quietly whispered, "...Awkward..."

"...Yeah".

"...Iota always did know how to pick them".

"...Yeah".

The two settled into a semi-comfortable silence, watching the stars before sirens began to blare up all over the city, howling to the night.

"...Uh…?" Sid grunted in confusion as they turned around towards the towers.

"_Iota to all rangers; there's been a prison break. Masked Rider Apollo is loose; I repeat, Masked Rider Apollo is loose. Intercept before he has a chance to leave the planet"._

Xolin's stomach dropped as horror filled her about what that probably meant, "...Oh no..."

* * *

The two heroes raced down the empty streets of Arcadia, currently on one of the 'skyways'-highways well above the ground level that crisscrossed the downtown areas of the metropolis, sometimes cutting through buildings, other times skirting around them like a snake.

"Where are we going?" Trok asked as they ran. He'd given up 'command' once they'd escaped the complex, letting Apollo take over as he contacted his...well, contacts.

"Northwest" his ally replied, "The colonists are sending a shuttle to pick me up in the industrial district—looks to be pretty empty on sensors".

"That's because it was pretty much abandoned when the siege started" Trok replied. He wished he'd taken his skycycle with them—but that would have meant backtracking to the spaceport, and that would have certainly gotten them captured. Kinda like what was going to happen to Trok when this was all over. He wasn't looking forward to that. The alarms had already been going off all through the city, and he was supposed to be 'assisting' the others in apprehending Apollo. Oops!

"There" Apollo said, stopping just as they finished crossing through a building archway. Beyond lay the darkened ruins of the industrial district; still within Confederate territory, but it had clearly been on the receiving end of some heavy bombing runs. "Come on". Apollo leapt off the side of the street, down into the foreboding maze beyond. Trok hesitated for a moment, then steeled his nerves with a deep breath and followed suit. Thank the spirits for anti-fall ranger protection.

Landing in the streets below, the two took a look around at the darkened area, the silence eerie and unsettling.

And that's when it hit; a screaming bolt of light stabbed at Apollo, knocking him back as he deflected a second one. And that was actually a bit of a surprise to him; it was a physical object. The quickly depowering dagger clattered to the asphalt harmlessly.

"What the-" Trok managed to get off, just before a third bolt stuck him. His helmet's scanners hadn't detected anything, so what-no, wait. There was something. A flicker, just before he felt someone's boot impact his chest. The green ranger tumbled away as Apollo suddenly found himself with the unenviable task of blocking invisible punches. He did however, and in front of him the black ranger formed into view.

"...I was wondering when you were going to show up" Apollo grunted, the two struggling against each other.

Nikki pushed forward, "You. Jail. *Now*". With that, she knocked his hands away before landing a kick, followed up by a full assault when Apollo held his ground.

"Hey, new girl!"

Nikki spun around at Trok's voice, just in time to see his hammer smash into her face. The black ranger wheeled around, dazed as Apollo pressed his belt buckle.

"NOVA FLARE!"

Nikki shouted in pain as her eyes went temporarily blind from the concentrated blast of light that emanated from Apollo's suit. Pressing his belt buckle again, Apollo leaped into the air, "RIDER KICK!" His outstretched leg shone with white-hot energy as he came down on Nikki. Despite her temporary blindness however, she struck her hands out, and numerous holo-shields formed around her, creating a barrier that Apollo merely bounced off from. She wasn't focused on Trok however, who shifted his hammer into mace mode, taking the opportunity to send his hammer's head flying into the black ranger, knocking her into the side of a mostly-dilapidated ruin.

"Trok, now!" Apollo shouted urgently, waving him off as he started sprinting down the street. Taking his cue, Trok quickly followed suit, leaving a dazed and incredibly angry black ranger behind as she struggled to get back on her feet. Her holo-emitter's repair systems were already hard at work rebuilding her damaged sensory systems, slowly giving her back her sight. Ah, the wonders of being a hologram. Certainly, there were downsides (BIG downsides), but she couldn't exactly fault her regenerative properties. As she stood back up, cracked her non-existent knuckles.

Those two were going to die.

* * *

"I've got Apollo on sensors" Xolin said, as she and Sid flew over the city on their skycycles. Her voice fell however, "...And Trok. Damnit".

Sid tried to be helpful, "Maybe Trok just intercepted him first. We don't actually *know* that-" He shut up when he realized Xolin was giving him a look that, even with her helmet on, he could tell she was unamused, "...Look, I'm just trying to be optimistic here".

"And when has that ever worked out for us?"

Sid ignored her response, instead adjusting their course as they noticed another ship coming in "...Got a new contact..."

Xolin saw it too, "That...that can't be right" she said, going over her sensor reports, even as the ship gently came down over the abandoned warehouse district, "I'm reading Vile energy signatures".

A chill went down Sid's spin. What was a Vile ship doing this far away from the Imperium? Nothing good *ever* came out of dealing with any of Master Vile's subjects. Vile was something of a boogyman; a living myth. A bad guy parents would tell their children stories about to make them behave. He was the last of the old order; the last of the old Evil Emperors who would raze worlds just for fun and pleasure. But in many ways, he was also the greatest. He'd outlasted everyone; from Dregon to Zedd to Dark Specter to Grumm. He'd survived the Z-Wave and even the rise of the Alliance and SPD. And even in the new intergalactic order of alliances and confederations, of armies of ranger teams, he still held on to his vast empire, centered on the distant and mysterious M51 Galaxy out on the fringe of local space—a link between the Local Supercluster and the immeasurably larger Virgo Supercluster—an even more mysterious realm from where super-monsters came from.

Even during his time in SPD, they'd never directly come across Vile's forces, he was simply too distant. But there had always been stories, legends, often brought in by refugees seeking a better life—especially the tengas.

"...We need to get over there. Now" Sid said, his voice low and serious.

"What about Trok and the prisoner?" asked Xolin.

Sid glared at the landing craft in the distance, "...I have a feeling we'll be hitting two birds with one stone". He opened a channel to Sel and Isdilian, hoping to get ahold of reinforcements she could trust, but she only got static for her troubles. "Any idea where the others are?" he asked.

She shook her head, "None. They were on skirmish duty; last I heard from them they were following a scouting party" she gripped the handles on her bike tighter, "...I'm getting worried".

Sid grimaced; that WAS worrisome. But they had too many other things on their plate right now—one thing at a time. He checked his morpher readouts—their morphin' signatures were still active, so he choose to hope for the best, "We'll have to worry about them later. I'm sure they're fine; morpher signatures are still detected. We probably just can't get ahold of them because they're too far out. SPD's got sensor jammers everywhere".

"...Yeah" Xolin muttered absently, turning her attention back to Trok...and the Vile ship they were rapidly approaching.

Sid's frown deepened. He was sure they were okay. Totally sure. Positive.

Absolutely.

* * *

They'd chosen poorly.

Sel guessed that the singular upside to this was that the enemy had never expected them to attack from the rear. But considering the situation now, that was a cold comfort indeed. The sky was aflame; she kept her bow at the ready as another wing of fighters came in, even as Isdilian was single handedly fending off the ground contingent of soldiers and tanks.

...Wait, no. There was another tank. Its sides split apart as it gripped the dirt, its treads becoming a base for its turret form as it rose up, preparing to strike. Isdilian roared, spinning around and shifting his sword and shield into cannon mode, channeling as much of his grid powers as he could. The first blast neutralized the tank's attack. The second neutralized the tank.

More shouts and roars; another squad of soldiers came at them from the side. Drawing his sword once more, Isdilian charged.

The fighters above closed in. One was shot down, followed by the second. The third came down, flipping around as it transformed into a two-story humanoid robot—a minizord. Its gatling cannon arms flared up. The two rangers dodged out of the way as the laserfire came in. The yellow ranger rolled around, bow in hand. Her shot plunged right into the zord's cockpit's windshield, taking out the pilot within, as well as the control panel. The machine sputtered for a moment, sparked, and then exploded.

As another soldier came in towards her, she replied with a guttural cry, swinging her bow's blade into her opponent. This was supposed to have been a scouting mission. Isdilian was supposed to have found them a weak spot to escape through. He'd promised her that he'd had everything under control, and that she should just listen to him without pause.

If they lived through this, she was going to kill Isdilian.

* * *

The green ranger and Apollo wandered through the half-wrecked maze that constituted the warehouse district.

"Should be around here somewhere..." Apollo muttered, "We saw it touch down..."

Something about the ship wasn't sitting right with Trok, however. It didn't look like any colonial transport *he'd* ever seen. "...Hey, what world did you ay you were protecting?" he asked.

" Arelius IV, why?" Apollo asked absentmindedly as they turned the corner. There, in the middle of what used to be a warehouse before it had been bombed into a scrapheap, sat the vessel they were looking for. Both approached—warily in the case of Trok.

"...Because that doesn't look like a colonial transport" Trok said, voicing his concern. The vessel was small; certainly a personal shuttlecraft that could only carry a few people; smaller even than the Megaship. But that's where the 'colonial transport' ended and something else began. For starters, the front of the ship was in the shape of a ram skull, with horns curved downward, and the entrance of the ship where the mouth would have been. The rest of the vessel was vaguely oval in shape, but very much a patchwork of material. Parts of it seemed almost organic, fungal even. Its dark form simply made the already sinister design outright malevolent.

As the two approached, the mouth opened and a platform walkway descended, kind of like those old B-movies where aliens would arrive planetside. And just as if it were one of those movies, two vaguely reptilian humanoid creatures stepped out.

"'Bout time you showed up" the leader of the two crowed, "We've been waiting for your signal for hours".

"Sorry, I got a bit tied up. You know how it is" Apollo said jovially.

"...You're from Arelius IV?" Trok asked, a sinking suspicion starting to form within him, even as he refused to believe it could be the case, "You don't...look like colonists".

"...Who's the meat?" one of the reptilians snarled.

Apollo waved him off, "Oh, don't worry about him. That's Trok, he helped free me. We'll give him a pass".

"...Apollo?" Trok asked as the rider stepped towards the platform, "...What's going on?"

The rider looked at him, as if contemplating his next move. He replied, "So...bad news, buddy. I lied. There aren't any colonists. No pirates. No 'world in danger'. This week, anyway".

"...What" Trok blurted out flatly.

"...Lying again?" the other reptilian snorted.

Apollo shrugged, "It's one of my best qualities!"

"But...why?" Trok asked, still at the bottom of the ramp, whereas Apollo was near the end, above him, dominating. Trok's image of the man was shattering before his eyes.

The rider pulled a small chip out of a clip in his belt, "Well, otherwise I'd still be in jail and wouldn't be able to deliver this sensitive top-secret information to these fine gentlemen, who came alllll the way here from the Vile Imperium". He handed the chip off to one of the reptilians, dropping it into his palm. The reptilian grinned greedily as he put it away.

"...You tricked me" Trok whispered. His voice grew louder as he awkwardly stepped forward, "You...*used* me!" His voice was laced with a mixture of confusion, hurt, and betrayal. Why? Why would he do this? He'd seemed like such a good, fun person to have around. Secretly, Trok wished this was all just a horrible misunderstanding, but at this point in the game, he knew it was not.

"Yep! Sorry about that, buddy" Apollo stepped back down, slapping his hand on Trok's shoulder as he circled the green ranger, "Nothing personal. MAN though! I had you eating out of the palm of my hand" he laughed as he headed back up the stairs, his jovial tone now dripping with arrogant malevolence, "Normally when I pull this off, I gotta use my xybrian mental powers to work my magic. But you; I didn't even have to second guess you. You were like putty. Very stupid putty".

Ouch.

"But...you're a rider!" Trok protested, shrugging off the blows to his ego, "You're supposed to be one of the good guys!"

Apollo sneered as the two reptilians laughed, "'good guys'? What are you, twelve? The world doesn't bend to your black and white morality, kid. Where were the good guys when SPD's ranger teams turned on the Rider Corps and hunted my friends down? Where were the good guys when the Confederacy did the exact same thing? You fight for a government that eight months ago wanted you in prison or dead, just because you wear that suit" his voice became increasingly irritated as he spoke—he was *angry*.

Trok was taken aback, "...So you're just going to work with the Imperium!?"

"Oh don't get all bent out of shape. It's not like there's an invasion planned or anything, Vile just likes to keep tabs on his neighbors" Apollo said, again shrugging, "And I gotta put food on the table, if you know what I mean".

"But...it's *Master Vile*" Trok repeated, aghast at the idea, "I don't understand! He's pure evil!"

Apollo replied with derision, "Psh. And SPD's just there to 'Protect and Serve', right? Wake up, kid. Good and evil's just a bunch of bull spoonfed to you from birth, so that you'll be a docile little citizen. Power's the only constant in the universe".

"So that's it then" Trok growled, "You're just a lying monster".

"Why are we still talking?" one of the reptilians asked, "We have a schedule to keep"

Apollo ignored him, "I think 'monster' is a bit of a hyperbole, honestly. I prefer 'mercenary. And I think you'd learn to love the idea too, eventually. You've definitely got the spunk for it. If not, well, I'm sure Vile could always use another slave for the factories".

"Wh-" Trok had suddenly noticed that the two reptilians had encircled him while he'd been talking. He shifted into a combat position, his body tensing as he waited for the inevitable fight.

Apollo sighed as he saw Trok preparing for a fight, "Look, kid, I don't want to hurt you. I like you; really, I do. Reminds me of me when I was a kid. But if you make a scene, I'm going to have to put you down—hard".

"...Why do you even want me?" Trok asked, still tense and waiting.

Another sigh, this time one of exasperation as if Apollo was tired of explaining everything to a child, "Because I need you as a hostage so they don't shoot me down. What happens after we leave Confederate space, well, that's up for you to decide. If it were me, I'd pick the apprenticeship over the slavery, but I'll admit I'm a bit high-maintenance".

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Trok roared, even as the three began to close in on him.

"Oh, that would be your mistake" Apollo chuckled as he prepared to strike.

"HE SAID *NO*!" came a guttural roar. Apollo paused, looking up at the direction of the voice—somewhere near the half-ruined wall that was still standing in the ruined warehouse. In truth, he never saw the wall—he only saw the wrath of god in the form of a female blue ranger, her lance charged with ice-blue energy as she flew into him from above in a spiral of rage. He had barely managed to put up a defensive barrier of light before she hit him, staggering him back as she leaped off and landed a few feet away. Before he could recover though, a red ranger's leg slammed into him from the side, causing him to tumble off the ramp into the dirt. Sid landed next to him, catching his attempt at a counter-punch.

Apollo laughed, "Hey dude, what's up!"

"Well" Sid grunted, twisting Apollo's arm even as he shouted in pain, "Funny you should ask, chuckles, because we got a thing against...well, whatever the hell you are". Apollo roared, pushing Sid away in a fit of rage before balancing himself and launching in for the next attack.

Xolin saw Sid had it well in hand, and took her attention to Trok, "...You okay?" she asked, concern laced in her voice.

Trok just watched Sid and Apollo duke it out; a flurry of fists and feet. Apollo's leg slammed into Sid's side, but the red ranger simply grabbed the leg and flung the rider into the wall of the transport before jamming his fist into his helmet. Trok shook his head numbly, "...No". The true impact of what he'd done was sinking in; he'd broken someone like *that* out of prison. He'd allowed himself to be used, to be manipulated so easily. He'd caused all this.

Xolin reached out, briefly, the flatness of his voice tearing her up inside. But Xolin didn't know what to do with feelings like this. Concern; helplessness; empathy. She eyed the two reptilians though—and her face contorted into rage. She *did* know all about anger though. Anger was very familiar ground. The blue ranger struck out, knocking one aside as her lance penetrated his hide with a flurry of sparks. The other's claws came for Xolin, but she simply swung around, cutting through him as well.

"Enough of this!" the first reptilian shouted in contempt as he got back up. He pulled out two small egg-like devices, before letting them fall to the ground. In short order they unpacked themselves, unfolding into larger and larger creatures. Soon two new entities stood before Xolin—twin beetle monsters, one horned and red, and the other a stag and in blue. Both were decked out in ornate samurai armor, and each carried a staff with endings that resembled their horns.

"Come, now!" the reptilian called to his companion, "We're leaving!" The second reptilian nodded as Xolin found herself suddenly thrust into combat with the stag beetle. "Apollo!"

The rider nodded, pushing Sid away, who in turn quickly found a new opponent in the horned beetle. Apollo made a beeline for the ship's entrance. Trok let them go, not caring enough to stop them as the platform receded back into the ship, the doors closing behind it. The goat's head closed and the vessel's thusters ignited, pushing it up off the ground as it made a one-eighty turn, preparing to blast into orbit. It zoomed into the atmosphere, quickly becoming smaller and smaller…

And then it exploded. All combatants on the ground paused in their fighting to watch the spectacle in confusion and horror.

"...What…?" Trok managed to utter, very confused. He hadn't shout it out of the sky, and as best he could tell, no one else had attacked it either. It had just...exploded.

"I installed a bomb in Apollo's belt buckle when it was confiscated".

Trok turned to the voice. The black ranger stood there, having appeared but a moment ago.

"Y-you blew them up?" Trok asked her in shock.

She looked at him in anger, "Oh, don't even *try* to turn this on me. Had you followed orders, he'd still be in jail—alive. Not that he didn't deserve to go boom" she shook her head in disgust, "As soon as this fight's over, you're under arrest".

Those words hit Trok like a sack of bricks. It was his fault; and it really was. And there were going to be consequences this time. Real consequences. And he deserved them. Refusing to even make eye contact, he shivered, "...I'm sorry".

"Sorry isn't good enough" she snarled.

"Enough" the blue ranger demanded in an even but firm tone. Sid backed her up.

Nikki glared at them, but then noticed the two beetle monsters had regrouped. She motioned to them, getting the rangers' attention, "We'll deal with this later. We've still got leftovers to mop up".

As if on cue, the twin beetles crossed their staffs, electricity crackling all around them as power flowed out and back in. Within seconds they'd grown forty stories and now towered over the four rangers.

Sid's expression flattened, "...Because I was just thinking to myself, 'gee, there's not enough going on tonight'".

"We're down a megazord without Isdilian" Xolin reminded Sid.

He nodded grimly, "So two to one odds. That's a fun setup" he spoke to his morpher, "Hey, Iota. We need the family station wagon".

A resigned sigh was the response, _"...Megazord inbound"._

"...You wanna sit this one out?" Xolin asked Trok. He shook his head; not firmly, still a little dazed, but he was still with them till the end. She put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, a sad smile on her face even if her helmet hid it, "...We'll figure this all out, okay?"

The Defender Megaship soared overhead, flipping around and shifting into humanoid mode as it slammed its foot into the stag beetle monster. An instant later, the rangers had jumped up into the cockpit. While Sel's seat was empty, Trok noted that Nikki had taken over the fifth seat that had always been empty. He'd always wondered, especially when Isdilian had shown up with his own megazord—how odd now to have that question answered.

"Okay kids, you know the drill" Sid said, "Keep both monsters off-balance, and focus most of our attention on one target to take them down first".

Xolin was quick on the uptake as she worked the controls, "Scanners are showing the stag beetle's the more defensive of the two, and the horned beetle's got offensive powers.

"Right" Sid mulled the information over in his mind, "That means ol' horns is our primary target. He's weaker but more dangerous. We can outlast the other after".

The twin monsters attacked, charging down the street towards the megazord with their staffs out in front. The rangers knocked the stag beetle's weapon out of the way with the megazord's fist, before dodging the other and slamming the other wrist directly into the horned beetle's chest armor. The beetle staggered back, but its brother had already rebounded, striking into the megazord's side, electrical energy from the staff's blade cutting into its armor.

The cockpit shook as danger readouts filled the holoscreens all around the rangers.

"Those staffs pack a punch" Sid said, gritting his teeth.

"We need to be faster" Xolin concurred, pulling out her miniaturized auxillary zord, "Time to pull out all the stops. Defender Megazord, Lightning Mode!"

Xolin's Guardianzord flew out of her hands, out of the megazord as it grew in size and mass, pulsing with cool blue energy. It swung around the Defender Megazord, before opening up and forming armor as it came down. Twin guns appeared in the megazord's hands. It quickly opened fire, cutting through the horned beetle's futile attempts to block with its staff, the laserfire quickly impacting the samurai armor.

The stag beetle attempted to intervene, but the megazord was too fast; quickly dodging the attack before spinning around and delivering another salvo to the transgressor.

"Azure Sniper!" Xolin shouted, as the megazord combined the guns into a singular rifle.

Too slow.

The horned beetle struck from behind, and the megazord stumbled forward, allowing the stag to get another blow in. The megazord continued to stagger against the two front attack, its armor screeching and tearing as sparks exploded. Finally, the titan backed into a half-ruined building and tumbled into it, crashing to the ground. The cockpit exploded with sparks and alarms as the rangers tried to hang on.

"Okay, that didn't work" Sid grunted, pulling out his own Guardianzord, "Round two".

The blue Guardianzord detached from the megazord, rising above the battle as it opened laser salvos on its opponents below, giving the megazord time to get back up. As it did, the red ranger's zord appeared and unfolded, again forming armor—thicker this time, built for battle instead of speed. Two large axes formed from its wrists.

"Defender Megazord, Warrior Mode!"

The megazord spun out, its blades laced with crimson energy as they cut through the air, burning it as they did so. But the megazord could only hope to match the two enemies arrayed against it; the beetled operated in synch, keeping the megazord continuously on the defensive as its blades impacted the electrified staffs again and again.

"This isn't getting us anywhere!" Xolin complained as the cockpit shook again, "They're just toying with us!"

"...Trok?" Sid asked, looking behind him.

Xolin shook her head as she noticed the green ranger in the back. He wasn't in any condition for this, and she doubted his zord was the choice for this anyway, "Trok's zord is armor based, remember?"

Sid gritted his teeth. "...Right, it's a tank. Damn".

"I might have the solution" Nikki said, pulling out another small palm-sized zord. It looked just like the zord Sid had seen during the battle on the barricades. His eyes widened, "...Stealth, that's it!"

Outside, the megazord shoved both monsters away before letting its armor detach and veer off. Seconds later, a new zord appeared; a black streamlined predatory bird with silver highlights and glowing purple lines. It unfolded around the megazord, forming an all-new armor configuation. Its curved design contrasted with the other Guardianzords, forming a distinctive style over the megazord. From its wrist gauntlets, twin violet energy blades extended where Sid's axes had been moments ago. The megazord tensed, crouching slightly in defense.

"Defender Megazord, Shadow Mode!"

The megazord launched into a flurry of action, pushing forward as it swung into the horned beetle. Just as the monster's staff blocked the blades and stalled the zord's advance, but before its brother could strike again, the megazord vanished. Gone—like smoke. The two monsters struck out, desperately trying to hit their opponent, but there was nothing there.

Then, from behind the mechanical titan reappeared, rushing into the horned beetle with its energy talons, cutting right through the armor. The monster roared in pain as it hobbled forward, trying to turn around before the megazord got in a second blow—it didn't.

The other beetle attacked, but before its staff made contact, the megazord vanished again and dove out of the way, leaving the monster hitting thin air. From behind, the megazord reappeared, its foot driving itself directly into the back of the monster's head before swinging around again with its talons.

"Okay, I could get used to this" Sid grinned, despite himself.

The monster turned, but the megazord was ready. Its twin talons came from opposite points as the staff swung in, slicing it in two. The stag beetle stepped back in shock as its smoking, ruined weapon dropped from its hands to the ground.

The other monster struck from behind; again the megazord vanished in the nick of time—allowing the horned beetle to stab its brother. Sparks exploded from the beetle's chest—and from the staff itself seconds later when the megazord reappeared and cut it in half as well.

"Ready for the coup de grace?" Xolin grinned at Sid. He nodded in return.

"Phantom Blade!" Nikki commanded. The megazord jumped back, using the thrusters under its boots to launch into the air and land several steps away, down the street. Raising its twin energy talons and aiming them at the horned beetle, the rangers watched as a blizzard of smaller violet energy blades flew out; an endless stream of purple energy impacting into the enemy, cutting through its armor without mercy. The beast roared, before toppling over and exploding. The other monster stood aghast at its brother's defeat, roaring in grief before turning and charging at the megazord.

"Phantom Strike!" Nikki shouted. The megazord crouched and once again launched into an assault—except this time it...well, it was in one place one moment, and the next it was opposite the monster, its blades extended, the monster frozen. A moment later, the monster cried out and exploded. The megazord turned, taking note of the smoldering pile of ash that served as the beetle's funeral pyre.

* * *

"This is an outrage!"

Iota sighed. Why couldn't pawns *ever* just obey directions and be fine with it? Isdilian never complained; Isdilian just did his job to the best of his ability without questions. But no, every other pawn had _concerns_ and _questions_ and _morals_ or they just wanted to be a pain in the ass like Sid.

"...Yes, Agent Shadow?" he asked to the irate redhead standing over him as he sat behind his desk back on the Megaship, "What seems to be the matter?"

"You're not going to press charges? Court-martial him? You're just going to...sweep it all under the rug?!" she asked, baffled and bewildered at the turn of events. Iota had elected NOT to throw the green ranger to the wolves—instead preferring to punish him through solitary confinement in his room for a few days. Essentially, he'd just grounded the horathean.

"Why would I?" he asked Nikki.

"...Wh—why would you?" she sputtered, absolutely livid, "He broke a prisoner out of his holding cell! He almost let confidential information slip into the enemy's hands! He ATTACKED me!"

Iota leaned back in his seat, folding his hands on his desk as the armored figure calmly replied, "You are unharmed, yes?"

"...That's not the point!"

"And the information has been destroyed?"

"That's still not the—"

He put his hand up, silencing her, "At the end of the day, Trok didn't actually manage to hurt our cause, and I believe he will punish himself far more than we could ever punish him. And in a way, Apollo being dead helps us as well. Saves us the trouble of putting up a trial with a jury and witnesses, or having to neutralize him later".

"...I can't believe this" Nikki groaned, rubbing her holographic eyes in exhasperation—she didn't actually 'feel' it of course; she didn't really feel anything anymore, physically speaking. Her code allowed for her to know when she was touching something and if it was hot, or cold, or wet, or any other kind of descriptor, but it wasn't like she was *feeling* it. But the motion was a relic of her organic past, and it still served to help deal with the stress of the situation.

"I need Trok, Nikki" Iota said, "Same as I need you, and same as I need everyone on my ship".

"...What possible use could you have for a naive little brat like that?!"

To her surprise, Iota let out a chuckle, "There is a method to my madness; never forget that. He will serve his purpose, in due time. For now though...I suggest you get settled in. Get to know your new teammates. Or old, depending".

She flashed him a deadpan look, "...Yeah, I'll pass, thanks".

"Your choice" Iota replied, as he began to look over reports on his various holoscreens. This conversation was over. Nikki watched him for a moment more, before shaking her head in disgust and walking out into the hall.

"...Good to know we're just as big on ignoring rules when it's convenient as we were when we worked for SPD" she muttered on her way out.

Iota returned to his work, bringing up numerous classified documents. His project. His need. He needed a better place to store all of this; all of his work and effort. His enemies were closing in, and the sooner he acted, the better. Nikki would be his messenger, even if she didn't know it yet.

They were *all* part of the master plan. And while it'd gone off without a hitch so far (minus some speed chess such as the start of the second Confederate-Alliance war), stress was increasingly building within him. The deadline was approaching. He had to have everything ready before then.

Sid walked out of the workbay, a sandwich in his hand as he took another bite. He was casual about it, but the truth was, the former leader of the team was a bundle of knots inside. Trok was in solitary confinement and who knows how he was gripping with all this. Xolin had been down since last night too, blaming herself for the whole charade. His ex-girlfriend who wanted him dead and as far as he'd known for the last five years WAS dead was now living on the ship and working with them and he had to see her every time he walked down the hall and that was TOTALLY okay. And then there was the worst of it all—Sel and Isdilian still hadn't come back since yesterday. They'd sent out search parties, probing the front lines, but aside from a mysterious gap near sector 31 (which they were in the process of exploiting and it looked as though they might actually break through to the enemy's rear line operations before the week was out)-they'd found no trace of the two rangers.

Where could they be?

As Sid reached a T-intersection in the hall, the green-haired xybrian he'd been supremely worried about crossed paths with him. She looked worse for ware—her hair was a mess, she was covered in dirt and mud, her eyes made it look like she hadn't gotten any sleep, and...was that a twig in her hair?

"Sel!" Sid said, his demeanor brightening greatly, "Holy shit! You're back! We sent search parties after you! We were so worried! Are you okay? You look like cr-" he trailed off, her expression giving him pause. She stared through him with a deadly glare, weary and so not in the mood for *any* of this shit. Slowly, she shook her head at him, before silently continuing on, in search of her quarters for sleep. Sid, deciding discretion was the better part of valor for now, just let her go.

He did give her one last parting message though, "...It *is* good to know you're alright".

She mumbled something unintelligible as she continued to shamble off, not even bothering to look back at him. Well...'unintelligible', anyway, because Sid was half convinced she'd said 'bite me'.

"...Bad night, I guess" he pondered, then shrugged, sighing as he walked away, "...Bad night for everyone".

* * *

Xolin sat on the floor across from the door to Trok quarters, her back against the wall. She couldn't go in there of course; Iota's orders. And somehow, she doubted Trok wanted to talk to anyone right now anyway. But she couldn't do anything else right now; she was just so preoccupied by this. She didn't know what to do.

So she just sat there.

"Hey"

She turned, Sid was standing there, a few feet away.

"Hey" she replied quietly, returning to her vigil.

"Simudeck's open, you know" Sid told her.

A sad chuckle escaped her lips, "...I am so not in the mood for training, thanks".

"Actually, there's a racing game I've been wanting to try out".

"Have fun" she waved to him absentmindedly.

Sid wasn't taking it. He kicked her gently, "Come on. Would you rather just sit here for the next..." he checked the time on his morpher, "...thirty-six hours? Might as well get your mind off it, as long as we're off-duty".

She sighed, "Look, Sid. I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I don't need a babysitter, okay? Not today at least. I'm not in the mood to be cheered up".

Sid almost laughed at the absurdity of the statement, but managed to catch himself, "Who said anything about you? I just want the company; I've been dealing with a lot of shit too, and I don't really feel like playing alone against just the ship AI".

She looked at him, a skeptical expression on her face. He shrugged, his face neutral. Finally, she sighed, giving in as she stood up, "...Fine, you win".

"I always win" Sid managed a grin, before pushing her along, "Now come on. Let's go waste our free time".

So the two rangers headed off to the simudeck, if only to get their mind off of things for a little while. After all, tomorrow was another day.

* * *

_**To be continued...**_


	19. 2x06: Judging the Book

She didn't sleep. Not technically, anyway. She *did* shut down every evening for eight hours, though. Ostensibly it was to recharge her emitter's batteries, but she could just as easily do that awake—just a tadbit more slowly, if you didn't mind sitting in a room. And it certainly didn't take eight hours.

...Or seven. Well, six more often than not.

Still.

It was done mostly for her own sanity. Her program was built with numerous safeguards that most people take for granted to keep from going mad. One doesn't appreciate sensations until forced into a deprivation chamber—and she had existed in a deprivation chamber for years now. At first, after escaping SPD's clutches, she almost HAD gone mad for awhile; until she'd had artificial senses installed.

She didn't feel. She didn't smell or taste—though she certainly remembered them, and it drove her nuts sometimes when she craved a food but couldn't have it. Even sight and sound were...different. More objective; distant. Factual and omnipresent, instead of subjective. But she at least had the artificial senses; her program 'noticed' when her hologram would bump into something. Or when there was an odor in the air. She could even program a virtual parallel of a taste or smell...but it was just a vague imitation. Taste and smell just didn't translate to her program. No biological process did.

So she 'woke up' after six hours of sleep, her internal alarm systems powering her slumbering processes back up. She didn't dream of course; it wasn't like sleeping. She didn't need to stretch when she 'awoke' (though she often did out of habit), and there was never the feeling of warm blankets or a comfy bed. In fact, her 'body' didn't exist while asleep, she powered down almost all of her systems, after all.

Nikki looked at herself in the mirror. She'd never use this bathroom; she didn't need to shower. She'd never sleep on the bed. She'd never have to get dressed, or brush her teeth, or eat breakfast. She'd never wake up feeling drowsy or well-rested.

Her moniker was apt; she was a shadow. A figment of what once was. She should be dead; instead she existed in some kind of empty half-life. She'd never been a practicing Catholic, but 'purgatory' for her was very real.

And then there was her current assignment. She was forced to see Sid every day; happy, laughing with the others. The *others*. He'd left her team to die, and here he was five years later having simply moved on. He'd replaced them with new people.

With a roar, she punched the mirror, cracking it. She didn't feel the pain; though her internal sensors did indicate the force of the impact, which only pissed her off more.

Damn everything.

* * *

**Power Rangers Peacekeepers**

**Season 2**

**2.06: Judging the Book**

* * *

Sel eyed the plate full of...well, she wasn't sure. It was...noodles of some sort, she supposed, dripping in some sort of offwhite goop with black specks. It looked nausiating.

"Just try it!" Xolin prodded her from the other side of the table. Sel just stuck out her tongue in a sign of disgust. Xolin groaned, "Come on! You eat like, the same five foods or whatever every day. Learn to live a little!"

"But it *looks* disgusting!" Sel moaned, clutching at the side of the table as she rested her chin on it, still eying the dish suspiciously, "It looks like my paint glass after I leave it out all night!"

The triforian rolled her eyes, "You're being melodramatic. It's just abyidii noodles. It's a triforian dish, and it's really good".

Sel wasn't sure how she'd been tricked into this, and secretly anguished over her predicament. Xolin pushed the plate closer. Sigh. All she'd have to do was survive one bite. One bite. Sel gripped the fork and gingerly stuck it into the goop.

"...Come on" Xolin nudged her when she paused. Reluctantly, Sel pulled out a bite-sized chunk and, even more reluctantly, stuck it into her mouth. She chewed, disgusted at the taste and texture, before swallowing.

Aaaand then she felt nauseous. Bile rose in her throat, and she broke from the table in a panic, rushing to the small bathroom attached to the workbay.

"...Sel?" Xolin asked, confused. Disappointment soon won over, "Oh come on! It was *not* that bad!"

"Xybrians are allergic to abyidii sauce".

Xolin looked over to Isdilian, who was currently idly reading something on his datapad, "...What?! Why didn't you tell me!? How do you even know that?!"

Isdilian simply gave her a deadpan expression somewhere between 'really?' and 'why *wouldn't* I know?'.

She grimaced, "...You know what, nevermind. I don't want to know". A sound of Sel vomiting in the other room threw Xolin back to the matter at hand as her eyes widened in panic. She bolted towards the bathroom, "Shit! Sel! I'm so sorry!"

"...Why *didn't* you tell her?" Nikki asked Isdilian. She'd been watching the entire incident unfold from the far end of the workbay as she worked on her ranger arsenal—right now she was calibrating the energy frequency of her daggers. No need for breakfast, after all. Why did they all feel the need to eat here where she was working?

Isdilian shrugged as he returned to reading, "I like to watch them squirm. It's not deadly, anyway. Why didn't you?"

"...Because I don't care" she replied, returning to her work with a hateful expression.

Isdilian watched her for a moment, letting out a small snort, though he didn't actually respond. Sel let loose another rush of vomiting.

"...So what do you think of them?" Nikki asked him after a brief silence. She nodded towards the two girls barely visible from the bathroom door, hunched over.

The karovian lazily eyed the questioner, "...I thought you didn't care?"

"I don't. Doesn't mean I'm not curious".

"Hypocrisy doesn't suit you" he returned to his datapad.

Nikki snarled, her face bunching up in irritation, "I mean I don't care about them. I *do* have some residual interest in your opinion, since I have to work with you people. And I'd like some assurance they're not *complete* screwups, considering what I had to deal with the other day".

For a moment, Isdilian just let her stew, instead continuing to read. When she prepared to ask again, he cut her off with his response (just to further annoy her), "I find them...undisciplined. Untrained. They are childish, immature, and unready for the storm ahead. They are also *quite* annoying".

"...So they're all useless then" she grumbled, leaning back in her seat, "Great".

"They have potential" Isdilian countered, seemingly a bit reluctant, "The more I fight with them, the more I see it".

"'Potential' doesn't win wars" was the redhead's response.

Isdilian let out a very faint grim smile as he once again returned to reading, "Indeed".

Sel let loose another torrent of bile, but there were no more words to be spared between the two relative newcomers to the team.

* * *

Trok was so very glad to be out of confinement. Certainly, his guilt was still following him around, but at least he wasn't bored. He was still alone, but that was fine; he wanted to be alone. It was partially why he'd chosen to work in engineering. There wasn't really anything he really needed to do, but working on idle inventions in his room was the last thing he wanted to do. Or play games in the simudeck. Anything that made him feel like he could be seen as just 'the kid' he just didn't want to deal with right now.

"So you've been pretty quiet as of late".

Trok looked up in the direction of the voice, seeing none other than Sid sitting on the railings of the upper floor catwalk, legs dangling out towards him as he gripped the railing.

"I've been...busy" Trok muttered, looking away as he returned to tinkering with the mega-accelerator.

Sid snorted lightly, "Busy punishing yourself, maybe".

"I don't want to talk about it".

"He tricked you, Trok. He tricked all of us; I thought he was a decent guy for the...well, I guess the twelve seconds I met him" Sid replied.

Trok paused his scanning, "...You didn't betray the team just because he asked you to".

"You didn't betray the team, dude. If anything, you betrayed Iota, and I think most of the team would be pretty okay with that. Sure, it didn't turn out too well, but no one got hurt".

"...Except for the guys one the ship that blew up" Trok grumbled.

Sid shrugged uselessly, "I mean...yeah, I guess? Apollo was a bad guy, Trok. And yeah, it sucks that he won't be able to be tried in court, but at the end of the day...this is what we do. We don't handcuff monsters who are threatening to destroy a city—we blow them up. The alternative is to let them get away with hurting innocents".

Trok looked at him, "...Do you ever stop to think about that?" he asked, "Like...where the line between 'hero' and 'executioner' are?"

"All the time" Sid said with a weak smile, "A lot of rangers have. It's one of the many, *many* reasons the Confederacy broke away from the Alliance in the first place and banned ranger organizations. SPD was seen as jury, judge, and executioner and there wasn't a damned thing people could do about it. You had a super-powered military force acting as a police garrison with no authority to appeal to. A lot of us *did* have reservations, and why numerous SPD branches sided with the rebellion".

Silence. Trok had resumed his work, deep in thought.

"...The world isn't black and white morality, Trok" Sid continued, "It exists in shades of gray. That doesn't mean it's not worth fighting for, or that nobody's a good person—but it does mean we have to think before we act".

"I just gotta stop being so gullible and naive" Trok grumbled, still focused on his job.

Sid shrugged again, "A little, sure. But...truth be told? I've always admired you".

Trok paused, looking back at Sid "...Me?"

Sid nodded as he stood up, flinging himself over the railing and landing on the ground below, "You're a good kid, Trok. Better than most. You're a little naive, yeah, but you're young. And you've got this wonderful optimism that I love. You believe the absolute best in everyone. More of us need that".

The horathean chuckled grimly as he finished his scans of the engine. Making his way over to one of the auxiliary stations, he began re-callibrating its power output to the main engine, "Yeah, and look where that got me".

Sid grimaced. Trok wasn't letting his go, was he? "...You think you're the only one who's ever made mistakes?" he asked softly, but directly.

Trok paused, realizing he'd misspoken, "...I'm sorry, I didn't..."

Sid cut him off as he approached, not wanting his apology. That's not what he was after, "I've made *so* many mistakes over the years. One of them tried to arrest you just a few days ago. Another cost you your homeland. Another one almost cost me my father. So many mistakes, that have ruined so many people's lives because of my arrogance. You got lucky. You got a mistake that canceled itself out" he sighed, realizing he was getting off track, "...Mistakes are a part of life. We aren't omniscient. But that doesn't mean we throw everything about ourselves out the window so we don't make them again. It just means we try to be a little more mindful".

Trok considered his response. Deep down, he knew Sid was right, but… "...So what about you, then?" he asked quietly.

Sid turned away looking out the door and down the hall. Somewhere out there, Nikki was working. "...I was arrogant. Am arrogant, I guess" he shook his head in dismay, "I don't know if there's any absolution for me. I don't know if there should be. Every time I see her I just...all I can think of is how any second, Matt should come around the corner, ready to tell another one of his stupid puns. Or bagging on one of Akire's warrior caste traditions. Or Sarah should be telling us to stop slacking off and get back to work. But they won't. And they won't ever will again. And I thought I had gotten over it but..." his voice broke slightly, "She just brought all of it back, She hates me, and she has every right".

Trok looked at the floor idly as Sid composed himself once more. "...I'm sorry".

Sid shook his head again, "You didn't do anything, don't worry about it".

"...Can I ask a question?" Trok said, curious. Sid turned to him, nodding in expectation. Trok frowned, trying to word this delicately, "...Why her? She...I mean...she just doesn't seem like your type, I guess".

Sid chuckled hoarsely, "She was different before. She was so open and full of life. She was a bit like you, I think. She was the heart of the team that kept us all together". Trok's expression widened slightly as he caught the undercurrent to Sid's conversation with him. He wasn't just trying to cheer him up—he was _pleading_ with him.

Before he could reply though, Iota's voice came on over the intercom.

"_All rangers, report to the briefing room ASAP. New mission inbound"._

Both rangers sighed. Sid gave Trok an expression that said 'such is life'. "No rest for the wicked, I guess".

"Yeah..." Trok replied awkwardly, "No rest".

* * *

The rangers had assembled in the small circular war room. Iota eyed each of them. Sid and Nikki were doing their best to ignore each other, Xolin looked a little haggard...and Sel seemed...greener than normal, her face almost the same tone as her hair, and she looked distinctly ill. Sigh. It was always *something* with these kids. He was pretty sure there had yet to be a mission briefing where there wasn't at least *someone* worse for wear before they'd even been briefed.

But, whatever. They were all here and that was reason to celebrate enough. He began, "Approximately twenty-five minutes ago, we intercepted a transmission coming from the edge of Confederate space, near the wildlands".

"...Wildlands?" Trok asked.

Sel moaned out an answer, "...An anarchic region of galaxies between us and the Vile Imperium" she paused as she forced down another surge of bile before continuing, "...It's home to lots of minor powers and pirate clans".

"...Are you okay?" Trok asked her, concerned. Her only reply was to moan in contempt as she put her head down on the table".

Sid frowned at her form as Xolin patted her awkwardly on the back in a sign of support. Sid turned to Trok, "We've been there before. Remember Onyx?"

"Oh yeah" Trok mused thoughtfully. How could he forget almost being punched through a window at the old saloon?

Iota took the reigns of the conversation back, "...Quite right. The region has always been fairly lawless and a constant thorn in the Confederacy's side. Not even the Alliance was able to tame the region when we were under their control".

"So what" Sid asked, "Did some hapless tourists go too far out into the expanse and get shipjacked?"

"Not...exactly" Iota grimaced. He signaled to the computer for a change in maps. The 3-D holo-map of the local supercluster zoomed in to the border region between the Confederacy and the Wildlands—in particular, a small irregular galaxy known as 'NGC 61911', or more informally as 'the vortex', due to its distinct shape—kind of like as if it were being sucked down a drain. Iota continued, "As you know, about a century ago tenga refugees began fleeing from Vile space into our corner of the woods. Eventually the Alliance allowed them to settle in the remote Sextans galaxies out on the fringe of the local group to keep them from flooding into the heavy urban centers of the region. While they signed on with the Confederacy during the rebellion, they are notorious for keeping to themselves".

"Oh no" Sid said, deflating a bit, "Don't tell me we're rescuing a refugee ship".

"That would be exactly the case" Iota replied, "The tenga vessel has lost engine power and is adrift. We are the closest, so we are being ordered to assist, and escort if necessary".

"You can't be serious" Nikki deadpanned, "We should be getting back to the front now that we've been resupplied, not escorting *monsters* of all things".

"Orders are orders" Iota said, "The Free Colonies are a signed member of the Confederacy, and it is our duty to serve them as we would serve any other member".

Nikki gave a disgusted sigh, rolling her eyes as she leaned back in her chair, "It was bad enough when the Alliance gave them land".

"What's wrong with tengas?" asked Trok.

Nikki looked at him like he was stupid, "They're *tengas*. They're footsoldier monsters used by Master Vile. Raised in nest hives from birth to do as he says, just like any other monster. Do you know how many raids they've taken part in, just in the last decade?"

Xolin frowned, thinking back on her conversation with General Quickspur just a few weeks earlier, "...But are they really evil?"

"Why wouldn't they be?" Nikki shot back, "I can't believe this" she waved at Trok, "First you release a dangerous criminal because he 'seemed like such a nice guy', then the rest of you refuse to court martial him, and *now* you're trying to convince me that the very real monsters who are *actually* trying to kill us are just 'misunderstood'. What is *wrong* with you people?!"

Trok was taken aback, quickly withdrawing into a shell. Xolin just seemed a little shocked by the sudden outburst, then seemingly began to question herself. Sel still looked like she was about to vomit all over the floor.

"That's enough" Sid replied, his voice low and direct.

Nikki laughed, "Oh, the poster boy for screw-ups wants to lecture me. Please, by all m-"

"Enough" Iota cut in with force, silencing all parties, "We have our assigned mission. If you have issues against it, I suggest you tell me now so you can wait it out in your quarters. Otherwise, we have three hours until we arrive, so I suggest you sort yourselves out within that time. Are we clear?" he glared pointedly at Nikki.

She grimaced, looking away, "...Yes, sir".

"Good" Iota's voice lowered, but was no less beyond his patience, "Dismissed".

* * *

With a flash of light, the Defender Megaship jumped in on the edge of the vortex galaxy, about three light-years out from a red dwarf star. Each ranger sat at a different station on the bridge, with Iota taking the captain's seat as usual.

"I'm detecting a Despair-class Vile warship sixteen hundred kilometers off our starboard" Trok said, reporting what he saw from the ship's sensor readouts.

Iota nodded, "Bring us in and hail them".

A moment later, the main viewscreen switched from an empty starfield to that of a tenga. He was definitely uglier than usual; he was missing his left eye, and the scar from that had found its way down to his beak. His black feathers were dirty and unkempt, and slightly mangy. His voice was raspy and deep.

"Greetings, I am captain Delarn of the Forlorn Hope. And you are…?"

"Commander Iota of the Defender Megaship. We were dispatched by the Peacekeepers upon receiving your distress signal. What is your status?"

Delarn's feathers ruffled slightly, "...Not good, I'm afraid. We've taken severe damage to the engines, shields, and life-support. We were taking a stop to recharge our engines in the Ikantai Galaxy, when a varox clan found us and attacked".

Trok turned away from the screen, back to his station in thought. It seemed almost like deja vu after everything that had happened with Apollo. Maybe Nikki was right? But...that didn't FEEL right.

But he knew what his feelings had led him to already.

"Do you require assistance?" Iota asked.

Delarn glanced around for a moment before sighing with regret, "...I don't think this ship is going to be spaceworthy much longer. We would need heavy repairs at a starbase. And the longer we stay out here..." he trailed off, letting the others fill in the blanks.

Iota nodded grimly as he understood. The longer they stayed out here, the sooner they'd be the target of another roving band...and not even the Megaship would be able to fend off an entire pirate squadron. "How many do you have onboard?"

Another sigh, "We haven't had time to a hard headcount of casualties. But probably..." he shook his head, "...fifty, maybe?"

"...That'll be a tight squeeze" said Iota, "But I think we can pull it off. With your permission, we'll dock alongside your ship and begin transporting your people over. I assume you're heading for the Sextans A galaxy?"

Delarn nodded, "Augira Prime, to be precise. I'll have my men meet you at the port airlock".

Iota nodded in response, before the link was terminated. He turned to Isdilian, "You and Sid prepare to greet them. I'll be along shortly".

Isdilian nodded and vacated his seat, heading out the door. Sid soon trailed him, while Nikki let out a disgrunted sigh.

"...You can't be serious".

"Problems, Agent Shadow?" Isdilian asked, a frown in his voice.

She made sure to phrase her words carefully; "You can't honestly mean to bring dozens of potentially hostile monsters onboard our ship? We'll be heavily outnumbered if something...goes wrong".

"Then ensure nothing 'goes wrong'" Isdilian replied, "Besides, they're tengas, E-class on the monster spectrum at best—and you're super-powered war machines. I think you'll be fine".

"...Yeah, until someone sabotages the ship" Nikki grunted, folding her arms over her chest as she leaned back in her seat in a huff, "Might as well just let a squad of putties on the ship".

"...Why would they try to sabotage us?" Trok asked timidly, "We're doing what they want. I doubt they'd want to be here when pirates find them".

There he went again; that annoying little twerp was trying to correct her. Always wrong, as usual. He was so self-righteous, so insufferable. Nikki glared at him, "Yeah, okay, so what? You just want to take them at their word?"

He shrugged, "...Why not?"

She sat up in her chair, "Okay, smart guy. Answer this: why did they just happen to be stuck out here? They said they were sidelined by varox, so where are they? The vultures should be circling".

"I..." Trok hesitated, unsure. What she said *was* true. But still, "...But there's scorchmarks all over the ship, and I've been scanning; they DO have severe damage".

"Makes them an excellent fishing lure" she replied, "And I notice their weapons are still online".

Trok said nothing more, not having anything to counter with.

"Enough" Iota grumbled to Nikki as he got up and made his way to the door, "Your objections have been noted and ignored. Xolin, you have the bridge. The rest of you, this is a level-one evacuation scenario. Get to your stations". Iota left the room, leaving the remaining four rangers to grumble to themselves as they got to work. Xolin gladly took Iota's captain's seat, as she brought up numerous holoscreen displays.

* * *

Delarn stepped off onto the Megaship side of the airlock, meeting Sid and Isdilian as he did with a brief salute. The tenga eyed them as Isdilian returned the favor—Sid only gave a casual half-wave. Delarn spoke, "Thank you for having us. It's been...a rough few days".

"It's not a problem" Sid waved him off, "It's going to be a tight fit, you guys okay with that?"

Delarn nodded, "Space has always been...a premium resource. Tenga nests have always been heavily populated. And even if they weren't..." he paused, grimacing as he considered his words, "...Vile's accommodations were never grand. My people don't care about luxury. They only care about freedom. And his place is a palace considering where they were".

"...'they'?" Sid asked, curious, "You say that like you weren't with them".

The tenga let out a dry chuckle, "I wasn't. Haven't been for many years, anyway. I escaped as a hatchling during a slave revolt on Hargalis III and fled to the refugee colonies shortly after. I swore I'd dedicate my life to getting as many out as I could".

"...Wow" Sid said, amazed, and a bit at a loss for words, "...That's incredible. You keep going back, even risking Vile's forces discovering you?"

With a steady nod, Delarn replied, "Evil must be opposed at every opportunity. Vile does not scare me; I have already suffered by his hand. And I will do anything, go to any length to free my people of subjugation".

"Well...welcome aboard" Sid said warmly, his opinion of the man rising by the second. He'd never really thought of tengas as civilians really—he'd only ever met them as criminals and members in pirate gangs; and of course there were always the stories of Vile's military raids on neighboring galaxies. But this guy was legit, "Don't worry, dude. We'll get your people to to a safe place".

"Thank you" Delarn replied, before nodding to another tenga behind him. The second tenga nodded back in return and headed back into the other ship—presumably to begin the boarding process. He turned back to the two rangers, "That was Captain Dei. We shall begin ferrying people across at once".

"Captain?" Sid asked, "...I thought you were the captain".

The tenga cackled, "Oh, no. I am a leader, a guide. I have traveled on many ships, but this one belongs to Dei. Or belonged, I suppose. We shall have to bequeath him with a new one after this".

True to Delarn's word, within seconds the first refugees began pouring through. They looked rough; even with their monsterous visage, Sid could tell they'd seen some shit. Weary faces and wearier bodies shuffled past, carrying what few belongings they had. Honestly, it reminded Sid of some of those news bits he'd caught growing up living in Mirinoi. The so-called 'hot zones' during the Yeemal rebellion, before the first war with the Alliance. Relations between the various terran colonist factions and the various native mirinoite civilizations had soured in the years since Terra Venture's landfall; as such things often do. For the most part, the colonization wars had wrapped up by beginning of the twenty-second century—almost a century and a half ago, so for Sid growing up, it had been little more than a unit in history class. But then the yeemal, a desert tribal people living in the dry brushlands near the equator, had revolted, decrying both the Terran Colonial Federation and the United Alliance's attempts at assimilating them into the broader human culture—not to mention continuing to operate on their land, including near sacred sites. Soon, a series of similar revolts broke out as other aboriginal groups joined with them, citing similar complaints about an uncaring government.

The 'hot zones' were the areas embroiled in conflict—first as the militas began raiding, then as SPD military forces moved in to quell the unrest. Sid would always remember the news bits; of people fleeing their homes as the war raged. It had stuck him; Mirinoi was supposed to have been one of humanity's crown jewels, second only to Earth herself. How could something like that happen on his doorstep?

Amazing how the universe worked.

"...Crazy, huh?" Sid muttered to Isdilian absentmindedly as he watched the bird people continue to pile through. "I always just thought of them as monsters...and here they are as people". By now Iota had shown up and had begun to guide people down the hall.

Isdilian shrugged blandly. It was clear he didn't particularly care, "Meh. As long as I do my job, it really doesn't matter".

Sid eyed him, before letting out a brief chuckle as he shook his head in dismay, "...You're all heart, Izzy".

"...Izzy?" the karovian asked, confused.

Sid shot him a wry grin, "Isdilian's too long. Besides, you're way too distant and confrontational. A nickname could help fix that".

Isdilian mulled the name over in his head. Something about it seemed...off. It seemed very un-Isdilian, "...I'm not sure I like 'Izzy'" he admitted at last.

Sid's grin grew wider, "All the more reason to use it, then" he said with a hint of glee.

"You delight in irritating me, don't you?" Isdilian asked with more than just a hint of annoyance. Not quite as much malice though—not nearly as much as there would have been just a month or two ago. Sid had picked up on this; either Isdilian was finally starting to accept them, or he'd just been worn down enough it didn't matter. Either way, the red ranger was starting to feel a little more at home with Isdilian around than before (which was good, considering he now had to deal with his dead ex-girlfriend as well), though he still wasn't up to the point where he could consider him a good wingman at the bar and was still fairly certain he hated the man after everything he'd pulled. But hey; baby steps. Sid didn't feel like his life was in mortal danger around the guy anymore—he considered that progress.

The grin grew impossibly wide, "Oh yes".

Isdilian sighed with contempt, "You are insufferable".

Again, glee; "Yep!"

Another sigh, more resigned this time.

* * *

The ship was absolutely *full* of refugees. With a length of only about twenty-seven meters, the Defender Megaship (or any zord, really) was *not* built to take on a wide number of passengers. In fact, at six rangers and a commander, all rooms on the ship had already been used up. Thankfully, the ship would not take much longer; another day at most, but the fact remained that this tiny vessel was already way beyond occupational capacity. Nikki waded her way through the sea of bird people as she made her way down the hall, mildly disgusted by the whole thing. She just wanted to get back to her quarters and ride this madness out.

"Move. Out of my way. Coming through!"

Ugh.

Even the workbay was full as she passed it. Tengas had taken up every seat and corner, and even a lot of the floor.

This was hell on earth.

* * *

In all her time on this ship, she'd never seen her so...animated. Sel sipped her cup; it was some sort of native tenga remedy for nausea she'd been offered—and to her surprise, it had worked. She'd initially declined of course, but Xolin and their guests had pushed her; she didn't want to seem rude. Thankfully, the results were far better than the previous time Xolin had urged her to try something. It didn't taste too bad either; she couldn't quite place the flavor but...cinnamon, maybe?

Hm.

But as she nursed her drink and her receding bile, she watched Xolin chat up a storm with some of the tengas. She was abuzz; a wide smile on her face with a hint of wonder—kind of like when Trok would get invested in a new game, or had finally finished an invention of his that had long eluded him. She was...content. She was happy. Sel had never seen Xolin happy. Not like this, anyway. There had always been a muteness to it...but here, she was animated.

The conversation had started innocently enough. They'd been herding people into the workbay and making sure everyone was settled, asking and making sure everyone was settled. But as the situation had progressed, some of the items the refugees had brought with them had caught Xolin's eye. Necklaces of beads, quasi religious trinkets made of beads, feathers, and string...some of the colorful geometric designs reminded Sel a bit her brief foray about a month ago into terran cultures during one of her many internet searches. Navajo maybe? Was that right? Complex geometric designs, lots of vibrant reds and blues and browns...

But what had caught Xolin's eye the most was the tapestry; a large blanket filled with the same complicated abstract designs, but also displaying a narrative of sorts; various deities and their worshipers, and acts of creation. It was the birth of the universe, from their own cosmology.

"It's called a clutch quilt" the tenga carrying it, an elder female, had explained as she pulled it out of her sack and unfolded it, "We use it to keep our eggs safe before they hatch".

"Oh!" Xolin had replied in sudden embarrassment, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare-".

The tenga cawed in amusement, "It's quite alright. It's always nice to have someone appreciate their handiwork".

A little more relaxed, Xolin had replied, "You made it? It's beautiful".

Another caw of amusement, "Why thank you, and yes I did. Didn't take as long as you might think though; I'm an extremely proficient weaver".

At this point, Xolin had begun hesitantly questioning, hugely curious and egged on by the tenga's friendly demeanor—but also still unused to dealing with tengas in a non-hostile manner, and general fear of insulting the elderly woman. As it turned out, the blanket was sort of a good luck charm for the eggs; granting them the blessing of the gods and imparting on them the wisdom of the cosmos, from the beginning until now. It was a tapestry of ancestors, of the collected and handed-down knowledge of their people.

But soon, the trickle of questions had begun a flood. What are the figures about? Is this your creation myth? How do your gods operate? Deeper and deeper the conversation had gone, until the two of them were debating tenga religious philosophy in a friendly manner. It was unlike anything Sel had ever seen. And...she *liked* seeing Xolin like this. A part of her was sad that sooner or later, this would end and Xolin would be back to her old repressed self.

"Here" the tenga said, giving Xolin the blanket. The triforian's eyes bulged in shock and surprise, "You take it".

"...What?! No!" she stammered in sudden embarrassment, "I couldn't! Why-"

"My egg laying days are long over. And even if they weren't, I could easily spin out another blanket in a matter of months. You like it so much; you take it".

"But...why?" Xolin asked softly, a bit of pleading in her voice.

Another caw of amusement, "You came out here without knowing us to help us, and then spent the last hour in here keeping an old woman company. Please, take it. I want you to have it; I think you'd get far more use out of it these days than I would".

"But don't you like...hand it down or...something?" Xolin asked, even as she finally, begrudgingly, accepted the blanket.

The tenga laughed, "I didn't raise my hatchlings to be lazy. They make their own. Please, take it".

She'd run out of excuses, even if she still felt exceedingly awkward but also very grateful, "I...thank you. Thank you very much".

She waved Xolin off, "It'll keep a naked thing like you warm in the winter months".

"Er...what? Naked?" Xolin blinked in confusion.

"Feathers, child. Feathers" the tenga deadpanned, calming her.

More embarrassment, "...Oh. Right". The two shared a laugh, and the conversation continued, even as Xolin wrapped the blanket around herself.

* * *

"Status".

Sid and Isdilian turned from the console they'd been hovering over, towards Iota as he stepped onto the bridge.

"...We've been getting odd power fluctuations for the past hour or so. Nothing major, but concerning considering they're coming at regular intervals" Sid said, glancing back at the console as if it had some answer for him.

"Theories?" Iota asked.

The two rangers gave each other a brief aside glance before Isdilian responded, "Most likely? A virus. The power fluctuations are happening on a regular schedule, and they started happening soon after we undocked from the tenga ship".

Iota's mind raced to one conclusion, "Sabotage".

Sid sighed with regret as he put his hands in his pockets, "It would seem that way".

The armored figure eyed the two of them for a moment, "...Unfortunate. What's our outlook?

Isdilian responded, "Best I can tell, it's been probing our defenses. Once secure, I expect it to start taking out subsystems".

"We're not computer experts though, or at least I'm not" Sid cut in, though Isdilian didn't stop him, "Trok or Nikki would probably be better suited to tracking this thing down".

Isdilian added, "We should also probably review sensor footage of who was where when".

Iota nodded, "Do it. If one of our guests is a traitor, I'd like to catch them before they get too far in their operations".

"Yes sir" Isdilian replied, before Iota turned and exited the room as quickly as he had arrived. Isdilian returned to the console, readying to request Nikki's assistance.

Sid mused at the door idly, "...You know, my people have a saying".

The karovian eyed the terran with mild interest. Sid frowned, "...Don't bite the hand that feeds".

"A saying you would do well to remember" Isdilian replied, before returning to his work. Sid turned, glaring at the man with a side-eye for a moment, before he too left the room, deciding *not* to play another round of 'Megaship Alpha Male'. Not today at least.

* * *

The energy signature had come from down here, in engineering. Sid had frowned; one of the tengas was not where they belonged. The doors slid open as he entered the room, and immediately he saw the source of trouble—Delarn.

"...Need help with something?" he asked the tenga, casually with hands in his pockets. He lazily eyed some of the containers next to the door as he sundered in. "You're not supposed to be in here".

Delarn nodded slightly, "I seem to have gotten lost. I was looking for the observation lounge, and I guess I took a wrong turn".

"Yes, I can see how a ship with three decks arranged in a triangular pattern could be confusing" Sid mused dryly.

Delarn's eyes narrowed, "Are you implying something?"

"Not at all" Sid shrugged, letting the matter drop. He'd made his point; "Need an escort back?"

"...No" Delarn replied, studying Sid's stone-faced expression, "...I think I can manage".

Sid stepped aside, allowing the tenga to leave. As he did, Sid replied, "Pay mind to the signs. Wouldn't want you getting lost in another restricted area".

"Indeed. Thank you" the tenga said, meeting Sid's dry tone. Delarn left, leaving Sid behind.

"*That* wasn't suspicious at all".

Sid turned; there stood Nikki, sitting above him on the catwalk, legs dangling. Almost like it was years ago; a brief hint of the playfulness she used to exhibit. "Just a little. …Weren't you supposed to go help Isdilian?"

"He can wait. I wanted to see how this went down" she glared at the door Delarn had exited through for a moment, before sliding through the railing and dropping to the floor below, "Knew we shouldn't have trusted those damn birds".

Sid frowned. "I dunno. Something's definitely fishy, but I'm not comfortable with just lumping them all in the 'evil monster' category—not without more information, anyway. Delarn seemed genuinely concerned for his people".

She looked at him like he was stupid, "Yeah, exactly. *His* people. To hell with the rest of us".

Sid scoffed, "And what exactly would betraying us get his people? They're running away from trouble, not towards it".

"I don't know" she replied earnestly, her fists clenching in quiet rage at her conversation with Sid, even as she moved towards the door, "But I intend to find out".

"...Please don't do anything stupid" Sid pleaded.

She stopped dead in her tracks, looking back at him for a moment with a disgusted glare, "What do you care?"

Sid was at a loss for words. She took that as her answer, and walked out. Sid sighed, shaking his head in defeat. Talking to her was like trying to cross an armed minefield. Except that the mines always moved to wherever you were about to step. And you were on fire. Well...actually, he supposed anyone hit by a mine would be on fire anyway, so that would be sort of redundant. But still.

...Maybe it would be best to follow her and make sure she didn't mess things up worse.

Yes, that would be a good idea.

Sid hurried out to follow Nikki.

* * *

Trok noted Delarn's return to the observation lounge almost instantly. It was a full room, yes, but no one had really been entering or leaving except for him—most of the refugees had mostly been content to simply stay put—they were sprawled out all over the room, on the chairs and sofas, on the floor with rugs rolled out, most of them chatting away with each other, or taking care of their families, or eating or...well, just living. That's what surprised him, really. He'd never really thought of tengas as doing normal things just like everyone else. They were always just pirates, or enemy footsoldiers, or other undesirable things—then again, the same could have been said about the Machine Empire. It made him wonder; did Pirhanatrons care for their young? Stingwingers? Hydro-Contaminators?

Trok edged his way over to the tenga leader, "Everyone over in the other rooms all okay?" he asked, thinking back to their earlier conversation before Delarn had left. He'd gone off to make sure everyone was settled. The workbay, the medbay, the launchbay, even the simudeck was full of tengas right now.

Delarn nodded, "Everyone is accounted for. Thank you for keeping an eye in here while I was gone" he said, though his eyes betrayed an underlying unsettled feeling.

"...Problems?" Trok asked.

Delarn shook his head, "No, no. Just...weariness. I wish for this trip to be over. These voyages are always taxing; this one moreso than usual".

"You do this a lot?" Trok asked curiously. Sid had mentioned something about that earlier.

The tenga nodded, "It's basically my life. I'm part of the Colony's Ferry service. I work with willing ship captains and guide them into Vile space and back. I know the shortcuts, the safe spots, and all the tricks of the trade. Occasionally I will take a few weeks off to keep from going mad, and then it's right back into the fray".

"Is it really that dangerous?" Trok asked.

"Exceedingly" said Delarn, "Master Vile is not a forgiving lord. Those worlds in his service—many do not do so willingly. My people are raised up from the moment they are hatched to be his warriors, often without guidance from their elders or what remains of our culture". The tenga's expression hardened, "...We are treated as little more than weapons".

"...It wasn't always like that then?" the horathean asked inquisitively. He tried not to sound offensive about it, but this conversation was opening up avenues he hadn't even contemplated.

Delarn's expression brightened a bit as he looked out the window at the starfield that was soaring by, "Not always, no. A long time ago, in the distant past, we were a proud people. A beautiful people" he paused, contemplating. He turned back to Trok, "Have you ever seen pictures of Tengarii Prime?"

Trok shook his head. Images from the Vile Imperium were...rare. In fact, almost all information from within was rare. Vile kept his realm under careful lock and key—it was a mysterious realm of evil at the far end of space, filled with myths and horrible stories.

There was a glint in Delarn's eyes as he pulled out a small holographic projector. The small, sphericle object opened up as he pressed it, and the immediate area around his claws became a detailed view of Tengarii's Prime surface. Trok gasped a bit; it was exceedingly alien, yet beautiful. The image was one of a large network of trees growing out of the red water below, their incredibly convoluted mass of branches meshing together into a vast maze, out of which an entire city had been built from. It was clear that the city had been abandoned for some time; the structures were ruins, abandoned and empty. The architectual design seemed almost...terran east asian, though obviously different and more bird-like. The city's sectors were arranged like nests, and each seemed to hover around a large glowing globe that emerged from the branches, like a fruit of sorts. The sky was dark; cloudless and full of stars, adding to the ethereal quality. Three moons of varying sizes hovered overhead.

"...It's beautiful" Trok whispered.

"It was our ancestral homeworld, deep within the M51 cluster of galaxies. I had the privilege of visiting it once a few years ago" Delarn explained.

"...Was?" asked Trok.

Delarn nodded as he shut off the image and put the projector away, "Almost no-one lives there now. Vile exported us all over his empire, to be grown in camps. Those who remained, well...about a millenia ago they rebelled, and it did not end well for them".

"...I'm sorry" said Trok, genuinely sad. It looked like a beautiful world, even as an old, vacant ruin.

The tenga shrugged, "It was a thousand years ago. We must focus on the today. We can never reclaim Tengarii Prime, but we can build a new world, away from Vile".

Trok mused, "...The Colonies".

"Indeed" said Delarn, "It's far away from Vile space, and despite being technically a part of the Confederacy, they mostly leave us alone. Which suits us".

"Why is that? Er, that they—we leave you alone, that is" Trok added hastily, clarifying his question.

"Probably a number of reasons. Bad blood on both sides, I'd imagine" Delarn said, "The Confederacy gave us land near the border so that we'd leave *them* alone. We're really only part of the Confederacy on a technicality".

"It probably doesn't help when you take advantage of our hospitality so you can break into unauthorized sections of the ship and plant computer viruses" said another voice. Nikki stepped into the room as most of the heads turned in her direction.

"...Nikki?" Trok asked, "What..."

"I'm sorry?" Delarn asked the redhead, a bit taken aback.

She growled, "Don't play stupid. Sid caught you red-handed in engineering".

"He caught nothing" the tenga replied, his eyes narrowing as his feathers ruffled, "I got turned around, and that's it".

"So you know nothing about the virus that just happened to be introduced into our system around the time we picked your little group up?"

"I know nothing about any virus" the tenga crowed darkly, "Perhaps you should look elsewhere".

"Yeah, no. You're not getting off that easily" Nikki barked right back.

"What is going on!?" Trok demanded of both of them. They turned to the incredibly frustrated horathean standing to their side.

Nikki answered, "Like I said; your friend or one of his cronies loaded up a virus into our database that's starting to wreak havoc with our systems" she glared at the accused, "I intend to find out why".

"...He wouldn't do that" Trok said incredulously as he turned to Delarn, "Why in the world would someone sabotage their free ride?"

"I wouldn't" Delarn replied blandly, "This is ridiculous".

"Look, I know you're not crazy about this whole mission, but you can't just go around accusing people of stuff just because you don't like them" Trok agreed.

Nikki glared at the horathean. He annoyed her; so freakishly trusting and naive. She remembered those days. They're what got her killed. "Cute that you're still playing the understanding white knight type. Didn't your friends just rescue you from a similar situation because you didn't listen?"

Trok's words died in his throat. The nagging feeling he'd gotten since this whole ordeal had begun came to the fore. What if she was right? He'd messed up with Apollo big time, and he hated himself for it. He'd been taken advantage of, and let a criminal free just because he'd said pretended to be a hero.

...What if the refugees couldn't be trusted either?

Nikki sensed his hesitation, and capitalized on it, "You're just a stupid child, ignoring facts just because someone said something nice to you. Nevermind that tengas have been responsible for terrible amounts of bloodshed in civilized space, not to mention the fact that there's a computer virus running loose in our ship's systems". Trok said nothing as she continued to rail with her hateful gaze, keeping his glance downward, "You have no idea how much I detest people like you; always grandstanding with unearned morals, keeping people from doing what really needs to be done, and endangering everyone else".

"Enough".

Everyone turned to the new arrival—Sid was standing there, absolute anger and fury etched onto his face. His single-word statement hadn't been shouted, but it had been exceedingly direct and with authority. He snarled as he rushed over to the group, quickly grabbing Nikki's hand, "You. With me. Now" he demanded as he began to pull her away.

"Wait—what?" she managed, having been momentarily blindsided as she was dragged out of the room.

Trok watched the door shut behind them, then glanced around at Delarn and the tenga crowd, blinking as reality threw itself back at him, and quickly became overwhelming, "I...I have to go..." he managed, before bolting out the door. Delarn just shook his head with a sigh, and returned to taking care of his people.

* * *

"...What are you doing?!" Nikki demanded to know, finally pulling herself free of Sid's grasp. They wheeled around, Nikki preparing to re-enter the room, but Sid brought his hand down against the wall with a solid THUD, barring her access. A second later, Trok exited the room behind him, not bothering to acknowledge them as he fled.

Sid waited for the horathian to turn the corner before resuming his torrent of fury at Nikki, "Let's get one thing straight here. I get it; you don't like me, and I'm really beginning to not like you. But you will *not* take your frustration with me out out on my team. I've already got enough bullies to deal with on this ship, and I don't need to be on the clock for the third shift, are we clear?"

She snarled right back, "So I'm supposed to just ignore that your little friend botched my mission and let a criminal loose because he's a spoiled little-"

"Are we *clear*?!" Sid demanded again, cutting her off.

She met his gaze, for a moment trying to discern something from his eyes, "...You just...replaced us" she said, pondering.

Sid's hand loosed itself from the wall as he stood back, understanding her actions slightly more now, "...I spent years mourning. Was I never allowed to move on?"

The two said nothing more, though they lingered for a moment, both staring at the other, neither really truly recognizing the other anymore. Finally, Nikki broke her gaze and stomped away, opposite the direction Trok had taken. Sid sighed, leaning against the wall as his rage deflated, and silently wondering how it had all come to this.

Why was his life suffering?

He turned in the direction Trok had run off in. For a moment he thought about hunting him down...but then decided against it. Instead he sent Xolin a text message via morpher. She was a bit closer to him, emotionally speaking. And frankly, he wasn't sure he was any good to anyone right now.

He needed a drink.

* * *

There were few areas on the ship that weren't full of refugees right now. The rangers' personal quarters were pretty much it, so he'd pretty much just holed up in his room, intending to ride this shit out. He just didn't want to deal with all the people right now. He couldn't.

He'd messed up. He'd messed up on Meridian III when he'd set Apollo free. He was messing up now, and all that just jumbled together to make all his other childish antics seem...well, childish. The rest of the team would bend over backwards so that he wouldn't have to fight non-monster opponents in battle, and yet he had no issues with blowing up monsters. And here he was, trying to defend a ship full of tengas as people.

Stupid, stupid child.

There was a chime at the door.

"Go away" he groaned impotently as he flopped over on his side on his bed.

"It's me" Xolin's voice bled through the wall, "I want to talk".

"I don't" Trok muttered back.

"...Sid told me what happened" her muffled voice replied, "Please, let me in".

She stood outside a moment longer, and was about to ring the chime again when the door suddenly slid open, allowing Xolin to enter the darkened room. The triforian eyed Trok's body curled up on the bed away from her as the light from the hallway vanished behind the closing door. Carefully, she sat down on the edge of the bed next to him.

What to do? What to say? She doubted he was going to open up any further without her podding, and she didn't really know enough to start off in a given direction. All she knew was that Sid had caught Nikki berating Trok—again. Damnit, why wasn't Sid dealing with this? He was better at it.

And yet...no one knew Trok like she did. They had a bond.

"...Is this about Apollo?" she asked quietly, hunched over away from her friend's still form.

"I don't want to talk about it".

She pressed on regardless, "We told you, it's alright. He had me fooled too".

"You didn't break the law and free him".

"But...you learned from it, right?" she asked, slightly pleading. She was drowning here; not exactly sure where to stand, "We all make mistakes..."

"...Yeah. I think I might be learning from it" he grunted, in a tone that didn't exactly inspire confidence in her. Something was wrong, but she didn't know how to progress. After a moment of her contemplating her next move, he asked her, "...Do you think I'm naive?"

"I.." she'd been blindsided slightly by the question, "...A little, maybe? I guess. Why?"

He sighed, "I'm tired of being the stupid kid".

"...Wait, whoever said you were stupid?" she asked, alarmed as she turned to him, "You're probably the smartest person I know!"

"Not smart enough to not be outwitted" he admitted glumly, "I'm tired of being the dumb kid that everyone has to take care of".

She subconsciously gripped the end of his bed, "...So what are you going to do about it?" she asked, again quietly.

"I dunno. I think..." he sighed in thought, "...I just need to not trust people".

*That* broke her heart. "...I don't think that's the right way to go" Xolin mumbled halfheartedly.

"Why not?" asked Trok, turning over slightly. She hesitated, not sure how to respond, so Trok pressed on, "You know, I always wanted to be like you".

"...Why?" she asked, shocked.

He shrugged, "You always knew what to do. You trained me, showed me how things work. I wish I could figure that out; be able to think on the go like that, and be usually right".

She chuckled darkly, "If you think that, it's only because I'm good at hiding how much of a screwup I am. I'm just lucky enough to usually land on my feet". Xolin turned to him, finally looking him in the eyes, "...You shouldn't be like me, Trok. All I've got is spite and bitterness. That's not you". He looked away, and she sighed; she wasn't getting through to him. Time for a different track; she steeled herself as she opened up. She hated opening up, "...You know, I've always admired you".

Trok sat up, curious and *very* surprised. "...Why?"

She chuckled softly at what she saw as her own silliness, "You're always so full of energy and emotion. And you *always* believe the absolute best in people—to matter what happens, you're always willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. I don't think you have any idea what that means".

"...Have I ever been right?"

Another soft laugh, "Of course you have. You didn't let me throw Sid out the airlock, or Sel. I'd written them off instantly. But you didn't" a pause, and she added, quietly, "...And you didn't write me off either. And you have no idea how much that means to me".

Trok blinked in realization-she was digging deep into her emotions, laying herself bare as she almost never did, to try and help him. "...I could never write you off" he said earnestly, "You took me in. You trained me".

The two shared a soft smile, both of them blushing slightly at the cheesiness of it all—thank the gods for the dark room. Trok then asked as his face darkened, "...So you want me to keep being the gullible kid?"

She looked away, a bit ashamed at that. "No, that's not..." she trailed off, not sure where to go. She thought for a second, "...I think *you* have to decide who you want to be. And not just because you made a single mistake or because someone's trying to pressure you".

"...What if I'm wrong?" Trok asked. By now he'd fully sat upright, leaning against the wall with his knees bunched up against his chin.

She shrugged, "...I guess you need to decide if you want to be right for the wrong reasons or...wrong for the right reasons. I guess" she frowned, not exactly liking how that had come out.

Trok thought about that for a moment. Before he could respond though, the entire ship shook suddenly and briefly, and they could hear *something* winding down—one of those background noises that was always on and so you didn't notice until it stopped.

Xolin's frown deepened, "...Was that..."

"...The engines" Trok breathed, realizing something was very wrong, "...We've dropped out of hyperrush".

Iota's voice cut through the room, _"All rangers report to the war room immediately for mission briefing"._

The two rangers glanced at each other knowingly. Something was *very* wrong.

* * *

Sid arrived last to the war room; his expression weary, "...Third deck is secure. All of our guests down there are locked down. Weren't happy about it though". The entire ship was mostly down now; even here in the war room the lights were by and large off, with only the glow of the emergency lights and what few consoles still worked illuminating the room.

"Their happiness isn't required" Isdilian remarked before turning to Iota, "That should be everyone then. Decks one and two are already dealt with".

The armored figure nodded, "Any progress with the virus?" he asked, turning to Nikki. She sat across from where he stood, face-deep into one of the holo-screens as she continued her hunt. The redhead frowned and shook her head absentmindedly.

"It's rooted itself into the underlying framework of the ship's programming. I'm trying to track it down and extract it, but...it's not easy. I'm having to manually hunt down each of its processes and isolate them one by one. Thankfully, I've already sealed off all remaining systems—including the Power Core, so our powers should still work".

"Would have been easier had you begun working when I requested you" Isdilian said flatly, eying her as she worked, "Instead of playing cop downstairs".

She paused, flashing him an angry glare, "Are you blaming this on *me*?!"

Unwavering he replied with a deadpan, "Yes. That's exactly what I'm doing".

She managed to get halfway out of her chair before Iota told her off, "Enough. Agent Shadow, get back to work. Isdilian?" He gave the karovian a look, and Isdilian sneered at the newest member of the team before going back to leaning back in his seat.

"Okay, so what's the endgame here?" Sid asked the room as he moved around the group, "They've got us stranded. If they wanted to take the ship; they would have done so already".

"They're not *trying* to take control of the ship" Nikki replied, even as she kept her attention on her work, "It's bait and switch. They offered themselves up as harmless hitchhikers, and then cripple us for their friends. And we fell for it like a bunch of saps".

"Friends?" asked Xolin.

"Pirates. Slavers. Whichever. Point is, we're about to get hit *hard*".

"...Can we get long range sensors online?" Sid asked her, "So we at least know what we're up against?"

"Uh…" she thought for a second before nodding hesitantly, "...I think so, yeah. Gimmie a second...". A few seconds later, the central holomap erupted out of the table, showcasing the Defender Megaship, currently stranded between galaxies. More worryingly, six red dots were quickly drawing towards them.

Sid grimaced, "...Vile ships".

"They must have been tailing us" Xolin muttered, an extremely worried, "...What are we going to do?"

"We *need* to get out of here" Nikki replied, still working away. She grumbled, "Damn birds. Should have left them where they were. Let Vile sort them out".

"...No, we shouldn't have" Trok muttered, his angry, bitter expression turned away from Nikki.

She stopped, dead in her work as she turned to him, about ready to beat his head in, "So the right thing to do is to lay down and die?"

"That's not what I'm saying" Trok bit back, now looking directly at her.

"Yes it is!" she then laughed, rubbing the bridge of her nose in exasperation, "What is it with you?! Do you just have a deathwish, or are you just this stupid?!"

Xolin moved between them instinctively—about to say something, but Trok gently nudged her aside as he got up. He took a deep breath, steeling himself. "Have you ever actually talked to any of them?" Trok asked, "I mean actually talked to them, not just yell at them. They're just like you and me, except that they've been through a lot".

"*Lies*, Trok. All lies. I don't know how else to get through to you that people *lie*. Apollo lied. SPD lied. These tengas are all *lying*".

"I don't believe that!" Trok shot at her, "I don't believe that every single one of the refugees we're carrying on this ship set us up".

"Then you're an idiot" she sneered.

He didn't look away; he didn't flinch or feel ashamed. Instead, at that moment, Trok understood something. Xolin had tried to explain it to him earlier, but she'd sort of mangled it. But when it came down to it, he'd rather be wrong for the right reasons. He might be wrong, but Nikki was just...awful. Living life the way she did, trusting absolutely no-one and hating them just because they *might* be up to something...he couldn't be like that. What would the point be if you were all alone in the end?

"...I'd rather be an idiot than be like you" he said, as he felt Xolin's hand rest on his shoulder. The triforian beamed at him, like a proud parent, then gave Nikki a self-satisfied smirk, as if daring her to continue. Trok pressed on, taking advantage of Nikki's momentary shock, even as he quivered from the anger and stress from the current confrontation, "I refuse to believe that everyone's out to get me. That seems like...like just an awful, lonely way to go through life".

Her shock quickly gave way to gritted teeth, rage, and dismay as she shook her head in disbelief, "So you'd rather side with monsters and villians, instead of simply playing it safe?"

"It's not about playing it safe! There's...there's a difference between being cautious and walling yourself off. Yeah, I messed up with Apollo, I *get it*. That doesn't mean the tengas are monsters!"

"They're giant bird-themed winged creatures that raid worlds and threaten cities, Trok!" Nikki shouted at him.

Trok shouted right back, righteous anger beginning to flow through him. He suddenly got it—he figured out why Nikki's continual references to the tengas being monsters bugged him. "So because they've got feathers they're badguys? Because they're not nice looking?! Then what about me, huh?!" he motioned to himself, to the scaly claw that constituted one of his arms; to the green horned mess that rounded his head, "Am I enough of a monster for you? I let a criminal loose! You want to blow *me* up?!"

"That's not—" Nikki started, but Trok pressed on.

"Where's the line? Where's the line that says 'this is a monster' and 'this isn't'?! Where's the line that tells me where I can just disregard someone as a threat because they born looking like a bowl of ramen, or a giant insect?!"

Nikki seemed to be stuck in her tracks. She glanced around at the others—Xolin was backing Trok up. Sid was giving her a glare from across the room. Isdilian didn't care.

"...Tengas are considered race-type monsters" Sel said quietly, reciting some of the stuff she'd learned during one of her information binges a week or two ago, "They reproduce as a species, as opposed to being created for a purpose as with a golem type, or essentially being the manifestation of a spirit or of morphin' grid energies as with the abiogenesis-type" she mused for a second, "...Maybe they need to rethink the classification of species-type monsters. Or monster scales in general".

"Nikki..." Sid started, "...SPD told us a lot of things. We both know they were full of shit. The universe isn't as black and white as they think".

Before she had a chance to respond, a warning popped up on one of the functioning holoscreens near her. One of the tengas had left lockdown without authorization. Better yet, they were on the bridge. Video feed streamed—it was Delarn.

"...Well, would you look at that" she said with a smugness as everyone watched the tenga leader messing with one of the bridge station consoles. She turned to Trok, haughty, "Looks like you're a fool after all". Nikki spun around, quickly leaving the room with one goal in mind—the bridge.

"...So she's not going to take care of the virus?" Isdilian asked, annoyed. His only response was everyone else –including Iota- following Nikki, leaving Isdilian behind. He sighed, "...I need to find a better job".

* * *

"Alright, you. Wings up and away from the console".

Delarn's shoulders sagged as he realized he'd been caught red-handed. Annoying. He turned around slowly, finding himself faced with the black ranger and her sidearm pointed at him from a few feet away.

"What the hell were you trying to do?" she demanded to know, keeping her weapon aimed. The other rangers, also morphed, soon piled in behind her.

"...Trying to figure out why your ship died" he grunted at last, deciding to dispense with the 'harmless tourist' routine he'd tried in engineering, "The virus is familiar to me".

"Yeah, I'll bet" the black ranger redoubled her aim, but just as she was about to fire, the green ranger jumped in the way, pushing her gun aside.

"Stop!"

"TROK, I SWEAR-" she screamed, aiming her gun at the green ranger.

"You're gonna shoot me?" Trok asked, keeping himself between her and Delarn, "Go ahead. I'm just a monster, right?"

"Don't tempt me".

The whine of another sidearm pistol sounded. The blue ranger had aimed her gun at Nikki, "Hurt him, and it'll be the last thing you *ever* do".

"Think you can kill a hologram, little girl?" Nikki sneered.

Another sidearm—Sid's, joined the fray, "All it takes is a few well-aimed shots at your morpher to break your holo-emitter. We don't have to kill you. All we have to do is trap you within your own private hell for eternity".

"I can fix your virus" Delarn said, "If you'll let me".

"...How can we trust you?" Nikki asked.

Sid's gun swung towards Delarn, "She's got a point. You've been sneaking around in places you shouldn't be all day. If you were trying to help, why were you being all shifty?"

The tenga sighed, putting his arms down—they weren't doing him any good anyway. If they were going to shoot him, then they were going to shoot him, "The virus is one of ours, developed by the resistance to take down enemy transports. I recognize some of the coding".

"So it WAS you" Nikki growled.

"If it was him, he wouldn't have told us that" Sid said, but realization was dawning, "...But one of your people IS the saboteur".

Delarn nodded, "I had hoped to clear this mess up and not give you a reason to suspect my people. Seems my efforts were in vain".

"...Can you fix it?" Trok asked.

"That's what I was doing when I was interrupted" Delarn replied, "It's not that dangerous of the virus when you know the backdoors to the program".

"Do it" Sid said.

Nikki gasped at him, "You can't be serious!"

Sid aimed his weapon back at her, "I am. Stand down, now".

"...Iota?" she asked for confirmation.

His reply was not what she was hoping for, "Do as he says. Considering the situation, there's not much more he could do if he WERE against us". With the most absolute reluctance and disgust, the black ranger holstered her sidearm, and a moment later Sid put his away too, followed by Xolin. Delarn turned around and began working. The rangers waited with baited breath, for almost a minute, until suddenly the lights began to come back on. The megaship began to stir to life.

"...You did it!" Xolin exclaimed with relief, looking around as the other consoles all resumed functioning.

"Not completely" Delarn said, "It'll take some time for most of your systems, such as engines and weapons, to reboot and purge the rest of the infection. Until then, we're sitting ducks".

Sid moved over to the long range sensors console, turning it on to see where they stood. It wasn't good—the enemy ships were almost on top of them. They'd be dropping out of hyperrush any moment now, "...Then we're in deep trouble" he said, as Xolin and Sel flanked him around the display, "We've got incoming".

"Vile ships?" Delarn asked. When Sid nodded, he replied, "They won't try to blow us up. Not initially anyway. They'll want to secure your cargo first".

"The refugees" Sid said, understanding. Delarn nodded. Sid frowned, "We've got to hold out until our engines are back online, but how-"

"GET DOWN!" Delarn shouted, cutting Sid off. The tenga leaped between the rangers and the far wall, just as something seemed to...glow? Fire? Before any of them knew what was happening, a number of small explosions had ripped through the air right in front of Delarn, blocked by some sort of...force field. Smoke obscured what had happened, but as it faded, the tenga wasn't there anymore. Instead…

"...We'll I'll be damned" Sid said with a hint of amusement. Trok's eyes widened with glee.

Delarn was gone. In his place was a red and white suited figure, avian-themed spandex covering his now-wingless form. A ranger. More surprising however, were the sources of the attack. Delarn's fingers charged up with some sort of glowing knife attack, and he sent them flying at the far wall. Two figures sparked and staggered, decloaking instantly. The first was another tenga—Sid recognized him as Captain Dei, former commander of the vessel they'd left behind. The other was much more imposing—but Sid recognized it instantly.

A Hydro-Contaminator. The muscle of this operation, apparently.

"...Dei!?" Delarn asked in surprise as he removed himself from his battle stance, "...Why?"

Dei cackled dryly, "Why not? Vile pays a good fortune for the return of his people".

"...But why?" Delarn repeated, "Why ruin your career like this?"

The other tenga snorted, "What career? I've done this for years. I'll apply to the Colony Militia Force, get trained for a few months, get sent out on a 'rescue' mission, and then my ship will be one of the many that never make it back. Then I'll do it all over again with another name. And you never suspect me, or others like me".

Sid frowned, "...Wow. That's actually...really messed up".

"Call it what you like" Dei crowed, "You've done a fantastic job of mucking up my operation. We were supposed to stay stranded until the fleet arrived. Instead I got a load of goodie-two-shoes rangers. Annoying".

Delarn growled, "You are a traitor to our people".

Dei shrugged as he aimed his weapon, "Like the girl's been screaming about since we came aboard. I'm just a monster". He never got a chance to fire; Sid, Nikki, and Delarn had all struck him dead with their own sidearms before he'd even managed to finish choosing a target.

The hydro-contaminator roared, preparing to strike. Worse, the ship's communication console was beeping and blinking—they were being hailed by another; the Vile fleet had arrived. Sid thought quickly, "Okay, new plan! Everyone but Nikki, take out the trash. I want him off the bridge".

"What about the Vile ships?!" Trok asked worriedly.

Sid threw him a cocky glance, "Don't worry, I got an idea".

"You heard the man!" Xolin exclaimed, as she and Delarn fired their pistols at the monster. It staggered back, towards the door. Both folded out their arms, allowing Sel and Trok to jump on top, and then over. Their boots slammed into the monster, causing it to roll out into the hall outside of the bridge. Taking advantage of the situation, the four rangers charged.

Sid turned to Nikki, "I'm going to need your help on this one".

"...Me?" she asked, skeptically, and with just a hint of venom.

He growled, "Look, just work with me on this, please. We've only got one chance. How powerful are your holo-emitters?"

"Only enough to sustain me, why?" she asked curiously.

Sid grinned, "...What if we tapped you into the Power Core?"

* * *

Delarn struck first with the claws embedded in his gloves. He was fast; extremely fast. Compared to the much slower and bulkier hydro-contaminator, it just didn't stand a chance at catching him. He wasn't powerful though—his attacks were inflicting superficial damage on the creature's thick metal hull. But he WAS providing a good distraction while Trok and Xolin charged at him with a double-team attack. Their sidearms had been shifted to sword mode, and they cut into the metal from both sides, rounding out to its backside before kicking it forward—right into Sel's waiting grasp. The yellow ranger rushed at it, launching herself off the monster's front metal plate and flipping over, landing several shots at the stumbling creature from her sidearm before landing.

Deciding it had had enough of this, the monster responded by spinning its upper body around rapidly on its axis, laser bullets flying out of its hands at the rangers. They fell back in a heap as the monster wrapped up its attack and decided to vent its frustration on Xolin. She had gotten up just in time to be grabbed. The monster struck her repeatedly, before tossing her.

"Xol!" Trok shouted as the blue ranger was cast aside. He launched himself at the monster, but was blown into the wall as the central orb on the monster's body charged up and fired a beam of energy at the ranger. It then turned, to the waiting yellow and red rangers.

"This hallway isn't giving us much maneuvering room" Delarn grunted at the yellow ranger, "I don't suppose there's a place on your ship we can throw him into?"

Sel kept her eyes on the monster, even as the blue ranger latched onto its backside, "...Almost all of the larger rooms on the ship are full of your people, and Engineering is a deck down and on the opposite side of the ship".

Xolin got thrown off, into a wall. Sel charged, opening up another volley, and dodging the monster's limbs as she got close. Switching to sword mode, she struck at the creature's underarms, where she hoped there would be a weaker area of armor.

No such luck, she found, as she too was launched into the air by a powerful arm—and then shot out in mid-flight by two laser blasts. She was caught by Trok, but the two crumpled in a heap. Delarn attempted to dodge the next series of laser blasts, but the narrow hallway meant his eventual failure was assured as he coasted down the corridor.

"...We need the Defender Cannon" Xolin groaned as she got back up, preparing to defend, "But with Sid busy, we can't".

Trok thought for a second as he and Sel rebounded, "...We might not need Sid for this one".

"...What are you thinking?" she asked him.

"All the weapons are onboard the ship" Trok replied, "All we need is for someone to grab them from the workbay". With sudden inspiration, he opened a channel, "Isdilian, it's Trok. Long story short, we got a monster onboard and Sid's busy. Think you can grab the Defender Weapons from the workbay?"

An audible sigh was his response, "Understood. I'm on my way".

"So basically, no summoning weapons for the moment" Xolin mused, "Fine, I can roll with that".

Delarn nodded to them from the monster's opposite side, "Let's keep it busy for now".

Xolin nodded back, "Rangers, break and attack!"

The four rangers launched themselves at the monster.

* * *

Sid took a deep breath, preparing himself as he activated the incoming hail.

"_About frigging time"_ the creature he found himself face to face with on the viewscreen croaked. He was hideous; some kind of bloated toad-frog...thing, pale green flesh with boils and warts covering his hide. He had a wide mouth, with a jaw full of thick serrated teeth, and his eyes were that of a dilated cat, _"Who are you? Where's the good Captain?"_

Sid leaned against the chair next to him, cockiness filling his body language, "If you mean Captain Dei, he's dead. So's his pet, for the record".

The creature frowned, _"That's unfortunate for you. Regardless, you're still all property of Master Vile. Surrender peacefully, and we shall be lenient, though..." _he licked his lips, _"Not AS lenient as had the Captain remained alive. Resist however, and..."_ he trailed off, allowing Sid to understand where he was going with this.

Sid however, simply smirked, "Sorry, we won't be doing that today. Not a big fan of slavers, honestly. You might want to bug out before things get ugly. Er, uglier".

The frog croaked in laughter, _"You have spunk! Adorable, but regardless. We have scanned your ship; it has been powered down and is defenseless. No one can save you. We shall board shortly"._

"Mmm...that's where you're *wrong*" Sid corrected the creature, "See, we figured something like this would happen, so we left some cards in reserve so we could snuff out some of the local slaver groups. There's an entire Confederate fleet two light-years out and closing rapidly. You fell for our counter-trap!"

The frog seemed unperturbed, _"A pitiful attempt, and one I've seen many times by the desperate. We detect no incoming fleet"._

"Oh no" Sid said, "They really are on their way. In fact, I'd say...they're due any second now..." he quietly pressed a button on his morpher as his arm hung at his side. That was her signal.

* * *

The sky was abuzz with activity. Two, four, eight, thirty-two, sixty-four...the small Vile fleet of six ships soon found themselves surrounded by nearly a hundred Confederate warships as they warped in, ranging from aquitian packships to terran and karovian deadnought carriers to triforian pyramid motherships, many of them much larger than any of the Vile ships, and with easily enough firepower to lay the offending force to waste.

* * *

"_...What...how..." _the frog croaked, _"We detected nothing...we still detect nothing!"_

Sid shrugged nonchalantly, "New anti-scanner tech that just rolled off the line. You don't even see us coming, and you certainly can't see what we're holding".

The frog's teeth clenched together as he considered his options, _"You...this...this is some kind of trick! I don't know how, but it's a trick!"_

Under his helmet, Sid grinned. He had him right where he wanted, "You sure you want to take that risk?" he asked, as he pressed the button on his morpher again. It was time for a demonstration.

The bridge of the enemy warship shuttered as one of the horathean destroyers opened up with a laser salvo that just barely missed the lead Vile ship—a warning shot.

Sid continued, "Here's your choice, Kermit, you can either A: Call my supposed bluff, and then we get to see if I was trying to pull a fast one on you. Or rather, *I* will because you'll be a scattered association of atoms. Or B: you pull out and find someone else to terrorize. I like B. All things considered, everyone wins with B. Be smart".

The frog hesitated, just before his bridge shook again with another warning shot, this time from an edenoite cruiser.

"I'm waiting!" Sid chirped cheerfully, "What's it gonna be?"

"_...You win this time"_ the frog seethed, _"But you cannot save every escapee ship. We will hunt others"_.

"No, you're right" Sid said, determined, "We can't. But we DID save this one, so suck on that, Mr Toad".

The monster gave him a look of annoyance, before cutting the link. Sid watched with satisfaction as the small Vile fleet turned about, and—not quickly enough in his opinion—warped out.

"...Impressive" Iota remarked.

Sid spun on his heels towards his commander, giving an over-the-top bow before dropping down and slumping in the seat in relief, "That's what you hired me for" he laughed, "...I can't believe that worked!" A moment passed, and he spoke towards one of the consoles, "...You can come back, now".

The fleet outside vanished from existence without fanfare, replaced by a mere six much smaller and very familiar ships—the rangers' axillary zord fleet. On the bridge, the black ranger reappeared with a flicker, before pulling her morpher from its inserted position in the console. The two glanced at each other awkwardly, an unsettling emotion settling over the room.

It had been just like old times.

"...good...good teamwork" she managed to get out in an awkward and failed attempt at being professional, before deciding to make a hasty exit.

"Yeah...We always were..." Sid muttered quietly, well out of her earshot.

* * *

A slash from Xolin's sword knocked the monster back, but all she had to show for it was a solid hit to the gut from the monster's orb fist. Electricity sparked off, dancing around her suit before she sparked and exploded, getting flung through the doorway into one of the supply closets. As it prepared to come down, the Hydro-Contaminator's fist was blocked by two more swords—Trok and Sel had intercepted and crossed their blades at the orb's handle.

"Now!" Trok exclaimed. He and Sel pushed and slid, their blades slicing right through the monster's arm, and the orb fell to the floor harmlessly. The monster stumbled back as its stump sparked and sputtered, electrical wires dangling out from its mechanical form. Realizing it had been wounded, it roared, charging into its two opponents. Trok blocked its first strike, but fell against the second. Sel managed a glancing blow on its side before it turned and grabbed her by the shoulder, tossing her about. She landed on the floor with a solid THUD, rolling away next to Delarn as he charged in, having summoned his own special weapons—twin curved short swords that barely resembled feathers. With a flurry of strikes, he cut into the monster's metal hide, before combining the weapons together into a double-bladed weapon, and having charged them up with crimson energy, struck down at the beast. It staggered back, smoking from the assult. The tenga avoided the central beam laser as it melted one of the walls, whipping around and landing a solid kick before striking again with his sword.

Too bad he never saw the claw coming.

Two white blasts of energy hit the Hydro-Contaminator from the rear; behind the still-rebounding Trok and Sel stood Isdlian, his own Sentinel Cannon primed and ready. With his other arm, he tossed Trok the Defender Cannon, already assembled and ready to go.

"Sweet!" the green ranger said with glee, "Thanks!"

"Less talking, more killing" Isdilian chastised them, even as Xolin rejoined the group, receiving the cannon from Trok. The four rangers and their two cannons assembled.

"Sentinel Cannon, FIRE!" Isdilian shouted. His weapon charged, and a brillint white beam of energy struck forth, burning through the enemy hull.

"Defender Cannon!" Xolin shouted, bringing her own weapon to bare as Trok and Sel grabbed the sides, "Ready and-"

"FIRE!" all three shouted. Three beams of power—blue, green, and yellow shot out at the injured creature, blowing another hole in it.

As it crackled and sparked, its damaged form stumbling and spewing smoke everywhere, Delarn charged up his own twin blades.

"BLAZING TALON!"

Swinging his double-edged sword in, the red ranger cut through what was left of the monster. The last blow proved to be one too many for the dying creature, as it staggered and sparked, before finally keeling over and igniting into a fireball. As the smoke cleared, all that was left was smoldering embers and a burnt carpet.

"...Think Iota's going to kill us over the carpet?" Trok asked ruefully.

"Forget the carpet, look at the walls" Xolin exclaimed, pointing at the melted and bent walls around them, where laser beams had been fired at and rangers had been thrown into. The three rangers sighed.

Xolin turned to Delarn, "...Why didn't you tell us you were a ranger?" she asked curiously and with a hint of annoyance, "Could have fixed this mess a hell of a lot sooner".

The tenga seemed a little embarrassed, "...In my experience, the best weapon is the one you have yet to deploy. I apologize if I offended, I'm just accustomed to dealing with problems myself. I did not wish to draw other parties in more than absolutely required". The tenga eyed Nikki, who had just come off the bridge and down the hall towards them on her way. "...But as I said, I will go to any length to save my people". She met his stare for a moment, before continuing to flee as casually as she could. Trok let off a small smile of self-satisfaction as she high-tailed it out of there.

* * *

It had been an eventful few days, if she did say so herself. Well, really it had only been that first day, but the fact that the ship had remained jam-packed with people, no one had really had any time to decompress.

Now however, finally, that was ending.

Not that she had any issue with the people they'd been ferrying, anything but, but it was going to be nice to have the ship to themselves again, even if she was going to miss some of the tengas she'd gotten to know over the past few days—especially Quian, the elder lady who'd given her the hatching blanket that Xolin now kept on her bed. The old lady had had so many stories and a dry sense of humor about it all. She was unflappable, and Xolin admired that.

She gave Quian one last wave goodbye as the elder lady stepped onboard the transport—now that they'd arrived in orbit around Augira Prime, the refugees would be taken by the colonies to be filed and sorted into the system.

"So" Sid said to Delarn as they all watched the refugees move to the tenga vessel, "How soon are you going back to the front after this?"

"Almost immediately, I'm afraid" Delarn replied, "Wouldn't be fair to the rest of my team to slack off while they keep fighting the good fight. A leader has to lead, after all".

Sid noticed something funny about his tone, "You seem a little disappointed".

"Mmm" the tenga mused, "...It *is* a pity that I get to see my team so little. I don't even remember the last time we were all together".

"Take it from me" Sid said in earnest, "I know your mission is important, and I wholeheartedly approve, but you should always take time to see your team" his attention was drawn to his team, as they continued to watch everyone get on the transport, unaware as to the conversation, "...In work like ours, you never know if they'll still be around tomorrow".

"You are correct of course" Delarn said, "Hmm, perhaps we should". A moment passed, and the tenga straightened, noticing that the crowd was beginning to wind down, "I believe that it is time for me to go. I salute you, Sid of Mirinoi, and I hope we meet again. Your team has my thanks".

Sid offered him a fake salute, "Hey, it's all in good fun, right?"

Delarn cocked his head slightly, "...You are an...interesting human. Until next time". Sid waved as he turned to leave, but Delarn stopped when he saw Trok.

"...Hey" Trok said.

Delarn bowed slightly, "Thank you. You believed me when others did not, and because of that my people are safe".

Trok's eyes trailed to the floor in awkward thought, "...I believe in people. It's what I choose to do. I might get burned but...I don't want to live in a world where I can't trust anyone. And I believe everyone deserves a chance".

The tenga nodded approvingly, "You have a spark. Never lose it, for it makes you something very special. In fact, I would say most of your team are something special; something rare".

"...And what's that?" asked Trok, even as Delarn began to move once more towards the airlock.

Delarn turned to him once more, "...Heroes, Trok. You're heroes. We live in an age of ample super-suited rangers and riders, but heroes are something this universe is in desperate need of" he turned, walking into the airlock, "Give your commander my regards. I hope to see you all again someday".

Delarn crossed over onto the other ship, the last tenga to go. The vault doors shut behind him, and soon they could hear the noise of the other ship beginning to separate from theirs. A brief moment of silence passed as a sort of 'what now?' feeling fell over the rangers.

"So..." Sid started casually, "...We got feathers to clean up".

"So many feathers" Xolin grimaced.

Sel frowned, "...Everywhere".

"Get too it, rangers" said Isdilian, turning away.

"...You're not going to help?" asked Xolin, a bit indignant, "Where are you going?"

Isdilian stalled but for a moment, "...Someone has to run diagnostics to make sure the ship is fully purged of issues. Have fun cleaning feathers". He then left, down the hall.

Sid glared, "...One of these days, I'm gonna pee in his cornflakes".

As the rangers began to disperse, Trok saw Nikki a few feet down the hall. She'd been watching from a distance—just in case. Trok gave her a determined smile.

"*That's* why I'm a fool" he said defiantly after striding over to her. She regarded him for a moment, then with a disgusted glare, left.

"Oooh, Trok!" Xolin's voice called with false enthusiasm, as she grabbed the horathean by the shoulders and gently pulled him away, "The workbay is *this* way!"

"Alright, I'm coming, I'm coming!" he protested, wrestling himself out of her grasp as he followed.

"Good job, by the way" she added quietly, a wide smile on her face—he was growing up before her eyes. He returned the smile.

"Thanks".

* * *

The ship was clean. They'd spent all day rooting out every last nook and cranny, but the ship was *clean*. Cleaner than it had been before, actually—Xolin supposed it was Iota's way at getting back at them for something or other.

Meh.

Everyone else had pretty much gone to bed—or at least to their rooms, she didn't particularly know or care. She sat in the workbay, tenga blanket draped over her shoulders as she scrolled through her datapad. Xolin had been going through database entries about—of all things—tenga religion and culture. Who'd have thought her for a nerd.

...Then again, she was always super-big on her own traditions, so who was she to argue.

Xolin spotted something in the edge of her vision. Her eyes shot up, and caught sight of Sel standing in the doorway to the mostly-dark room, awkwardly.

"...What's wrong?" Xolin asked.

Sel shifted uncomfortably as she inched into the room, a datapad being flung about in her hands, "I um..." she hesitated, "I just thought...I don't…"

"Calm down" Xolin told her with a slight chuckle, "What's up?"

Sel took a deep breath, summoning all her courage. She wasn't used to this. What if she did it wrong? But…

"You...seemed really happy. Earlier, I mean. With the tengas. Talking with the tengas, I mean. Your...religion stuff".

"'Religion stuff'?" Xolin teased, breaking into a wide grin. When Sel looked like she was just about to bail out, Xolin waved her off, "I'm just kidding. What's got you so riled up?"

The xybrian fidgeted, before finally taking a seat at the table, across from Xolin. She dropped the datapad between them, "I'm...not used to this, I'm sorry if I messed it up".

"Messed *what* up?" Xolin asked.

Shyly, the xybrian motioned towards the datapad. Xolin put hers aside and gingerly picked up the new one, quickly scrolling through it. It was a list of texts and links to pages—all about tenga culture and religion. Most of them were ones she'd already picked out, but still...the thought behind it was sweet.

"...This is for me?" Xolin asked with an awkward smile.

"You just...you always seem sad or angry. When I watched you talking to those old women, you seemed just so...happy. Happier than I've ever seen you".

Xolin's shoulders sagged as she continued to scroll. It was true; she'd had an absolute blast having those discussions. Part of her had forgotten that she loved this shit. Sure, she'd held true to her faith and traditions, but her love for them had steadily gone out. And she'd certainly never considered looking abroad at foreign societies. She loved *Triforian* culture. But now… "...Thank you" she whispered with a slight smile.

Sel began trying to defend her actions as her talking got fast, "...I did it right? I didn't want to intrude and-"

Xolin cut her off, "You did great, Sel. Don't sweat it" a beat passed, "...I used to love learning about this stuff. At one point, I was all set to become a priestess back home".

"...Think you'll go back to that eventually?" Sel asked.

Xolin shook her head, laughing sadly, "No, that ship has sailed. Even if I could, I think I've moved on. Home's not really home anymore. But this is just..." she kept scrolling—holy crap, there was non-tenga stuff in here, "...Woah, wait, 'horathean ancestor worship'? Edenoite festival traditions?" she blinked, then laughed, "...Terran pop culture?"

"Sorry!" Sel exclaimed bashfully, "I sort of got...carried away".

"It's fine!" Xolin reassured her, "...Better than fine, actually".

"...So you like it?"

She nodded, "...I do. I think at one point I forgot that I did" she looked at Sel, "Thank you. Very much".

Sel beamed; she'd done good. She'd been *very* worried; she wasn't the best at getting things right for other people. But it had all worked out in the end, and now she felt very accomplished. Her weariness caught up with her though, now that the stress was relieved; she yawned.

"You should go to bed" Xolin urged her, "Isdilian wants us back on a regular training schedule tomorrow".

"...What about you?" Sel asked, curious.

Xolin flashed her a smile, "...I don't need that much sleep. I'll get there soon enough; go on ahead".

The xybrian nodded, getting up before heading for the doorway. She gave Xolin one last glance—the triforian was already engrossed in reading once more, subconsciously pulling the blanket around her closer. A small smile crept over her lips again, and the xybrian removed herself from the darkened room.

* * *

He didn't pull them out often. Not anymore. Many times he considered throwing them out, but he could never do it. He'd come close a couple times, but… Really, he could consider it a metaphor for his life. He could never bare to look at them out of pain, but he could never move on, and he carried them with him as luggage, in tow.

Sid flipped through another physical photograph. A rarity to be sure, but Nikki had once had the brilliant idea of making a friendship collage, and so Sid was lucky to still have these. Well, 'lucky', kind of in the same vein as the old curse 'may you live in interesting times'. This one showed a large rock golem person—Akire, and a human male, Matt. The latter had somehow convinced the former to see how far he could launch him into the air via a makeshift see-saw, and now Matt—the jokster of the group, found himself in a painful heap in the construction site they had staged this in. Akire seemed very unamused, but Sid was pretty sure he'd not smiled once as long as he had known him anyway. Akire had always been too serious—even his humor was the driest deadpan. He'd always explained that joy was not important on the battlefield; a real charmer, that one. Matt meanwhile, it had always been a miracle he hadn't gotten himself killed earlier—or by Sarah whenever she heard about his stupid stunts or bad jokes.

He flipped to the next photo. Nikki had set up a surprise birthday party for Sarah—the latter seemed as though she was trying her absolute hardest to remain grumpy and annoyed that they'd gone ahead and done this without her permission. Sid quietly laughed as he remembered how she was always so uptight and commanding. There were days when she was really the one leading the team, because he'd be off goofing off with the others.

Another photo. They'd just won a really tough monster battle. Sid remembered this one; three days of ongoing fighting that had leveled almost all of the city's warehouse district. It had cost them a megazord, and forced the base to upgrade them with powers. The higher-ranking teams had all been offworld at the time, leaving them as Mirinoi's last line of defense. But there they were, suits torn, helmets smashed, covered in dirt and limping in the midst of a destroyed city...and all of them had wide grins plastered all over their faces—minus Akire of course, but he still looked oddly triumphant. They'd gotten medals for that fight.

The next photo was one Nikki had taken; she and himself were setting up a water balloon catapult in one of the hallways in the SPD base, waiting for Matt to turn the corner. He never saw it coming.

Next up was Matt again, posing with a skateboard over the Great Divide—the largest canyon on Mirinoi. He was about to attempt a stunt between two rock pillars. He'd come away with half a dozen broken bones.

A rare picture of Sarah and Nikki having a girl's day out, joyful expressions of laughter filling the frame—Nikki had been the fun-loving heart of the team, and had been able to even coax out Sarah's fun side. Another of Sarah beating Akire in some sort of chess-like game from his homeworld; her smug satisfaction and his shock were plain. A photo of Sid and Matt, 'looking cool' in their dorky ways for the camera. A picture of everyone having taken turns at drawing with markers on Matt's face while he slept—payback for the pig prank. A pool party. Bowling. That time Matt had had the idea he could eat the entire Special Surprise Tuesday Challenge from the local mexican place and ended up vomiting everywhere. Their team promotion photo. Posing with the zords—wide smiles and thumbs up.

...That last picture had been taken two days before his father had denied his plan to go after an Alliance outpost station. Three days before everyone had died.

Sid put the photos down. Those times could never come back. With Nikki around, he could almost, for a split second, believe that Matt would turn the corner with a crazy new half-baked plan, or Sarah would complain that SOMEONE had left the cap off the milk in the fridge again. Or Akire would...well, stand there, he supposed.

But those times could never come back. Akire, Matt, and Sarah were dead, forever. And Nikki might as well have died, she didn't resemble the girl he'd dated at all. Gone was the loving smile, replaced with distrust and hate and bitterness. And it was his fault. All his fault.

He'd lied to her. He'd never moved on. He wasn't allowed to.

Sid wept.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	20. 2x07: Daily Snapshots

**MONDAY**

Alarms pierced the air; their shrill sirens sounding to all that trouble had arrived. Not that they needed the hint—civilians throughout the museum ran screaming in all directions, tripping over some of the various exhibits as the monster made his way to his destination. He stopped for a moment, taking a second to regard the recreation of the Venus de Milo stationed at the end of the short hall he was crossing to get to the next room.

"...I don't get it" he rumbled with a shrug, before continuing on his way. He was an ugly beast—some sort of welded together mockery of a steampunk suit of armor, with rusted bits and mismatched coloring. His mouth was a hinged jaw with sharp 'teeth'. Pipes of steam rose from his backside, and he carried a large, metal club with many spikes attached.

"...Don't get it, don't get it, don't get it..." he rambled off as he passed each exhibit; in order, an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus, the English Bill of Rights, and a diorama of a mammoth being hunted by a group of neolithic humans. "Stupid art" His face brightened immediately however, as he saw his target, "...Got it! I got it!"

The machine charged towards his quarry, and the two guards who had so far stood their ground ran screaming like children as the eight-ton suit of armor shook the entire building as he bounded right at them. It was a small exhibit—a pedestal surrounded by a glass box in the middle of the room. Inside was some kind of relic; not of any Terran civilization, and highly advanced. It was curved in shape and pure white, with golden glyphs carved into it, and adorned with blue crystals. About the size of the monster's fist, he eagerly destroyed the case with a swift punch, adding one more alarm to the cornucopia already blaring, before swiping the relic.

And that's when he was shot by several laser blasts from behind. Stunned and a little curious, the robotic monstrosity turned around, coming face to face with six rangers.

Red spoke first, "Alright, Rusty. Put the toy down".

"…Rangers" the creature grumbled in annoyance, "I am on a mission! Allow me to pass, and none shall be harmed".

"...Dude!" the red one replied, aghast, "You blew up like three cop cars on the way in here. There's an entire street corner missing".

"They got in my way" the monster reiterated.

Red scoffed, pulling out a sword. The others did likewise, "Well guess what we're here to do?!"

The monster laughed as he gripped his club, hoisting the deadly weapon over his shoulder, "Come on then, allow me to test the mettle your squishy insides!"

"...Ew" the green one muttered at the blue one, "...'Squishy's such a gross word".

"Focus Trok" the blue one commented. Green redoubled his attention.

"Alright kids, you know the drill!" the red one shouted, before charging in. The others followed, and immediately the monster gave a mighty battle cry before joining the battle. With a single swing of his weapon, he knocked Sid aside like a rag doll. A second swing however, netted him nothing—Trok and Xolin dodged his strike, before parrying his blows with their swords. Their luck didn't hold however, as the monster flipped Xolin over with his club and Trok with his fist. Sel and Isdilian struck next, the silver ranger quickly being dispatched by the club after attempting a kick Sel rolled back, and regrouping with Xolin they flipped over around to the monster's backside, making sure to launch a kick off his rear before landing. It didn't really do anything except aggravate him, but by the time he'd turned, both were already hitting him with their blasters. With a roar he swung at them—they dodged, but he swung again, catching the yellow ranger by surprise. Blue kept dodging, until Isdilian leapt in the way, shield out in front as the club came down. Sparks spewed out as the two objects collided, but the silver ranger remained firm—though he was beginning to be pushed back just a bit.

With a herculean push, Isdilian shoved the monster's weapon out of the way—just as Sid flipped over the monster's head and landed next to him. The red ranger, in synch with silver, issued a double kick to the already unstable monster, forcing him to stumble back a few steps. He soon rebounded though—and Sid soon found his abdomen being crushed by the impact of a massive metallic fist. Isdilian tried blocking with his shield again, but blocking the fist meant he was open to the club hitting him in the side. He flew into the side of the mammoth.

A mace quickly surrounded the beast, reigning him in with its thick chains. The green ranger pulled on his weapon, tightening its grip. "Xolin, now!"

The blue ranger nodded, rushing the creature with her lance. She jumped in the air—but before making contact, twin laser beams from the monster's eye caught her in mid-flight, and the ranger went down like a sack of potatos, right into a stand full of priceless Ming pottery.

Well, they used to be anyway.

With a roar, the monster broke free of Trok's weapon, before charging up his club and slamming it into the ground—a pulse went out along the floor, sending energy flowing into each ranger as their suits sparked and exploded, each of them shouting out in pain before collapsing.

"Is that all you pipsqueaks got?!" the monster laughed, "I've seen more fight from a circus of Pirhanatrons!"

"How about you try me?" a female voice said. The monster turned—there was a black ranger. Ah, there HAD been six of them, hadn't there?

The beast chuckled, "Bring it little girl! I've already pummeled your friends".

Her voice darkened, "...They aren't my friends". She didn't give him a chance to respond however, as she charged...and then vanished as soon as she got in range of the monster's club.

"...Wha?" he asked in confusion, his weapon passing through empty air. A second later however, he felt two short swords driving into the joints between his back armor and helmet. The monster let loose a guttural roar as Nikki, perched behind his head and struggling to keep her spot as she gripped hold of her weapons for dear life, drove the blades deeper. Finally having had enough, she pulled out, landing in front of the monster—and again rushed him. Just as he swung, she vanished again, and was rewarded with two more cuts to his backside.

"Enough!" the monster screamed, lunging about as he swung at her again. She dodged, then vanished.

Trok's mace wrapped itself around the monster's outstretched club, ripping it from his hands, and flinging it down the hall, cleanly beheading a replica of The Thinker.

"...We're going to owe this place so much money" Sid groaned, then turned to the green ranger, "Yo, Trok" he said, tossing his ax at his friend as the mace head receded back into the hammer hilt. The green ranger quickly connected the weapons, shoving the hilt of the ax deep inside the hammer head.

Sid grinned, "Go fish".

Trok also smiled, pulling back before letting loose with the mace, the blazing energy of the ax impacting into the monster's hull. It swung by twice more, each time sending the metallic creature reeling.

"Sel!" Xolin shouted, tossing her lance at the yellow ranger. Sel caught it, quickly attaching it to her bow blade as the monster turned his attention to Sid and Trok. Charging her weapon up, she fired the lance, golden and azure energy slicing through the air before cutting right through the monster. Sparks and explosions ripped through the monster's hull as he shouted in pain.

They had him on the ropes. Isdilian combined his shield and sword into a singular weapon, "Sentinel Cannon, FIRE!"

White blazing light shot forth, ripping through the monster, and giving the others time to assemble.

"Defender Cannon!" the red, blue, green, and yellow rangers shouted, their weapons having been combined into a singular weapon, aimed at their foe. "Ready, and FIRE!"

The monster barely had time to see the deadliest rainbow of them all before he was vaporized.

* * *

**Power Rangers Peacekeepers**

**Season 2**

**2.07: Daily Snapshots**

* * *

"So...what *is* it?" Trok asked, staring at the small relic they'd recovered from the monster's ruins. The six rangers had piled into the war room on the megaship after having been recalled by Iota.

"Ostensibly, an Eltarian artifact" said Iota, "The museum tells me it dates to the Senarii period, somewhere between sixteen and seventeen million years ago".

Sid whistled, "...seventeen million years".

"Eltarian civilization's one of the oldest in local space" Sel recounted from her studies, "Its history reaches back over twenty million years—and shows signs of likely being influenced by the Morphin' Masters very early on".

Iota nodded, "Indeed. The museum tells me that as best they can tell, the device is some sort of...map".

"Um..." Trok squinted, looking over the decidedly un-map-like device, "...I don't…get it?"

Iota took the relic, placing it in the center of the table, before setting the table's controls to summon light forth from the middle. The light infiltrated the device, and out—creating a holographic star map that filled the room, stars floating in midair around the rangers.

"...Oh!" Trok blinked, surprised. Each of the rangers seemed a little surprised. Well, except Isdilian, who continued to mask everything with a mildly bored expression.

"Okay, so here's where the other shoe drops, I'd imagine" Sid said, watching the lightshow, "What does this have to do with us? I can't believe the Peacekeepers would have us go after a minor museum robbery when there's a war on, and I can't believe we'd just appropriate museum property without good reason".

Iota nodded again, "The Organization believes this was not an isolated event. A week ago, another museum on Edenoi was attacked and robbed by a pirate group that included the monster you fought two days ago".

Sid frowned, "...And let me guess, they took an Eltarian artifact".

"Exactly. Another map device, and judging from the museum's stored database, the map gave them the directions to where our current relic was buried before being put in a museum. Didn't take them long to follow the trail" said Iota. He waved to the map around them, in particular towards a few of the brighter stars, "As you can see, this map seems to be leading us to other relics within the set. Accounting for stellar movement over the past few million years, each of these locations are viable targets".

"...So why do the pirates want these maps?" Xolin asked, a bit of foreboding seeping into her, "What's the endgame?"

"That's what the Organization wants to know" Iota replied, "Both attacks happened on highly populated core words of the Confederacy; a small pirate band wouldn't risk that unless the payoff was worth it".

"That's...decidedly ominous" Sid muttered. Ancient relics and treasure maps. What could go wrong?

Trok looked around at the map, "So where are we headed first?"

Iota also glanced around at the five highlighted stars, before pointing at the closest one to him, "Here. Azura Centaurus. A former G-class star that left the main sequence two million years ago, and has since become a red giant. It's not too far—within the Sertali Galaxy".

Sid scoffed, "'Not too far'? Dude, that's like...way out on the fringe, near Intergalactic League territory".

"Let me put it this way" Iota said tersely, "it's the closest one".

Sid sighed. "Wooo. Field trip!" he teased in a deadpan sarcastic tone.

Iota shut down the projection and took the relic off of the table. The star map vanished, returning the rangers to setting of the war room, "You're all dismissed".

* * *

**TUESDAY**

Trok crept around the corner, making sure the way was clear before continuing down the hall towards Xolin's room. In his hands he held a small handmade device—one of his inventions. Xolin should have been out at this time, likely training in the simudeck. But still, as he arrived at her door, he stole a moment to take a deep breath, readying himself in case she was in her room. First he of course rang the chim. When she didn't respond, he called for her. Still nothing. With a conspiratorial grin, he opened the shell of the door controls, rewiring the inside of the box until the door slid open. Trok then slid inside, into the darkened room.

His work could now begin.

* * *

When you live on a starship for any length of time, you get used to seeing closed doors. Since they're all automatic in use and sealed when not in use for safety and security purposes, one just doesn't tend to see open doors unless it's actively being used.

So it was for this reason that an unused, empty door instantly caught Sid's attention as he made his way down the hall. Crazier still, he recognized it as Xolin's room. His eyebrow arched in suspicion, as he crept closer.

"...Xolin?" he asked cautiously as he neared the door, "You there?"

No voice answered, but the sound of someone fumbling around inside put Sid on guard—could someone be on the ship without permission? Flanking himself to the door, Sid prepared himself, and then spun into the room, fists at the ready.

"...Trok?" he asked, lowering his fists in confusion as he saw the horathean crouched over and fiddling with some sort of device.

Trok looked at him sheepishly. "Uh...oh uh...hi...Sid..."

Sid squinted, the confusion only growing, "Um. What's up?"

Trok realized he'd been caught red handed, but still tried to hide the object behind him, "Um...nothing much. What's up with you?"

"Oh, y'know" Sid said blandly, "Wondering why my friend's in my other friend's room with a suspicious-looking computer-y device".

Trok gulped, "Um...no reason".

Sid's expression deadpanned as he folded his arms.

Trok sighed, giving up, "Fine, you got me. I was..." he paused awkwardly, ashamed, "...I was going to try and prank Xolin".

Sid let his arms down, "...What kind of prank?"

The horathean waved halfheartedly to his object on the floor as he explained in resignation, "This device creates a subsonic frequency when activated. There are receiving devices all over the room. When I trigger the main device, they'll all explode in confetti and noisemakers".

"So..." Sid was piecing this together, "You were gonna surprise her?"

Trok chuckled despite himself at the image, "She'd have had a heart attack during her next meditation".

"Hmm" Sid mused, looking around the room for the out-of-sight confetti dispensers, "Not bad, not bad. A little novice, but there's potential".

Trok looked at him skeptically, "Wait...you're not mad?"

Sid snorted, "Mad? Psh, please. You know how much shit I used to get up to in SPD? This is child's play. Er, no offense" he added quickly.

Looking at his device, then at Sid, Trok eyed his friend curiously, "So...do you have a better idea?"

Rubbing his chin, Sid thought for a moment, "Hmmm..."

* * *

Breathing deep the spices she was burning from the candles around her, Xolin let the air in her lungs then escape, keeping herself cross-legged on the floor of her room, using the tenga blanket as a cushion. Her eyes were closed as she allowed the world around her to recede, replaced only by her slow, rhythmic breathing and the scent of home. A faint smile couldn't help but appear on her lips.

Something in the room chirped loudly and annoyingly, breaking her from her trance. She looked around and saw nothing, and so prepared to return to her meditation. A faint smile grew once more.

CHIRP.

The contentedness on her face vanished, replaced by an annoyed frown. What could be causing that?! She waited, until the sound repeated. It was so sharp, so shrill, she couldn't pin down its source, but she got up, seeing if she couldn't catch sight of anything as she scanned the room with her eyes.

CHIRP.

It didn't help that the noise was just infrequent enough to evade her being able to track it down.

CHIRP.

She threw aside the covers of her bed, pulled her desk from the wall, flung on the main lights.

CHIRP.

She pulled out everything from her dresser, emptied her closet.

CHIRP.

She raided the bathroom, pulled her bed apart.

CHIRP.

Near to tears with frustration as she pulled at her now war-torn hair, and about ready to bludgeon someone as she prepared to scream bloody murder, the next CHIRP happened so close to her as she crouched next to her dresser that she soon caught sight of the device—a very small orb-like object no larger than her fingernail. Ah-HAH. She grabbed the object and took it to the bathroom sink, dropping it down the drain before activating the garbage disposal. Music to her ears. Well...mostly. As it was ripped to shreds, it got off a mournful howl—some sort of party noisemaker maybe? Her suspicions were confirmed when a small cloud of confetti erupted out of the drain.

She was going to kill Trok when she saw him.

Moving back into the main room of her quarters, she saw it was an unholy mess. Ugh. She was going to have so much work cleaning this up. Later though; she still had to finish her session. She sat back down on the blanket, taking another deep breath and letting the bad thoughts and emotions flow out. Xolin calmed herself, focusing on her rhythmic breathing. It was fine. Everything was fine.

CHIRP.

The resultant guttural screaming that emanated throughout the deck was not human.

* * *

As Sid took a bite out of his sandwich, he barely considered that Xolin might march into the workbay seconds later with a look on her face like she was about to absolutely murder everyone. She slammed her fist on the table Sid was sitting out, causing him to jump a little as her expression of pure rage—magnified by the messed up mane of hair, filled his vision. Her voice was one of thinly-controlled madness.

"Where. Is. Trok?!"

Sid blinked, both surprised and trying to contain his laughter, "Uh...why?"

Xolin let loose a little chuckle like she was unhinged, "Little twerp put a bunch of noisemakers in my room. I spent the last three hours trying to track them all down, AND THERE'S STILL MORE. WHERE IS TROK!?"

Sid shrugged as he edged back from Xolin's hunched over form, "I dunno. Have you tried his room? Or the simudeck?" He almost let loose a giggle at the end—it became something of a snort or a half-sneeze.

"...You think this is funny?!" Xolin demanded.

Sid finally let loose a small laugh, "Remember Xolin, you shouldn't get angry. You should just...get..." he trailed off, as Xolin's face lost its imminent rage, replaced by something he couldn't quite identify, but almost as if she'd come to understand something. As if in all her rage and hate, she'd reached some sort of anger nirvana. "Um..." Sid muttered.

She didn't respond to him, instead taking her unsettling blank, but still very intense, look out of the room with her. Silence fell over the workbay for a moment as Sid kept his eye on the door she'd left through. A deep unsettling feeling gathered in his gut. What had he just unleashed?

From across the room, Sel eyed him as she ate her own lunch. "...You're a monster, you realize". Her own native xybrian powers had flared up, and she'd gotten...well, *something* from Sid. Some emotion. Not exactly sure what, but she was fairly certain he'd been responsible for the prank to begin with.

Sid nodded numbly at first, before accepting it and taking another bite out of his sandwich, "Yep. I sure am".

* * *

Things had gotten predictably worse. Xolin's retribution had been swift and without even a hint of subtly as Trok had discovered when he'd been met by twenty or so water balloons falling on top of him upon exiting the simudeck. At some point he'd told her about Sid's help too, because soon after, Sid found himself dangling from the ceiling via a rope wrapped around his leg—much to the amusement of Sel, who gave him a good push so he'd swing. Sid was unamused.

He'd responded by setting the entire ship's clock system ahead by two hours, and watching as everyone panicked. Trok had in turn countered by rewiring the plumbing of Sid's bathroom. It had become a three-way war, and all the sane parties onboard had wisely retreated to avoid being targeted.

As such, Sel was in her room, waiting for everything to blow over as she took some time to paint. She'd not gotten much time as of late to work on it, but with the downtime due to the current mission, she decided to take advantage of the situation. As she dipped her brush into the red paint and began to smear it on the canvas however, she picked up on a funny smell. Sel sniffed the air—what WAS that? It was annoyingly familiar. Sickly sweet, maybe? It was coming from the paint, but that couldn't be right, could it?

Curiously, and cautiously, she drew the paintbrush to her nose, taking a whiff.

...Ketchup?

It was ketchup!

Disgusted, she looked over at her other paints, taking a moment to pick up yellow and smell it—mustard. Condiments. They were all condiments!

"Wha…." she whispered in horror, then frowned in realization, "...Sid". Throwing her brush down, she got up. She'd tried to remain neutral. She'd tried to let this blow over. But the war had still come to her.

Opening up her dresser, she pulled out a large water pistol—one Trok had given her awhile back. She idly wondered if ketchup was thin enough to be able to use as ammo.

* * *

**WEDNESDAY**

Trok poked his head around the corner of the hall, making sure the coast was clear.

He was doing this a lot all of the sudden. Amazing how the prank war had shifted into actual combat.

But unlike yesterday, today he carried with him a large water rifle, longer than his arm and with well over three gallons of liquid contained within its hull. Trapped onboard a ship that had completely lost all semblance of order and sanity over the past day, this gun was his last line of defense, and his best hope of—what was that sound.

Spinning around, he caught sight of Xolin passing by, escaping around one of the hallway's corners. Trok grinned—he had his quarry. Hurrying in pursuit, he retraced his own steps as he bounded after Xolin, as quietly and stealthily as he could. She pulled open the manual transport hatch to the deck below; he followed her down. She opened the door to engineering; he trailed in pursuit.

Engineering—his home turf. She was trapped now, he knew. Glory was his. Victory was assured. She stood, motionless with her back turned as he entered the room.

"Alright, hands where I can see them" Trok demanded with a grin, "Game's over for you".

Xolin turned around, raising her arms in the air, but she had an extremely wide smirk on her face. Trok frowned, "...What are you grinning about?"

She gave him a smug look, "Gotcha".

"Huh?!" Trok spun around, but it was too late—his face was instantly splattered by two water guns—in his haste, Trok had forgotten that Xolin was triforian. As he was knocked down by the surprising spray of water, the first Xolin grabbed his rifle and picked it up. She aimed it directly at his head, execution style, as he looked up at her.

"...Clever girl".

Her expression somehow became even more smug, "Better luck next time, little boy".

He eyed her incredulously, "'Little'?!"

BLAM.

Xolin didn't have much time to savor her victory as Trok was dripping from head to toe in ice-cold water, however, as she soon heard Sid's voice bellow from out in the hall.

"AIM, FIRE!"

"Wait, wha-" she managed to get out, just before her other two selves were met with water balloons to the face. As her forces fell, she saw the source—Sid and Sel had teamed up (funny how alliances were shifting so rapidly), and were dragging in with them a large slingshot artillery piece, wheeled in on a wagon.

"Arm the next barrage!" Sid ordered.

"Arming barrage!" Sel responded, handing Sid another balloon. He attached it to the back of the slingshot and pulled before releasing. Xolin let loose a shriek as she dodged and scurried further inside , even as Sid and Sel pulled their makeshift artillery piece into engineering. The triforian wheeled out from behind a group of boxes, got off two shots with the rifle, before dodging behind another stack of material. Sid frowned; they were being outflanked.

"Keep an eye on the prisoners" he said to Sel as he prepared to go after the last Xolin, who nodded and pulled out two pistols, each aimed at the two Xolins on the ground. Both reluctantly let go of their own weapons, putting their hands up in anger.

"So...fancy an alliance?" Trok asked. Sel looked over at him, in thought.

Sid and Xolin danced about between the small mazes of boxes, supplies, and assorted engineering materials such as drained battery cores and tube containers. Each got shots off, but none connected. Xolin was faster, but her larger weapon meant she couldn't usually bring her strength to bare.

"You can't hide forever!" Sid taunted.

"Who's hiding?" Xolin asked, swinging around and aiming her gun. No one was there—drat. She heard a noise though, and rolled out of the way barely in time to avoid Sid's attack from above—he'd crawled over the boxes. Rolling back and crouching, she brought her weapon to Sid's prone form.

He went down like a sack of potatoes, but she hadn't actually fired. Surprised at first, she then noted the fragments of balloon floating down.

"Hah!" she exclaimed as she pushed Sid at her side, as they got up, "Looks like your ally betrayed you!"

Trok's voice bellowed, "Attention rebel scum! Surrender or die!"

"...I think he's taking this a little far" Sid grumbled, annoyed, but not surprised at Sel's betrayal.

"INCOMING!" Xolin shouted, as they both ducked away from the next barrage.

"Kid's got us pinned good" Sid grimaced, "Ideas?"

Xolin risked a peek back at the slingshot, which was gearing up for another shot. "...Yeah, I got one". She waited—the next balloon shot through the air, right at them. But Xolin was ready. Her rifle aimed, she fired a shot and obliterated the incoming projectile.

"Wha!?"

That moment of surprise cost Trok and Sel. The latter's weapons were knocked from her hands by the other two aspects of Xolin, and she stumbled back in surprise, landing butt-first in the wagon. Trok, realizing the tide had just turned, opened fire on the two resurgent triforians with a secondary pistol he'd been carrying, even as he grabbed the reigns of the slingshot.

"CHAAAAARGE!" the Xolin who'd been with Sid shouted, as she and him rushed out from their hiding spot.

"RETREEEEEEEAT!" Trok shouted, pulling the wagon out and pushing the first two Xolins aside, even as Sel almost fell out at the sudden change in direction.

"This alliance is a sham!" Sel crowed in embarrassment as they fled down the hall.

Trok barely dodged a burst of water from his stolen rifle, "We'll figure something out!"

Another shot hit Sel; she shrieked, "SHAAAAM!"

* * *

Another loud crash could be heard, muffled by the various walls that divided the Megaship up into rooms. Someone shrieked—again. There was a scuffling of feet, another war cry. Iota sighed.

It was going to be a long week.

* * *

**THURSDAY**

Well, they hadn't been kidding about this placing having been abandoned for a long, *long* time. The sun was swollen and red, an angry giant looming over the black and empty sky as an ever-present reminder that this star system was in its death throes. It shown down on both the moon and the orange and yellow gas giant that hovered at the horizon.

Sid knocked away another swabby, the orange-skinned pirate creature rolling backwards across the greyish dirt of the cratered moon. Two more came at him, but he wheeled about with a kick, hitting them aside.

"How's it going, Trok?" he asked as he rolled another swabby over his shoulders.

Several yards over, the green ranger was busy with a section of the fairly expansive but well-worn ruins. There were numerous evenly-spaced pillars in front of him, each with a different glowing glyph etched on the top of the front.

"Workin' on it!" Trok grumbled, even as he looked over each pillar for the umpteenth time.

Xolin kicked away two swabbies, "What's wrong?" she asked, before dodging another blow and flipping over a third grunt onto its back.

The green ranger rubbed the forehead of his helmet in frustration, "Nothing, just the lock for this chamber is...tougher than I thought. It's like a Myst puzzle or something".

The red ranger paused, still holding a swabby in a lock. It struggled futility as he looked at Trok, "Wait, you don't know what Star Wars is, but you've played *Myst*?!"

Slightly flustered, Trok responded, "...The simudeck remake was free last month! What do you want from me?!"

"Let him finish!" Xolin said to Sid. Two swabbies grabbed her arms by surprise, but she spun before swinging them in at each other before kicking them away.

"Yeah, it's..." Trok grumbled, "It's some sort of code, but I don't know which glyph goes next in the set! I have to figure out the pattern".

Out of nowhere, a swabby thrown by Nikki impacted one of the pillars.

"UH-!" Trok paused in momentary panic as the glyph on the pillar lit up, thinking that the swabby had messed up the order. But then to his surprise, the pillars receded into the ground, and the entire platform they were on began to split open, revealing the chamber below. He blinked in surprise, "Or...that...works too..."

Isdilian flipped over a swabby, then stomped on its chest, "What are you waiting for?! Get the device!"

"Er, right" Trok said, clenching his fists as he descended down the stairs, hoping there weren't any traps.

"No!" the galleon-themed monster leading the swabbies shouted as he rushed towards Trok, "That device belongs to my master!"

Sid punched aside a swabby as more swarmed in, "Someone shut him up, huh?"

Sel and Isdilian wheeled in, in front of the monster before unloading a synchronized kick. The galleon creature stumbled back, "Arrr, that hurt!" Isdilian didn't reply however, instead simply pushing his offensive forward with a flurry of kicks and punches. Sel glanced back at Trok, giving him a thumbs up before dodging another swabby attack.

Trok nodded, heading into the chamber.

* * *

"So, that's two".

Back in the war room, the rangers took a good look at the two relics they now had. Well, fragments actually.

"So, they go together?" asked Xolin.

"Seems to be the case" Isdilian said, "look at how they're both designed, both with tabs and slots, like a 3D puzzle".

Trok glanced over the two relics, "I dunno. Maybe all of them do, but not these two by themselves. I don't see any obvious configuration".

"Just means we gotta collect the whole set" Sid replied.

Iota nodded, "There are two more devices still unaccounted for, plus the one the pirates have already claimed".

Nikki frowned as she folded her arms, "...There's something...off about both of those pieces. I'm detecting some sort of low level energy that I can't quite pin down. It's like they're feeding into each other".

"Same" Sel said quietly, "Both give me the creeps".

Iota eyed Isdilian. The karovian nodded at him in agreement. Iota sighed in thought. Once was happenstance. But both morphin' grid conduits *and* the transplanted AI finding an aversion to the artifacts? There was only one word for it, "Unsettling" he said.

"Put them in some sort of protective force field until we know what's up?" Sid asked him.

Iota nodded in response, "...That would be prudent, yes. Very well". After tapping a few buttons on the main console, the air around the center of the war room table shimmered, betraying the existence of the force field now in place around it.

"Still gives me the creeps" Sel said, rubbing her arm.

"And we still got three more of these things" Xolin grimaced, worried by Sel's sudden revulsion, "What do we do once we have them all?"

"That...remains to be seen" Iota replied. For one of the only times since they'd met him, he sounded unsure and ever so slightly unsettled. And somehow, that just made it worse.

* * *

"We still haven't finished the Pegasi Cup on Galactic Races, you know".

"We got bronze, that's close enough" Trok groaned.

"Oh come on!" Xolin countered as the group of four moved through the megaship towards the simudeck, "We can do it; I know we can".

Sid was the one who replied as he turned back to her, "Xol, no offense? But if I see the Astro Moon track one more time, I'm going to shiv somebody".

"Yeah" Trok agreed, "Let's do something else".

"Any ideas?" Xolin asked.

As they passed by the workbay, laughing and chatting with each other, Nikki idly watched them with a faint mixture of morbid curiosity and hostility. "Let's do something else" she mumbled in a whiny, mocking tone to herself as she performed maintenance on her systems with the help of the megaship—her morpher currently plugged into the wall.

Sitting several feet over was Isdilian, currently, as usual, calibrating his arsenal. He arched his eyebrow as he looked at her, "...Problems?"

"Nope" she said, "No problems here. So what if Sid decided to forget about his team in favor of the idiot parade? Just...moved on, no problem. Oh, here's the new model. Great, fantastic". She didn't look at him as she ranted, instead keeping her focus on her internal diagnostics holoscreen emanating from the morpher.

"...You have issues" Isdilian replied blandly, returning to his work.

"And you don't?" she shot back with irritance, "I've seen how you act toward them. Hell, I watched the fight footage between you and them. You can't honestly say you'd take their side over mine".

He squinted, not sure if she was just crazy or...well, crazy. "What sides? It's not my fault you have unresolved issues with your ex. I do as I am ordered, and my issue with them was—and remains—their lack of commitment and respect for the chain of command. I'm not here to make friends, and what they do on their downtime is not my concern".

She glared at him fiercely, "So what *is* your deal? You just sit there, working nonstop. You don't like me, you sure as hell don't like them. But you keep to yourself like your some sort of king, above it all. Are you just Iota's pet?"

Isdilian returned her eye contact with an even expression, having put down his tools as he explained in a somewhat exasperated tone, "My 'deal' is to see our mission accomplished, not to play high school politics with screaming children. Beyond that, _I don't care about you_".

That seemed to shut her up, finally. Nikki sat there agape for a brief moment, before composing herself with a grumble, and returning to work, now somewhat chastened.

It was that moment that Sel decided to make her appearance, peering into the room, at first making an extremely brief eye contact with Nikki—neither happy to see the other—before turning towards Isdilian. She wandered in his direction.

Noticing her, Isdilian eyed the teen as she approached. "...Yes?" he asked in a suspicious tone.

"So...how's it going?" she asked innocently. He stared at her flatly—yeah, *this* was suspicious.

"You came in here just to ask me how things are going?" he asked pointedly.

"Er..." she hesitated, unsure, "Yeah, sure".

He blinked, his expression unchanging. Finally, he gave an answer, "Fine".

She blinked back, "Er...what?"

"I'm fine. Is that all?"

All the tension flooded out of her body as her shoulders sagged. Having shut her down with a single response, he returned to his work as she stood there, dumbfounded. Again she hesitated; part of her wanted to leave—the others were waiting. Part of her wanted to stay and ask, but…

"...Anything else?" he finally asked, sighing in resignation that she wouldn't leave so easily.

"Um..."

"Oh just spit it out already" Nikki called from across the room, annoyed.

Sel wheeled on her, silently casting an indignant expression at the other woman.

Isdilian just waved her off, "Ignore her, she's just cranky. If there's something you want, just go ahead and say it. I'm busy".

Sel rubbed her arm. Here went nothing, "I just...we're all going to the simudeck to play some games. I wanted you to come along".

"I don't play games".

Over in her corner, Nikki snorted. They were asking *him* to join them? Fine, whatever. He had proven himself just as worthless to her time as they were anyway. What did she care? None, obviously. She redoubled her efforts on her diagnostics even as there wasn't anything for her to actually do while the program ran.

Whatever.

Sel frowned. Man, he was just not even giving her the time of day. He didn't even look at her, instead still working. But she wasn't about to give up so quickly, "Look, I just..." she grabbed at empty air, "Our talk back at that planet. You're not a bad person. And I just...I don't want you to be alone. I know what it's like to be alone. And you're like me. And I know we got off on the wrong foot but I think you and the others can get along if we really try and I just-".

He silenced her rambling with a raised hand, "Stop. Please. I'm not interested. Whatever you think, you're wrong. I'm not you, and I don't care to get to know people".

"I used to think the same thing" she replied quietly, her eyes on the ground, "Please? What's the worst that could happen?"

The worst that could happen of course, is that everything he feared would happen. That he'd let his guard down and let everyone in. That he'd become one of them, and it would only hurt all the worse down the line. He had his mission, and they had theirs. He could not afford to fold. Everything hinged on his choices.

"No" he repeated.

"Please?" she asked again, more intensely this time, like a begging child, "Please?"

He stared at her unblinking. No. No way. Not a chance. Never. The decision had already been-

* * *

Sigh.

How HAD he gotten himself wrapped up into all this?

He could have been getting work done. He could have been productive. But no, he was here. Watching a group of idiots doing idiot things.

"Will you stop flipping that lever?! It's not doing anything, and you're driving me nuts!" Xolin shot at Sid, who was busy, well, flipping a lever they'd found about fifteen minutes ago back here in the rear chamber of what seemed to be some sort of flooded Roman-esque harbor...structure...thing.

"I'm just seeing if it does anything!" Sid replied innocently.

Xolin eyed him incredulously, "You're just flipping it over and over again! It doesn't do anything".

"They say that's the first sign of madness" Sel intoned quietly.

Sid gave an exasperated laugh in his defense, "I was just making sure! Trok JUST switched those color sliders around in the other room, you don't know if that changed anything or not!"

"Well it's obviously didn't, so you can stop!" Xolin replied.

Sid flipped the lever again, "Nah. Now I'm just doing it to bug you".

"Graaah!" Xolin growled as Sel giggled slightly.

Sid sighed, letting the lever go as he glanced around the room, towards the open sea just beyond the pillars, "I hate these kinds of games".

"Why'd you choose it then?" Sel asked curiously.

"*I* didn't" Sid gestured in the general direction Trok had wandered off in, "I just recommended it to Trok. I didn't realize he wanted us to suffer". After a moment of hesitation, he flipped the lever again.

"I'm going to cut your hands off!" Xolin shouted at him.

He shot back, "This lever's here for a reason! It's gotta do *something*".

"Not right now it's not!" He flipped the lever again, "STOP IT!"

Isdilian sighed as they argued, turning away from them and towards the sea. Despite that it was all an illusion created by holograms, the Mediterranean breeze still felt humid and warm, gently wafting in from the far horizon. A seagull hovered overhead.

"Not having fun?" asked Sel. She'd come up next to him, while the others were still arguing.

"Mmrph" he muttered, "This was a bad idea".

"Well maybe if you tried instead of just standing around..." she replied. He glanced at her with a hint of incredulousness, and with a slight blush she continued reluctantly, and with just a bit of annoyance, "...Just a thought".

This had been a bad idea. Isdilian eyed the group still arguing, but it was obvious they were having fun. No. He couldn't.

"This was a mistake" he said, before heading towards the simudeck doors.

"Wait, don't!" Sel pleaded, but it didn't deter him at all as he opened the doors and walked right through and out, leaving Sel behind. Her shoulders sagged.

Xolin and Sid had stopped arguing, taking note of what had just happened.

"...Something I said?" Sid asked.

Sel sighed, before shaking her head, "No. Nothing you said".

Xolin put her hand on Sel's shoulder, "I'll be honest, when you'd brought him along, I was...*very* surprised". Surprise was an understatement; the rest of them had all long given up on the guy. Well...actually, they'd pretty much given up on him from the start—getting your ass beat sort of burned whatever bridge had ever been there even if he hadn't been an asshole. Even more surprising though, that it had been *Sel* who had asked him.

"He's like me, I think" Sel said, still staring at where the simudeck doors had been, "I just...don't know how to get through to him".

Sid grimaced, "...You can't make people do what they don't want" he said sadly—more on her behalf than Isdilian's.

Sel sagged. Xolin patted her shoulder encouragingly, "Come on, let's get back to the game, huh?" Sel looked at her, a small smile on her lips.

"Okay" she said, allowing Xolin to lead her back to the puzzle.

Trok wandered in from behind some columns, "So...I found a water pressure valve down below. Did you try the lever?"

Xolin stopped in her tracks, glaring at the horathean with utter hatred.

"Um..." Trok hesitated, fidgeting and unsure, "Did I miss something?"

Sid just laughed.

* * *

**FRIDAY**

"Abydian Anubites, easily".

Trok regarded Xolin for a moment, trying to figure out of she was joking. Being Xolin of course, she wasn't. "...Are you just saying that because they're a triforian team?"

Xolin sputtered for a second at the accusation, "...What?! No! I just think they've got a better lineup than the Cataphracts".

Trok blinked. They were discussing the next major match of laserball, which pit one of the triforian teams against a relative newcomer from the Itaran Republic, a minor power between the Confederacy and the League. Xolin was also incredibly, hugely, wrong, "...Uh, Xol? The Itaran Cataphracts have centaurs on the team. *Literal* centaurs".

Xolin brushed off his arguments with a smirk, "And the Abydians are well-known for their magical studies—and a number of members on the Anubites are mages. Centaurs just aren't up to par with elemental warding abilities".

Sitting a table over as he ate his food, Sid was doing his best to ignore the other two as they argued over a sport he didn't much care about. He cracked open his fortune cookie, then frowned.

"...'Use tiger in a sentence'" he read skeptically, "...That's not even a fortune" he turned back to the synthatron, wondering for a moment if it was broken or something.

"I don't think wards don't mean anything when you're facing down shock cavalry" Trok mused, causing Sid's attention to turn back to them, "And anyway, it's not like the mages on the Anubites are super-high-class. But like, the Cataphracts captain's a master at tactical maneuvering".

Sid squinted in a bit of confusion before he interrupted them, "...Uh, question. Does this sport of yours actually involve a ball of some sort? It's called 'laserball', but you haven't mentioned it once since you two started arguing. Is it like, a ball that shoots lasers? Or a ball made of lasers?"

Trok and Xolin glanced at him, then at each other, unsure of what to say.

"Um..." Xolin mused, her hand on her hip.

Trok frowned, in thought, "That's...hard to say..."

Sel, over in the corner as she scrolled through her datapad, spoke up without looking up from her reading, "It's more like marbles, actually".

Sid frowned at her, "...That just makes me even more confused than before". He took a bite out of his food, and an odd expression came over his face as he chewed and swallowed, "...Man, this chicken tastes a little weird...has anyone else been having problems with the synthatron for the last couple of days?"

Xolin turned back to him with a suspicious expression, again forgetting her argument with Trok even as she brought up the fact that cavalry tactics were insufficient against aerial drops on the game field, "...yeah, actually. You too?"

"There *has* been an odd...aftertaste" Sel muttered in thought. Unbeknownst to the group, Trok's eyes had widened in sudden realization—as if he'd remembered something in a panic.

Sid put his fork down before walking over to the machine, "Let's see if we can't figure out what's up..." he said as he began to unlatch the front of the machine embedded in the wall. He wasn't a mechanic by any means, but that didn't mean he couldn't take a look. And in any case, he could easily call Trok over to give him a hand—aka have Trok fix it while he watched.

"...Wait" Trok spoke suddenly with urgency, "You shouldn't-"

Too late. As Sid opened up the synthatron, the everything seemed to explode as foam flooded into the room, filling every corner. The odd and unpleasurable aftertaste filled Sid's mouth as he was launched back.

"...Ew" Xolin muttered as her head poked up above the sea, "What *is* this?!"

"Um..." Trok's voice was meek and ashamed, "It's uh...a non-toxic foam product".

Sid's deadpan eyes turned to the horathean, "And why would you know that?"

"...'Cause it's mine?" Trok admitted bashfully.

"Trok" Sid grumbled as he rubbed the bridge between his eyes.

Trok defended himself, quickly explaining the situation, "It was a leftover prank from the other day! I just forgot all about it and no one triggered it until now! I'm sorry!"

"Are there any *other* traps left?" Sid asked him plainly, then turned the question to the group, "Anyone?"

"No" Sel said.

"Nope" Xolin concurred.

"I...maybe one" Trok grimaced.

The other three glared at him as Sid spoke, "I'd go clean it up if I were you then".

Trok quickly ducked out—he had more than one to dismantle, but they didn't have to know that.

"I...should go shower" Sid grumbled as he waded to the door. In the back of his mind however, he suddenly remembered that no one had run across his water balloon slide in cargobay 2 yet. Better go clean that out.

"Same" Xolin said, following in pursuit—and secretly hoping no one found the fake poop she'd left in the bathroom on Deck Three.

Sel was the only one left. Thank the gods—that left her free to get rid of alllll the pranks she'd left scattered around the ship. Way too many noisemakers and confetti drops. How would she ever find them all?

* * *

Isdilian watched the two fragments dance around each other as they floated in the center of the war room, sealed off from the rest of the ship by the force field that surrounded the center of the table. They unsettled him; even through the force field, they impacted the morphin' grid in ways he didn't recognize, but still felt. It churned, twisting and shifting in seemingly impossible ways, as if the very fabric of reality was being stirred.

"Discover anything new?" Iota's voice asked. Isdilian turned, seeing his commander walking into the room, circling the table's far side from the karovian.

Isdilian shook his head, "No. I've run a few tests, but everything comes up inconclusive. The instruments either can't read its output, or won't".

"...Won't?" Iota asked curiously.

Isdilian shrugged, "Bad choice of words. The instruments just aren't capable enough".

"Mmm" Iota resumed circling, keeping his attention on the objects as he approached Isdilian, "Theories?"

The karovian shook his head slightly, "Don't have any. Not yet, at least. Though I doubt these things are good".

"So no theories, and no leads" Isdilian replied, standing with his hands folded behind him.

Isdilain glanced at the armored figure, "...Something on your mind?"

Iota turned to his subordinate, "You've been in here working since yesterday. Even I know to let things go for a while if met with a roadblock. It clears the mind".

"Not as if I have anything better to do" Isdilian replied, his glare returning to the floating pieces.

For a moment, the two were silent. Iota regarded the objects again, before passing behind Isdilian and beginning another circle around the room, his hand gazing the edge of the table, "I understand that before you came in here, you spent some time with the other rangers in the simudeck".

At that, Isdilian fidgeted, uncomfortable as he frowned, "...the yellow ranger invited me. It...was a mistake. It won't happen again".

"On the contrary" Iota replied, "I would encourage it. It allows you to build ties with your team, and strengthens loyalty. And as long as it doesn't conflict with your duties, who am I to interfere?"

"It was a mistake" Isdilian repeated, still fully focused on the relics, "I am here for a reason. I will not allow myself to become distracted".

"How much does she know about you?" Iota asked. When seemingly pressed for clarification by the look on Isdilian's face, Iota continued, "Sel, I mean. The yellow ranger".

Isdilian recounted, "They have all been familiar with my morphin' grid abilities since our fight. She recognizes that it's the same kind of power she wields. She asked me about it once, after the fight with the ice spirit. Asked me if I had any memories".

Iota eyed his warrior, "...And what did you tell her?"

"That I remembered nothing, of course. Same as her" he cocked his head, "Why? Should I have told her the truth?"

"Hmm" Iota mused, "No. You made the right call. She's too entrenched with the others, and them knowing more than they do would only complicate manners. They are all too suspicious as it is". He sighed, pausing his slow march around the room's perimeter, "There is little time left, and I cannot afford hiccups".

"May I ask a question?" Isdilian asked. Iota nodded, so he continued, "Why are we out here hunting artifacts? Why aren't we on the offensive against the others?"

"Because to deny your enemies battle is to deny them victory" Iota said, "Your time has not yet come. But it will soon, and everything must be ready" he paused again, considering, "That Sel girl likes you. She probably subconsciously understands her link to you. You could use that to your advantage. To get closer to them".

Isdilian looked away, frowning in thought. He couldn't. If he let himself get lost with them, if he ignored the mission, if he opened up...it would just be all the more painful down the road when the day came.

"I shouldn't".

Iota nodded slightly, though disappointed, "It is your choice". He began to head to the door, "We will be arriving at the next destination within the next eighteen hours. I would advise taking a rest from working regardless so that you are in top shape. It is likely that our competitors will be taking steps to stop us from seizing another relic".

"Understood" Isdilian said, as Iota left the room, leaving the silver ranger to his thoughts…

* * *

**SATURDAY**

"He's headed for the teleport pad! Cut him off!"

The green and silver rangers rushed through the crowd, pushing the hapless people aside as they raced after the galleon-themed monster who was still well-ahead of them. He had the relic; they'd been too late. And now he was going to make it to the nearest teleport pad—the only places in this city not protected by anti-teleport inhibitor fields. They ran through a tram station, a wide open chamber full of glass and metal, with numerous trains coming and going, or waiting to pick up or drop off passengers from the rest of the city. Trok pushed aside some sort of tree-man with thick bark for skin, then narrowly avoided an octopus being carried by a personal anti-gravity chair.

League space was different from Confederate space, yet the more things were different the more they were the same.

"Yellow, black!" Isdilian called over their morpher frequences, "Status!"

"_We're a little busy!"_ Nikki's voice responded, _"We got slowed down by a swabby hoard!"_

Isdilian snarled in frustration, even as he pushed past a group of what looked to be owl-headed monks, then contacted the others, "Red, blue! Status!"

* * *

Sid sighed, rubbing the side of his helmet in frustration. "We're uh...a little delayed" he said, responding to Isdilian.

"Told you we should have taken the stairs" Xolin muttered.

The doors to the elevator opened again. Sid groaned, "Not my fault that little brat hit every button on the elevator pad on his way out".

The doors shut again. And that damned music was still playing.

"What floor are they on?" asked Xolin, noting that they'd just passed the seventh floor.

Sid frowned, "Thirty-six".

She also frowned, "Oh boy".

"...Yeah".

The door opened again. An old lady half their size stepped aboard, glanced at the number of buttons pressed, and then turned to glare at them.

Xolin put her hands up in defense, "Not our fault, we swear".

The old lady gave them another second or two of her disapproval, before silently turning back around, leaving the two rangers to awkwardly stew.

* * *

They weren't going to make it.

"Arrr!" the galleon roared with laughter as he stepped onto the pad, turning around to get a good view of the two rangers after him, "T'was a good race, lads. But you be too slow this round! Meet me crew at the last location, and we shall settle this!"

"NO!" Isdilian shouted, lunging at the monster, but it was too late. He was gone. Isdilian landed in a heap in the pad. He slammed his fist into the metallic plastic in a fit of rage. Trok just hung his head, dejected.

* * *

The mood in the war room wasn't the brightest. Certainly, they'd met much worse defeats in the field, so the atmosphere wasn't truly despondent. But that didn't mean that a loss wasn't...annoying.

"So we're two for two, then" Sid said, watching the two relics they DID have float aimlessly in a dance only they understood, "Next one's the tie-breaker".

"Where *is* the next one, anyway?" Xolin asked.

Iota tapped a few buttons on the table, and the two relics floated down before light flooded into them, allowing the map to resume.

"Here" he said, pointing to a small star that had lit up to his left, "Eradon. Another old star out on the outer rim of the Jeri Galaxy; well past its lifespan and has since become a white dwarf. It looks as though the relic is on the first planet in the system, approximately one and a half AU from the star itself. We shall reach there within twenty-four hours".

Isdilian glared at their target, his fists clenching on the table, "Please forward to me all relevant data about the planet". Iota nodded as the silver ranger looked at the team, "We are doing simudeck drills from now till then".

The groans were unanimous. He didn't care.

* * *

**SUNDAY**

The world was old. Its star had long since died, leaving a glowing husk known as a white dwarf behind, only a few times brighter than a full moon. It cast an eerie pale light over the desolate landscape that had ostensibly once been an Eltaran outpost. Ruins pockmarked the barren dirt and hills, all life having been extinguished long ago, leaving behind only the bones of civilization.

Said bones were currently being desecrated by six intrepid heroes.

"What *was* it with the ancient Eltarans and puzzles?" Sid asked, perplexed as Trok worked on the door to the main vault, sliding around pieces into a coherent whole. It was harder than it looked.

Trok's eyes lit up as everything slid into place, "I think I got it! I think I-" everything slid back to their starting points, and his expression dropped, "...I don't got it".

"We've been here for over an hour" Xolin complained, "What's the hold up?"

Trok shook is head, frustrated as he looked over the puzzle again, "I dunno. It's like every time I figure out a solution, everything resets".

"Guess those aren't solutions then?" Sid asked helpfully. Or not so helpfully, really.

Isdilian, unbeknownst to everyone else, aimed his cannon at the door, "We don't have time for this. Step aside".

Trok turned his head as the cannon's whine picked up steam, "Wait, wh—HOLY WHAT" he blurted out as he ducked, just before the beam of energy punched through the large, ornate door. A priceless artifact, a work of art that had withstood for millions of years, now lay as a punctured pile of rubble at Trok's feet.

"...That puzzle's going to bug me all day" Trok muttered to himself as Xolin helped him back up.

Isdilian was already headed inside, "Hurry up, we need to get that relic before the pirates show up".

Sid squinted at the destruction as the silver ranger passed him by, "...I don't think that was how that puzzle was supposed to be solved".

"Does it look like I care?" Isdilian lobbed back.

The six rangers stepped inside the complex, finding themselves in a large chamber with...large statues of some kind with thick bases, all along the edges in two rows each. The floor was in some kind of grid design.

Wait a second.

"...Is...this a chess board?" Nikki asked quietly as they moved through the center of the room, between the two sides.

"...How would ancient Eltarians know how to play chess?" Xolin asked, taking a moment to study the ornate pieces. They certainly resembled some alien version of chess—the entire front row on both sides consisted of the same style, while the ones further back were more differentiated. They were all unsettling though—as if they were just WAITING to come to life and attack or something. She hated traps like this.

Sel rubbed her own left arm for a second, "You will recall an Eltarian spent several thousand years on Earth".

"...Are you suggesting Zordon taught ancient terrans how to play chess?" asked Nikki, a little incredulously.

Sid shrugged, "I guess even cosmic warlords get bored. Must have been tedious, stuck in a tube and all" he made his way over to the far door, finding it sealed shut with no obvious methods of opening it up. "So uh...two guesses as to what we'll be doing to progress, and the first one doesn't count".

And just like that, the room came to life—ancient pedestals at each corner and along the walls ignited in flame, illuminating the chamber and casting long, ominous shadows in their wake. One of the pawns from the 'blue' side, noted because of the blue crystals that adorned the pieces as opposed to the red crystals on the red side, slide forward one step.

Isdilian took one look at it, "No", he said, aiming his cannon at the king. One shot later, it had been obliterated, and all of the chess pieces quickly shut down. Even just seemed stunned by the sudden turn of events.

Sid glanced over at the door, still sealed, "...Oh, way to go. You killed the puzzle and left us stuck outs-" Sid's complaint died mid-sentence as Isdilian opened fire on the door, smashing through it as well. Sid gave the silver ranger an exasperated expression of body language, "...Will you stop doing that?! You'll make the place cave in!" Isdilian just snorted in response.

Trok's shoulder sagged as they headed towards the door, "...Aw. I kinda wanted to play giant chess".

"We could always program it in the simudeck" Sel thought outloud.

Trok shrugged, "Eh, it's not the same".

Stepping into the next room, they found it to be circular, as opposed to the prior chamber's squareness.

"...Round chess?" Trok asked hopefully.

Nikki sputtered, "T-there's no such thing as 'round chess'!"

"...Aw" was Trok's reply.

"...It's empty" Xolin surmised, turning about to get a good view of the entire domed chamber. Nothing; there was nothing.

"...Except another sealed door" Sid pointed, eyeing Isdilian expectedly.

He shifted grumpily, "Oh, *now* you want me to blow it up".

"Ahoy rangers!" the galleon monster said, standing in the doorway they'd just entered from. The team all turned to him, shifting into battle poses, "I think ye' for yer service in gettin' me here, but I'm afraid I've no need for yer continued services!" As if to make his point clear, several swabbies filed into the room behind him, and he himself pulled out a large and heavy anchor weapon.

"That's funny!" Xolin shot back at him, "We were about to say the same thing about you!"

The galleon laughed heartily, "Ye be a fine damsel. Y'all gave me a good fight, gave me a run fer' me money. But this is where it ends, or my name ain't Captain Scurvy. Hand over yer fragments and stand aside, or walk the plank. Yarrr, my master will not be denied".

"And who would that be?" Xolin asked him.

"Arrr, that be a tough question. Gave me no name, but he pays fair! One of them suited folk; carries a briefcase".

Every ranger but Nikki visibly tensed. Noticing something was amiss, she asked, "...Okay, what'd I miss?"

Sid grimaced as he realized they'd stepped in something deeper once again, "Long story short, we know the guy. Don't know anything about him, but we know him. He's been throwing bad guys at us for awhile now".

"Arrr, enough stallin'!" the captain ordered, "Hand over yer relics and stand aside!"

The rangers each wordlessly eyed each other, having positioned themselves between the captain and the far door. Before the battle could begin though, a loud shrill shriek tore through the air from above, and as both parties looked up, a giant...thing dropped down between them. It was massive, easily a story tall, with four giant wings and a tail. Its hide consisted of a massive conglomeration of bones and skeletons shunted into a vaugly animalistic shape, with a single massive dragon skull for a head. Fire danced in its eyesockets as it let loose another roar, slamming its wings into the ground. Captain Scurvy had been thrown on his backside and was now scurrying away from the beast in fear as his swabbies closed ranks around him. It was to no avail though, as the creature simply cut through the group with a claw from one of its wings, tossing the broken swabbies aside like ragdolls. Scurvy screamed—as the monster came down and grabbed him with its beak, before throwing him into the air and devouring him whole as he came back down. The screaming stopped abruptly.

The rangers just...stood there, stunned.

Sid managed to vocalize his opinion first, "...What the f-"

"Oh this is a bad puzzle!" Trok said, cutting the red ranger off in his panic as the monster turned its attention to the rangers, "This is a very bad puzzle!"

Isdilian frowned, annoyed, "...I think it ate the other two fragments".

Sid collected his wits, turning to Isdilian, "You, blow that door the hell up, NOW! Everyone else, scatter and distract!"

And scatter they did—with another screech, the creature let loose a torrent of fire from its maw, and the rangers rolled out of the way barely in time. Free of the blast, five of them did as Sid had ordered, scattering to the winds as they encircled the beast. Isdilian brought his cannon to bare again.

The monster swung its mighty tail at Xolin and Trok as they tried to outflank the monster. Both were swept away. On its other side, Sel aimed her blade bow and fired. Her shots just deflected off the monster's hull however, and it turned its attention to her. She instinctively backed away.

Two more laser shots impacted the other side of its head. It turned to the red ranger, his pistol in his hand, "Hey, skeletor!" he crowed, "Come get some!" The monster screeched as Sid began to run, chasing after him for but a moment before lifting off into the air. Realizing what was happening, Sid stopped in his tracks and rolled to the side as the beast came down, its talons tearing into the floor tiling.

"Dear Diary" he muttered, getting back up as the monster prepared to fire another beam of blazing fury at near point-blank ranger, "Today I made a mistake".

The attack never hit him though; the monster's neck shot upwards, and the burning inferno pierced through the air into the dome. Momentarily confused, Sid then saw Nikki decloaking on the monster's back, riding it like a steed. The beast roared in anger as it struggled to throw her off—she was having none of it however.

"So those drunken nights of trying to win a hundred bucks by riding the mechanical bull paid off, huh?" Sid called to her.

"Thank me later!" she called back, still gripping on for dear life. It didn't last though, as the monster slammed its side into the wall, and the force of the hit sent Nikki off of her perch.

"Trok, hunt and subdue!" Xolin shouted to the green ranger as they rushed in.

"Right!" he shouted back, as Xolin split into three forms, each running in separate directions, the monster trying to catch them but failing. The green ranger summoned his hammer and transformed it into mace mode as he wrapped it around the monster's neck, pulling with all his might.

The creature again roared as it was pulled forward ever slightly. With a mighty jerk however, Trok was sent flying up and over the monster, smashing into the far wall.

"Trok!" Sel shouted, letting off a few more ineffective shots from her bow as she crossed over to where the green ranger lay. She helped him up, "You okay?"

Trok groaned, in thought as he got pulled to his feet, "...Puzzle..."

"...Pardon?" she asked, confused.

He looked at her, having gotten his bearings, "...Everything the Eltarans have thrown our way has been a puzzle, nothing was direct" he glanced at the door they'd entered from that Isdilian had shot to hell, "...Well, it wasn't supposed to be, anyway".

She followed what he was getting at, "...We can't beat this thing the normal way".

He nodded as he looked back at the battle that was raging, "...There's gotta be a gimmick somewhere. A trick we're not seeing".

Sel turned her attention on the monster. She took a deep breath, trying to tap into her grid powers as best she could. She could feel the grid, but it was always...distant. Fuzzy. Still, she pushed. "There's...something about the creature. I'm not detecting morphin' grid energy from it...except from a certain point. As if...most of it is hollow".

"...A construct, like Nikki!" Trok surmised, a smile on his face. He switched his helmet to scanning mode, taking a detailed look at the creature—not the easiest, considering it was moving so much, but soon enough, he had what he was looking for. "You got it in one, Sel. Its source of power is one of the bones at the base of the neck. Remove it, and the whole thing falls apart".

"You kids feel like joining in!?" Sid called to him, avoiding another swing from the tail, "This party's an open invitation, I swear!"

Trok called back to him and Nikki, "You guys, we just figured it out! Switch on your scanners; the monster's power source is one of its neck vertebrae!"

The two glanced up at the monster as they saw what he was getting at. Nikki grunted, "Back up there?! Are you kidding me?!"

"Afraid so!" Sid replied, "Trok, give her a boost!"

Trok nodded, grabbing his hammer and swinging out, again wrapping the mace around the creature's neck while it was distracted by Xolin. Sel grabbed hold as well, "NOW!"

Putting his hands out in front of him, Sid gave Nikki her cue. She rushed at him, jumping onto his hands before he thrust her up into the air. She backflipped up, over ontop of the monster's neck. Grabbing hold of the bone highlighted on her vid, she gripped it tight and pulled with all her might, flinging it into the air away from the monster, abandoning her hold on the monster. As she tumbled back, the monster screeched, turning to her as she hit the dirt below as it prepared to fire.

"Rangers, now!" Sid shouted, as the other four rangers brought their weapons together, "Defender Cannon, ready and-"

"FIRE!" all four shouted. The cannon's rainbow beam blew through the bone as it flew through the air, vaporizing it into atoms. As Nikki prepared to shield herself from the monster's wrath, she found it was unnecessary, as the beast simply began to...fall apart. The bones that made up its body began to slough off as the fire in its eyesockets dimmed and went out. The creature simply collapsed into a mound of broken bones.

"...Way to go team!" Sid said with a laugh.

"Trok's idea" Sel said, pointing to the green ranger.

"Hey, you're the one who figured it out" Trok replied.

"Well, I've had my fill of dragons for the month" Xolin said, cracking a smile as she headed over to the others.

Nikki watched them congratulate the other, embracing each other with smiles and laughter, easily present even under their helmets. She folded her arms and looked away towards where Isdilian had blown a hole through the next door, not particularly wanting to watch.

...And that's when a rock-like warrior stumbled through the door backwards, before Isdilian's sword cut through him like butter. In the silver ranger's free hand he carried the last relic.

"...Problems?" Sid asked, eyeing the dead golem on the ground.

Isdilian shrugged, "Ran into some temple guards. They're dead now. Are we ready to go?"

Sid nodded, "Yeah, we just gotta find the remaining relics from the dragon...thing we just slew".

Trok again activated his internal sensors, quickly detecting the two sources of energy he was looking for. Digging through the bones for a moment, he pulled out the two fragments they were missing.

Sid nodded again, "Good job, guys. Let's get the hell out of here".

* * *

When the five relics had been reunited, at first they'd simply floated in the stasis field Iota had established in the war room. Within a few moments however, they had begun to spin, before reassembling themselves into a singular dodecahedron-like shape. Now one singular object, it floated harmlessly, its white, gold and crystal blue surfaces shimmering almost impossibly so.

"So...what now?" Trok asked as they all encircled the table, entranced by the object.

"Is that thing giving anyone else the willies?" Sid asked eying the object suspiciously. He couldn't figure out why, but something about it was unsettling.

Sel nodded. She seemed very uncomfortable, and was doing all she could to remain composed. "It's...not right. The feeling it was giving off earlier, it's intensified. And I hear..." she shook her head as she slinked back, putting her face in her hands.

"What? What do you hear?" Xolin asked, grasping her shoulders gently.

"I...don't know" Sel shuttered, obviously very disturbed.

"Wailing" Isdilian said simply, though it was clear even he was agitated, "We hear wailing. Sort of. It's...deeper than that".

Nikki sighed worriedly, "These readings are...I don't even have a word for it. I think it's breaking a few laws of nature".

"We shouldn't have it on this ship" Isdilian said, "We need to get rid of it, now".

Sel nodded, "Agreed".

Xolin grimaced at Sel's discomfort, "What do we do with it? Chuck it into a star?"

Nikki shook her head, "I don't think that'd be wise. This...thing, whatever it is, contains the power of an entire universe inside it. Destroying it would be...catastrophic, to say the least".

Sid turned to her, catching something in her wording as...suspect, "What did you say it had?"

"...The power of an entire universe. Crazy, I know. Don't ask me how or why".

Sid turned to Iota, "...A Power Egg?" he asked, a little skeptically.

Iota nodded hesitantly, though it was clear Nikki's description had set him on edge as well, "It...could have been an Eltaran attempt to replicate the eggs, yes. We need to know more. I have a contact on Eltar who might be able to help us".

Trok blinked, realization dawning, "...Wait, does that mean what I think it means?" a wide grin formed on his face.

Sid sighed, realizing this ordeal had just gotten started, "...Pack your bags, kids. Looks like we're going to Eltar".

"Yes!" Trok shouted in joy, pumping his fist in the air.

"...I think we should get Sel out of here" Xolin said. Sel had hunched over and begun breathing heavily, and a light sweat had broken out across her forehead. She'd begun muttering something under her breath.

"...Sel?" Trok asked worriedly, his previous excitement gone, "...You okay?"

"What's she saying?" Sid asked, also worried. He almost didn't notice Isdilian storming out of the room.

Xolin shook her head slightly closing her eyes as she rubbed her forehead, "...I gotta say, that thing's starting to give me a headache too".

Trok nodded, as did Sid. Nikki turned to Iota, "...I don't think it's safe for us to stay in here too long at any one time. These readings are..." she shook her head in disbelief, "I can't, sir. I just...I can't. I dig too deep, and I don't...I don't..." she trailed off as she stared into the object, "...He lies in his house, sleeping".

"...Who?" Sid asked, confused.

"...He lies in his house, sleeping" she repeated, her voice monotone.

"Uh..." Sid frowned, becoming VERY uncomfortable now, even as he started to feel the headache as well.

"He lies in his house, sleeping" Sel muttered. Everyone else's eyes widened with worry.

"Everyone out. Now" Iota commanded urgently. No one waited; they all trailed out of the room quickly. Xolin led Sel out, and Sid grabbed Nikki by the hand. The doors shut behind them, and Iota sealed the room with a secondary force field. He turned to the team, "Everyone alright?"

The others nodded, their headaches diiminished. Sel and Nikki blinked, having come to. Nikki shook her head, as if coming out of a trance, "What...happened…?"

"I have a few theories, but nothing concrete yet" Iota said, a twinge of worry in his voice, "We're setting course for Eltar. In the meantime, the war room is sealed and off limits—hopefully the second force field and distance will keep everyone safe. Mission briefings will occur on the bridge. I will alert everyone when we arrive. If anyone experiences further symptoms, let me know *immediately*, understand?"

The others all nodded in compliance, then got grossed out when they heard Sel vomiting in the corner. Xolin was helping her as she got back up, "...You okay?"

Sel nodded numbly, "It...just made me nauseous. Still nauseous. Something about it is...wrong".

Xolin kept hold of her shoulders as she led her away, "Come on, let's get you somewhere further away".

Sid sighed glumly, looking at the mess on the floor, "...I'll go get a mop" he said, before heading off.

Risking conflict out of curiosity, Trok asked Nikki, "...What did you guys mean in there? About some dude sleeping?"

A bit to his surprise, there was no anger in her voice. No rage. Just...confusion, and worry, "...I...don't know..." She looked at Iota for any explanation, but he simply returned her gaze, before walking away. She decided that was probably the scariest part of this entire debriefing.

* * *

"Nice place you've got here".

The man with the briefcase turned to the entrance of the domed chamber where the voice had come from. He'd been inspecting the pile of bones that had once been a mighty beast. There stood a female warrior in blue armor.

"...Beta, what brings you here?" he asked the warrior, standing back up and adjusting his glasses.

She shrugged as she casually wandered in, "You sent for the boss, but he's busy, so he sent me instead. Though I don't know if he's all that thrilled that you're off running your own projects without telling him first".

The man gave a single chuckle, "Alpha would best remember that I am his ally, not a subordinate. Anyway, this actually may be of interest to your kind".

"Oh?"

"Peacekeeper Team Twelve abducted an artifact I was after. Annoying, that".

Beta snorted—them again. The universe really was a small place, "What kind of artifact?"

The man picked up his briefcase from where it had been sitting, "Are you familiar with the Power Eggs?"

She nodded after a moment of thinking, "...Trans-finite monodimensional conduits, if I remember correct. They'd be helpful, if they weren't sealed off one way and didn't have numerous safeguards".

The man nodded, "Indeed. Think of this one as...without those safeguards".

Her attention had been piqued, "...A naked conduit?"

Again, the man nodded, "It would be a valuable replacement—in case something ever happened to Project Omega".

"Where did the rangers take it?" she asked him.

He put his free hand in his pocket, "It would seem they're going to Eltar. Probably to find some way to destroy it. It has...unfortunate effects on standard reality and spacetime due to its nature, which they have no doubt encountered".

Beta stood in thought. The man added, "...If you're going, then I suggest sooner rather than later. Otherwise I will find my own agents to take on the task—time is of the essence, and I would rather not see such a priceless artifact lost because of foolish children".

She glared at him, "You'd better be right about this. If this ends up being a wild goose chase-"

"Have I ever been wrong?" the man asked her candidly.

She stared at him a moment longer, "Very well. Send all relevant data to my ship".

"Already done" the man said with a diplomatic smile.

She nodded at him wordlessly, and began to head back to the exit. She didn't betray for a second that she felt unnerved that he'd gone ahead and uploaded the data before she'd ask, as if he'd already known her answer. He always unnerved her a little. On the surface he was always so...unassuming and base. But then he'd just...do things. Like this. Or pop in out of nowhere. He always knew everything he needed to. It worried her.

But...still. She couldn't afford to pass up this opportunity, and so far he HAD been good to his word. She crossed through the broken door, heading out.

And as for the man? Well, he simply stepped back. Into the shadows.

And then he was gone.

* * *

_**To be continued...**_


	21. 2x08: When the Stars are Right, part 1

She made her way through the thick, clammy fog in the early morning, making sure not to trip on the street cobbles in her heels, despite her legs being obscured by her heavy dress. Up ahead was her destination—even through the fog, she could make out the light emanating from the lamppost at the corner of the street. As she got closer, she found the location was occupied by a group of three standing at the corner. They were all well-dressed, a woman in a thick dress and the two men in suits, one of them with a tophat.

"Welcome!" the leading man said, catching sight of the newcomer as she approached, "Are you coming to see Him?"

"Who?" she asked.

"He will be very pleased to meet you" the other man said, "He is sleeping now, but He will wake soon".

Off in the distance, she could hear a horse approaching, its hooves clacking against the cobblestone road. It came around the corner, peeling through the fog and carrying behind it a stagecoach. The driver signaled for the horse the yield as they stopped at the street corner, next to the street lamp.

"Our ride is here!" said the woman who'd been waiting with the men. Together, the four of them boarded the coach, and the horse set off again.

For the longest time, the newcomer watched the shops and stalls that lined the streets of the city as they went by, as no one in the coach was talking.

"I think He will be pleased to meet you. He always likes to meet new guests" said the man with the tophat.

"Who is He?" the newcomer asked again.

"He is our Master, and He will wake soon" the other woman said. Each of the three had a strange, but content expression on their faces, as if they knew everything would be alright.

They remained in the coach for what seemed like forever; they left the city behind, and began to traverse through the countryside, though she could not see much through the fog. They passed farmland, and eventually entered the forest. It was a thick forest; old, and twisted and dense. There had always been something unsettling about the woods, the way it bent and twisted. The way it had always defied the nearby civilization, persisting as a barrier to the laws of man—an ever present reminder that the world had existed long before the city, and would exist long after.

"We are almost there" the second man said at last, after another period that had lasted forever. The forest began to give way, as did the fog. The stagecoach stopped at the top of a hill in a clearing.

"We have arrived".

The party of four stepped out of the stage coach, onto the dirt road on the hill overlooking what seemed to be ruins. They were vast; beyond counting. It was clear this had once been a city, long ago. A majestic city. Except she didn't recognize the architectural style, indeed it defied every type she'd come across. It seemed...older than anything she'd ever seen. And stranger—the more she looked, the more she studied the ruins, the less they made sense. What at first glance seemed like a standard grid layout became more impossible by the second—arches twisted into each other at impossible angles, and roads circled around but didn't meet each other. Studying the city below became almost like studying a Mobius strip, and it began to give her a headache.

"He is within his house, and he is sleeping" the tophat man said, pointing up at the night sky. They no longer looked quite human. Or rather they did, but they didn't seem...right, somehow. She'd read about the Uncanny Valley, and something about them—maybe their facial expressions, or the way they moved, or the way they looked...something looked off. Something unsettled her.

She looked up, and saw the stars twinkling as they had for untold eons. At first, she was relieved that something was still right. But then she saw it—the sky moved. The stars stayed where they were, but...the black behind the stars. It shifted, twisted.

"He wakes from his slumber" the other woman said, blissfully.

The newcomer watched in horror as the sky came to life as an impossibly large...thing awoke, a swarming, shifting mass of inky-black, with no end and no beginning. An unholy mass, a writhing maze of horror and despair. Its appearance, its very being, violated all known laws of...everything. It bent at impossible angles, moved in impossible ways. She tried to scream, but found her voice had left her.

"All hail our Master, for he is risen!" the man with the top hat said.

"All glory to the Sleeping God!" the three chanted in unison as the newcomer watched on in horror, "All glory to the He Who Sung At The Dawn, to the Watcher of Eons, to the Deathless One! All glory to our Great Master! He Who Shall Rise Again!"

It opened its eye, in the center of the sky, its gaze red-hot and burning. It peered down on them, on all of creation. And yet, it centered on her, she knew it had. She didn't know how she knew, or why it had, but she knew she'd been singled out.

"You will be His Herald!" the top hat man crowed with glee, "You shall bring his Message to all who will hear! He calls you to lead his flock! Do you hear him?"

She did. She heard him. Whispers nudged at her mind, their words lost in the crowd. They spoke of impossibly old truths, long forgotten by all. They spoke in lost tongues, speaking of forbidden knowledge. They spoke of horrors, of terrors. They pressed in against her psyche, fraying the edges of her mind, threatening to overwhelm her completely. It was...beautiful. She would do it. She would lead them.

All Glory to the Sleeping God.

* * *

Sel woke with a frantic start, nearly hyperventilating and in absolute, unadulterated fear. Sitting up in her bed, she checked her clock—3:36 am. Her clothes were drenched in sweat, and she couldn't stop shaking. Dream. It was just a dream.

It had felt too real to be a dream.

Nerves, she told herself, just...nerves. She'd been unsettled ever since they'd brought that artifact onboard. It was...messing with her on a subconscious level. The distortions it made to the morphin' grid...it was driving her nuts.

The sooner they got it off the ship, the better.

Sel made he way to her bathroom, switching on the light. Dream. Just a dream. She rubbed her eyes, leaning on the sink as she tried to steady herself, taking care to breath deep. There was nothing in here. No monsters, no horrors. She was safe here, with her friends. Her family.

She was going to be okay.

She also wasn't going to be getting any more sleep tonight.

* * *

**Power Rangers Peacekeepers**

**Season 2**

**2.08: When the Stars are Right, part 1**

* * *

"I can't say I'm happy with this".

Iota sighed. He knew Gamma and Zeta would have issues with this—he himself wasn't pleased with their diversion, but they didn't have much of a choice considering, "Couldn't be helped" he said, to the vague hologram that was pacing around his office. It was Gamma's; Zeta had declined to join this meeting, being busy with other matters. Iota continued, "None of us had any idea the artifact would be this powerful. We can't destroy it through conventional means, not without dire consequences. And if the Others get ahold of it..." he trailed off, allowing Gamma to finish his thought for him.

And she did, as she nodded in contemplation, "...Indeed, I see your point. Sel and Isdilian were more than enough. A third makeshift conduit simply gives the Others more cards to play with. And that cannot be allowed".

"And more cards I have to keep out of their hands" Iota replied.

She nodded again, sighing, "Very well. Make your trip to Eltar. Will you require diplomatic channels?"

It was a fair question; Eltar wasn't the most open of worlds, existing far beyond the Confederacy in its own small bubble of worlds and colonies. They were two steps away from being a closed society, as few ventured in or out. They'd been like that since at least the Dark Specter War, and their isolationist tendencies had been present for eons before that. But as always, Iota already had a solution.

"No, but thank you" he said, "I have contacts there, I will use them".

"Remember to be discreet" Gamma replied, "Eltar is unaligned, and I doubt they'd appreciate foreign ranger activity, or the collateral damage that comes with it. We don't want to make more enemies".

"Understood".

"Good luck, Iota" she said, before the transmission cut off. Iota sighed again as he leaned back in his chair. What an annoying diversion. Still—what better way to hide from the Others than to go where they would never expect?

* * *

He rushed down the halls, nearly barreling over a group of robed monks as they carried on with their daily prayer. Normally he'd have stopped to apologize, but today there was no time. He was on a mission.

"Priest Rydarn! Priest Rydarn!" he shouted, charging into the small, worn down chamber that functioned as the cult's chapel. It wasn't much, much like rest of the endless maze that was the deep sewers under Eltar's capital city of Ionas. The labyrinth had long been superseded by newer systems millions of years ago, leaving the ancient maze an abandoned ruin, populated only by those looking to remain out of sight.

And such it was that the cult had found its way here.

The sewers were nothing much to look at. They were made of stone and arranged in a very simple manner. Some areas, like the cistern, were large spaces populated by many pillars and arches, and water still flowed or stagnated. But for the most part it was simple; austere. The chapel was a small room, dark and damp, and tucked away in a small corner of the maze.

"Priest Rydarn!"

"Yes, yes, child, _what is it_?" the exasperated old man asked as he stepped down the ladder from the upper floorboards they used to store things. The younger man stepped in, wide-eyed and excited.

"Priest! Last night, I had a dream! A vision from our Master!"

The priest's expression turned thoughtful, "Indeed? And what wisdom did he impart, child?"

The younger acolyte recounted his dream, "There was a great star falling from the heavens, a gift from our Lord. It had long been lost, but was now returning to its flock. And then a great angel of light rose up, and caught it. And she declared He was waking, and that she would be His herald. She put the star back in the sky, and the constellations were of his order". A giddy look filled his face, "Could it be true? Could the Great One be returning?"

The priest thought for a moment, then motioned for the acolyte to follow him, "Come. I wish to show you something".

The two headed into the back room of the chapel, a private office the priest used. Numerous artifacts were strewn about on the walls and various tables; old scrolls and manuscripts, religious icons and relics, and intricate objects whose purpose at first, would seem unclear. Moving over to the bookshelf, the priest scanned the titles for a moment, before pulling out a scroll that he opened over his desk next to the books. It was beautiful, filled with magnificent illustrations, and written in a script the acolyte had never seen.

"What is it?" he asked.

The priest scanned down the words, looking for his sought-after passage, "This is a copy of one of the Old Texts, from before".

"What script is this?" the acolyte asked in wonder, "It's not any kind of Eltarian I'm familiar with".

The priest chuckled at the youth's curiosity, "That is because it is not. This text is far older than our people. The original text was lost, long ago, billions of years ago, in the Wars of the Dawn, the Great Wars, when good and evil first did battle, and began the false cycle that continues today".

Moving down the scroll, the priest found what he was looking for—a number of passages and a star chart of some kind, "Yes...yes...I had thought so..."

"What? What is it?"

"A moment" the priest said, moving over to the center table. He grabbed a small gold and blue device, placing it in a center pillar on the desk—and allowed light to shine through it. A three-dimensional map filled the room, and the stars moved and shifted into place, as stars never did.

The priest spoke, "There have been signs for a while now...dreams, visions…indeed, our sky watchers have been saying the stars have been getting closer to the correct alignment. Perhaps it is time..."

"Then it's true!" the youth exclaimed excitedly, "I never imagined our purpose would be fulfilled in my lifetime!"

Nodding happily, the priest replied, "We have been given a task from our Lord, and we shall carry it out. He is in his house sleeping, but he shall soon wake".

* * *

Eltar was a visually striking world. It reminded Sid a bit of old pictures he'd seen of Mars, back in the Sol system—except it wasn't a dead world. Eltar had large seas, and giant swaths of green that contrasted the vibrant red dirt of the dryer areas. That wasn't all though—large megastructures littered the orbit at varying altitudes—everything from giant space stations tethered to the surface by elevators to full-on ringed habitats. The planet filled the viewscreen as the Megaship sat in orbit, awaiting Iota's contact to get back to them. She'd already ensured them safe passage, which meant she must have had some seriously strong power in the government. Part of Sid wondered how and when Iota made friends with the Eltarian government.

Part of him didn't want to know.

The rangers had all been assembled, as usual, though it looked as though some were better off than others. Everyone looked more agitated and on edge than usual—himself included. He shrugged it off as just what had happened yesterday, but he couldn't discount that perhaps the relic was influencing him from even here somehow.

Sel and Isdilian however, looked rough. Neither looked as though they'd gotten much sleep, and Sel in particular seemed ill, and she just sort of stood off to the side, quietly, leaning against one of the console stations. Man, the better they got this thing off the ship, the better.

"Ah, excellent" Iota, in the captain's seat, said finally as the indicator for an incoming transmission blinked. He opened the channel, and an older woman appeared on the screen. She was dressed in ornate white robes decorated with chains multicolored beads and scarves. In her hand she held a staff of wood, twisted at the top into some sort of artistic iconography that was lost on the rangers. A tiara of some sort ringed her head.

"Welcome, Iota. I trust your journey here was uneventful?" she asked.

Iota nodded, "It was, thank you. Shall we come down?"

"That would be best, yes. From what you've told me, the sooner we get to work, the better. Bring the artifact with you, and meet me in my study".

The channel shut off, replacing the woman with the planet on the screen once more.

"Well. She seems nice" Sid joked, "You make the best friends".

Iota didn't take the bait. He stood up from his chair, directing towards the team, "Get down to the storage bay, we'll be landing soon".

"What do we do with the artifact?" Isdilian asked him.

"You let me worry about that" Iota replied, as the passed the rangers by, "Just get to your stations".

"And yet another day of not knowing what the crap is going on begins" Sid groaned to himself.

* * *

The Megaship had landed in one of the dryer areas of the planet, away from civilization. Giant sandstone formations zigzagged across the surface, creating mini-canyons and mountains. They were badlands, but that didn't mean they weren't beautiful. It was clear the region was old; the rock walls were littered with ancient buildings carved directly into the stone. In the clearing the Megaship had dropped into, the rangers found themselves surrounded on all sides by a magnificent skyline.

"...Wow" Trok muttered in appreciation.

"This way, please" Iota said, leading them towards one of the rockwall buildings. The team followed, taking in the sights as they were led inside.

The interior was just as beautiful, though obviously worn and broken from millions of years if disuse—privately, Sid wondered if the Eltarans didn't use magic of some kind of keep things from completely falling apart in time spans that long. A few million years elsewhere, after all, would have changed the landscape completely, nevermind the ruins. But regardless of age, arched pillars sustained the interior, and mosaics dotted the walls that they passed by.

"So...anyone know where we're going?" Trok asked, a bit impatiently after a bit of wandering.

"Here" said a female voice. Another figure, the woman they'd seen on the viewscreen, walked towards them over a small bridge that connected the interior road from the divide caused by a moderately-sized stream about a story down that split the large chamber they were in in two. Carrying her staff with her, she approached Iota.

"Archmage Lasandra" Iota nodded.

"Iota" she replied, "Good to see you".

"Force fields on the Megaship have been disabled" he said.

She nodded, "I noticed. I've already had the device teleported to my workshop and placed under a number of magical defense fields. Shall we?" she motioned for the group to follow her, over the bridge and through the archway into a smaller but still sizable chamber inside. It was *full*; shelves full of books, and scrolls, and tables full of artifacts, and charts, and globes and...there was a telescope in the corner of the room, and the far end was obscured by the proverbial library of material. Light shone through a window in the far wall, indicating that they'd gone though the entire rockface.

"Wow" Trok muttered again.

"So how do you two know each other?" Xolin asked, even as she took in all the magical paraphernalia around her.

"Iota helped us with an attempted Vile incursion into Eltarian space a few years back" Lasandra said.

Surprisingly, Iota actually let loose a small laugh, as if recalling good times, "It was when the Peacekeepers were just getting started, we'd received a tip, and decided we could do with some good international will".

"'Us'?" Sid asked.

Lasandra smirked, "I used to be on the Eltarian Grand Council, served there for many years. I still have a good deal of pull and an invitation to return any time, but after four thousand years serving, I'm starting to feel my age. I've retired here for the most part, to work on my studies. It's how I was able to grand you passage into our space so quickly—Don't touch that!" she barked at Trok, who'd picked up a gem off the table. He dropped it back where he found it, grinning sheepishly as he stepped away.

"Parents should have taught you better..." she muttered under her breath as she strode over to him, then reprimanded him, "My workshop is not a playground. I have delicate and volitile magical objects littered everywhere. They must be handled with care. Messing with the wrong thing if you don't know how it works could be...catastrophic".

"Sorry!" Trok said sheepishly, "Sorry..."

"So, the device" Iota reminded her.

"Yes, yes, the device. It's down in the back room. Follow me" she said, beginning to weave through the maze of bookshelves. Left of the windowed wall was another door near the back corner, and she motioned everyone to follow. Inside was a smaller room, with a pedestal dominating the center. On it, the familiar relic hovered in midair, sealed off from the rest of the universe through several enchantments.

"You okay?" Trok quietly asked Sel in the back. She nodded numbly; she WAS feeling a bit better, sleep deprivation not withstanding.

"What IS it?" Sid asked, "Besides creepy, I mean".

"A conduit" Lasandra mused, with a hint of reverence, "I've seen a few Morphin Master artifacts that were similar, but this is the first Eltarian attempt at replication I've ever seen. At seventeen million years of age, that's just after the Masters fade from the historical record. Whoever built this must have been trying to recreate what had been lost when the Masters left. This is unusual though; it's naked, without any of the protections or safeguards the Master equivalents have".

"What's a conduit?" Trok asked.

She thought for a moment as the circled the hovering device, "...Imagine for a moment that you could harvest the power of an entire universe. You can't keep it in one place, obviously, so you find a way to store it. Or better yet, you leave it where it is. The universe itself can be the bag, and all you need to construct is the entrance".

"Wait" Sid said, his brow furrowing, "Wait wait wait. Are you telling me that things like the Power Eggs don't just have a universe worth of power in them, but that they are like...energy wormholes?"

"Essentially, yes" said Lasandra, "But also no. As far as we can tell, the Morphin Masters never figured out how to store energy from other parallel universes, only the many pocket dimensions that orbit our own, and they don't have enough power".

"Then...where's the power coming from? Xolin asked.

Lasandra gave her a grin, "Where do you think?"

Trok blinked, stunned at what she was getting at, "Woah. Uh...wait, are you saying that..."

"...The Power Eggs contain the power of our own universe, yes" Lasanda nodded, still grinning, "And judging by the scans I've run, so does this device".

Sid squinted at the object floating on the pedestal, "Uh...okay, back up for a second. Even IF you somehow managed to soak up all the power in the universe without inflicting instant Heat Death, how can multiple objects each have the same power?"

But Trok was getting fairly giddy at the whole thing. He corrected Sid with a wide smile on his face, "No no, that's not it! Remember what she said about the object only being like, the bag exit or whatever? It's created some kind of trans-dimensional pocket. That's LITERALLY our universe inside that relic".

"What" Xolin managed to utter in a perfect deadpan.

"But...you said they were like wormholes" Sid said, trying to grasp this and failing, "So...where does it go to?"

"The universe" Lasandra said, as if it was the most obvious thing.

"But *where*?!" Xolin repeated, becoming exasperated.

"It's kind of like a Mobius strip, huh?" Trok asked, a wide grin still plastered on his face. He was giddy!

Sid sighed, facepalming, "Oh, this is one of those things that's just going to make my head hurt, isn't it?"

Xolin tried a different tack, "Okay, forget that for a second. If they're all based on our universe, why have more than one?"

"...So there can be more than one power source?" Trok replied, again as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "Sometimes one universe wasn't enough, I guess". Crazy that—one universe worth of energy wasn't enough? Trok could only imagine what kind of engineering feats the Masters could have pulled off in their heyday.

"But they're the same universe!" Xolin exclaimed, "One times one does not equal two!"

"It does if quantum superposition is involved" Lasandra said, "In that case, one times one equals infinity".

Sid dropped his arms and exclaimed in exasperation and bewilderment, "Oh my GOD".

"What does superposition even mean?" Xolin asked.

Lasandra, realizing she was getting nowhere, deadpanned, "Magic. It's all done with magic".

"More important question" Isdilian said, finally speaking up, "Why's it messing with us?"

"That *is* a curious question" Lasandra said, musing, "Most conduits are protected by an event horizon of a sort. This though...it's a naked conduit, openly exchanging material with the universe—sort of as if the bag had a hole in it. It may be that the backlash effect it has on spacetime may have been having some sort of subconscious effect on your bodies. I don't know for sure; a naked conduit has never been studied before".

"Isdilian and Sel do have an...affinity for the morphin' grid" Iota said.

Lasandra nodded, "Makes sense then, that you two would feel it the most then" she said to Isdilian.

It still didn't ease the memories from Sel's nightmare. She listened at half-attention, her mind continually wandering back to that...thing from here dream. To call it a monster was a disservice. It was impossible.

Just a dream. Just a dream.

Her attention was suddenly pulled to something moving in the corner of her eye. Just behind her, she caught sight of...someone hurrying back through the door into Lasandra's main library. Looking back to everyone still discussing the conduit, she decided to check this out herself. She'd only be gone a minute.

Stepping into the library, she again saw a flash of a person as they rounded one of the bookshelves. A child?

"Hello?" she called out cautiously, even as she stepped forward. Peering around the bookshelf, she saw the child round another one. "I don't think you should be in here!" she said, calling out to the child again. Frustrated at the lack of responses, Sel hurried around the next corner.

And then she was gone.

* * *

Isdilian blinked. He'd felt...something. A loss. Something was wrong. Something was missing.

"...Sel?" he asked looking around the room. She wasn't here.

"...Sel, what…?" Xolin muttered in confusion. But Sel wasn't there.

"Where'd she go?" Trok asked.

Isdilian didn't answer, instead hurrying back into the library, "Sel?" he called out again, this time with more urgency, "Sel!"

"Did she step out for a moment?" Sid asked, hurrying over to the front doorway and peering out towards the bridge—no sign of her. Huh, weird. He was getting a little concerned now. "Sel!" he called out. No response.

"...I can't feel her" Isdilian noted quietly, flummoxed by her sudden absence.

"What do you mean?" Xolin asked, not entirely sure if she wanted the answer.

"Normally I can feel her presence in the grid. It's not there now".

"What like..." Trok didn't want to say the word, "...Dead?"

"Just...gone" Isdilian said, a twinge of sadness seeping through, "I don't know".

Sid tried to remain calm, "Okay, let's split up. She couldn't have gotten far. If we spread out-"

"She's *gone*" Isdilian reiterated, annoyed that Sid was being dense, "She's not here anymore. As if she just...ceased to be".

"That's not possible" Sid said firmly. She couldn't just be...gone. It didn't make sense, and he couldn't believe that.

"Nevertheless, it's what has happened" Isdilian bit back.

Iota stepped between them, "If Isdilian can't feel Sel, then it means we won't be able to find her either, whatever that means" the armored figure said, "Which...I won't lie, is very bad news".

"But how could she just be gone?!" Trok asked with an increasing worry that was quickly sweeping the room, "She was just here, right with us!"

Lasandra thought for a moment, "The conduit maybe…"

The group seemed to ponder to themselves, not able to find anything to say to further the conversation, and each both lost and afraid for their missing teammate.

"So..." Trok started, despondent. He asked the question on everyone's mind, "...What do we do?"

* * *

The man with the briefcase stopped for a moment.

"...She's gone" he mused, feeling the sudden void the xybrian had left in the universe. Her power had been steadily growing, warping and concentrating the morphin' grid around her. Now it was just...gone. "It would seem he is indeed waking..."

* * *

Beta took another look at their position—still well away from Eltar. Sigh. Why must these vessels be so slow? Sitting behind her in their small transport ship were two other being much like herself; a large green-armored male figure, and a female orange-armored figure similar to herself.

"This is taking too long" Green grumbled in discontent.

"You can get out and push if you'd like" said Orange, "That is, if you think it'll help".

Beta added, "We have to be cautious, Delta. Eltar has an extensive detection grid, and we don't want to draw any unwanted attention. Our job is to get in, grab the conduit, and get out".

"Hmmrph" Delta mumbled, "We do too much sneaking around these days".

"Patience" Orange told him, "Zero Hour shall come soon enough".

"Too much waitin' too" he mumbled.

Beta gave a small but amused laugh as if in agreement, but then stopped as she caught sight of one of the computer consoles. This one was always on—she was always keeping an eye on the two halves of Project Omega, since that was the cornerstone of their entire operation. The entire plan hinged on their continued existence. But one was now missing. Beta exhaled, trying to keep herself from panicking.

"She's missing".

"...What?" Orange asked, confused at the sudden non sequitur.

"The girl, the xybrian. Omega-Sigma. She's *gone*, vanished from the computer's readouts".

"...What do you mean gone?!" Delta roared in shock.

"I don't know!" Beta exclaimed. The level of panic in the chamber was beginning to rise drastically.

"She can't be gone!" Orange said, "We need her!"

That was an understatement. The xybrian was, alongside the karovian, perhaps the most important being in this entire universe. Everything, *everything* hinged on their continued existence. Without them...well, there was no plan, no nothing. Beta subconciously gripped the controls tighter. This was *bad*.

"Did we lose track of her?" Delta asked.

Orange shook her head as she pushed herself up beside Beta, checking on the console, "There's no way we could have just lost her—the system monitors the entire universe's grid. If she's undetectable, it means she's just...gone".

"Dead?" Beta asked, dread filling her form.

"...I don't know" Orange said in a small voice. THAT was unusual—usually she, Epsilon, was the voice of knowledge. Epsilon ALWAYS knew what was going on, and knew how to plan for the best. To hear her so lost was even more unnerving.

"We need to tell Alpha" Delta grunted.

Epsilon nodded hesitantly, "..Yeah, yeah we do". She flipped open communications with the home base.

"_Problems?"_ their boss's voice, male, filtered through.

Beta, his second, spoke, "Alpha, you checked the grid sensors lately?"

His tone became a bit more wary, _"...No, why?"_

"We really think you should" said Epsilon.

A moment passed before Alpha spoke again, _"...Where is she?!"_

"We don't know!" Beta said, exhaling and trying to keep herself steady—but the thought of the entire plan, YEARS of hard work, and the last hope they had going up in smoke was hard not to want to just curl up and die at, "She was there one minute, and then...nothing. She was gone".

Silence.

"What should we do?" Epsilon asked emphatically.

Alpha's eventual response was subdued, _"...I'll do what I can from here. You three need to continue your mission. If Omega-Sigma really *is* dead or somehow missing, then the conduit just became all important to our plans"._

"Understood" Beta replied.

"_Keep me informed, Alpha out"._ His voice winked out, and the three armored figured glanced at each other.

"So the backup plan just became the main plan" Epsilon sighed in distress.

Beta gripped the controls even tighter. Why couldn't they be at Eltar already? "...Can't be helped, unfortunately. Just be glad we *do* have a backup plan. Yesterday we didn't".

"...If we'd lost her yesterday?" Epsilon asked.

Beta didn't look at here, instead keeping her eyes on the starfield head of her, "...Then there'd be a bullet in my head right now".

* * *

The first thing she remembered feeling was a sensation of floating. She wasn't really sure when it had started—maybe she'd always been floating. But it was nice, and warm.

Why was she floating?

Sel didn't want to open her eyes—they felt so heavy. But she felt she had to. She had to wake-

She wasn't floating anymore, as her eyes fluttered open. She was wrapped up in thick blankets though, and a flickering light from a candle flame hovered over her somewhere. The room she was in was small, and made of stone. No sign of the outside—underground, maybe? A little claustrophobic, honestly.

"Ah, you're awake" a voice said—male, and older. She blinked, looking over at its source. A priest of some sort sat there, a book in his hands that he'd been reading. He shut the book, "I've been waiting".

"...Who are you?" Sel asked, "Where am I?" She sat up in her bed, "...How did I get here? Where are my friends?" Her questions became increasingly wary and defensive. The last thing she had remembered was...the child, in the library. And then...nothing.

The priest chuckled softly, "Be at ease, you are in safe hands. You are in the ancient catacombs beneath Ionas, the capital city of Eltar. I am Priest Rydarn, and we found you, unconscious in the northeast wing of our little...monastery. No idea how you got here".

Something about his tone concerned Sel. As if he was hiding something, maybe? Or...no, something deeper. Something about the way he talked, or looked or...something. Maybe his aura. Yes, his aura. Something about his aura was off, and it colored everything about him. The bigger question remained however—how did she get here? Ionas was several hundred kilometers from where they'd landed.

"I...I need to get ahold of my friends, let them know I'm alright" she said, shaking off the last vestiges of sleep. She checked her morpher—no signal down here.

"Of course" Rydarn said comfortingly, "We have a communication terminal in the south wing. Would you like me to take you there?"

She nodded approvingly as she got up out of the cot, "Yes, please".

"Follow me" the priest motioned to her, as he headed out into the hall. Catacombs indeed—the entire place reminded Sel of some sort of ancient cistern or sewer system. The hall they entered into was small and cramped, but soon they entered into a larger chamber full of arches and pillars and pools connected by bridges and pathways—a multi-story maze of stone catwalks and ledges.

"I apologize for...intruding, I guess" she said to Rydarn as they walked, "I honestly don't know how I got here".

Another soft chuckle, "It's quite alright. It *is* unusual however, we rarely get visitors all the way down here".

"Why *are* you down here?" Sel asked curiously. She'd gathered they were some sort of monk order, but why were they down in a maze of ancient sewers?

The priest nodded gently as he took in the sights of the cistern, "Our Order came down here to remove itself from the hustle and bustle of modern life, and the sins thereof. The ancient catacombs allows us to gain respect for our ancestors, and allow us to live a life of austerity and humility".

"Most Orders I've read up on usually choose far away rural worlds, it's just...not what I expected".

Rydarn smiled, "I've found that life is full of surprises. Indeed, life *should* be full of surprises, or else what would the point be?"

"Howso?"

"Surprises allow us to grow as people" said Rydarn as they left the cistern, and began heading down a narrow stairwell, "The unexpected and the unknown give us new experiences to encounter. The universe is a much wider, and much deeper place than we often give it credit for, living I our little houses, working our little jobs, cheering on our local sports teams..." he trailed off, though the direction the conversation had taken had already distanced Sel from him. How...uncomfortable.

They arrived at the door at the end of the hallway—unassuming, though the door was of far more recent construction than the rest of the maze. Rydarn opened the door, and motioned for Sel to come inside.

"In here. Ladies first, please".

Sel cautiously wandered inside, finding a circular chamber with a dome, with very little in it, except for the complex mosaic that filled the floor. At first Sel wasn't sure what it was, but the more she studied it, the more she realized it was...stars, maybe? Constellations? They were ridiculously complex though, and she couldn't really figure out the patterns. They reminded her of extra-dimensional polygons, fourth or fifth or sixth dimensional figures that couldn't really be accurately portrayed on a two-dimensional page, and so they just came out as squiggles.

The room was mysteriously empty. Sel frowned, "...You said there was a communication console down here. Where's-" she paused as she got further into the room, seeing the statue at the other end of the chamber, her voice dying in her throat. It was huge, dominating the far end of the chamber. Tendrils emanated in asymmetric and chaotic non-patterns, twisting around and intersecting with each other in ways that hurt to look at-she almost went cross-eyed. The creature itself, if such an abstract entity could be called a 'creature', was...she could not describe it, it was just massive, undefined, and horrible.

For a second, she remembered the beast from her dream. Her eyes widened in very real terror. Sel turned to flee, but found herself quickly restrained—two hooded figures grabbed her by the arms, and though she struggled to free herself, she couldn't. More hooded figures moved in—where had they all come from?!

"Let me go!" she shouted, struggling frantically, "Let me go!" They pulled her down to her knees.

Rydarn circled around her, pulling a hood over his own head. He called to the group, gripping a staff he'd been given by one of the other figures. "My brothers! Today is an auspicious day! Today our lord's angel comes to us! Today, the Stars are Right!"

"What are you talking about?!" Sel exclaimed, now on her knees but still struggling against a sea of cultists, "What are you doing?!"

"You shall light our way!" Rydarn said in euphoric bliss, "The angel of light, she who shall bring our Master's fallen star back to us!"

"No!" Sel screamed, pulling harder than ever as she remembered the dream all too clearly. But this wasn't a dream. This was real. Somehow, this was happening. Why was this happening!?

"Her arm!" Rydarn said, as Sel felt her left arm being pulled out and up, her hand extended. He pulled out a knife, and grabbing her hand, sliced into her palm, collecting blood. Her arm was then pulled back, allowing Sel to clench it shut—a futile attempt to will the pain away. The dagger, now dripping in blood, was taken to the statue, having been given to one of the other hooded figures. The knife was slid into a slot in the beast, and almost immediately, Sel began to feel dizzy. Light began to dance across the constellations on the ground, flickering in her increasingly hazy and upset vision. Was it real? Was it not? She couldn't tell. Everything seemed so shimmer and glow. The strange script that lined many of the mosaic designs seemed to shift and move on their destined paths, intersecting at weird and unsettling angles. Looking down at her body, she saw the script flooding onto her skin, wrapping up her arms and legs.

"He awakens from his slumber!" Rydarn crowed, "All hail our Master, for he is risen!"

"GLORY!" the crowd chanted, "GLORY! G'nrk'guglk'rib! G'nrk'guglk'rib! He is risen!"

The beast...woke up, for the lack of a better term, as her vision blurred and her head got heavy. It writhed and twisted, its tendrils moving in unnatural ways, shifting and encroaching, despite remaining as still as stone. A billion legs shuffled and skittered about. Sel struggled in abject terror as the red eye locked onto her in all its unknowable power, red hot and burning into her. She screamed, and everything went white.

* * *

The fog was sickeningly thick; a pea soup that obscured the entire downtown. She could barely see the cobblestone road ahead of her, or the brick and mortar shops that lined the street. Up ahead, the light of the street lamp at the corner hung lazily—a beacon in the distance.

She didn't like the street lamp. It bothered her for some reason.

As she got closer, she saw people. Many people; a crowd.

"He's coming!" they said, "Today is the day!"

She didn't like the people They didn't look right, didn't move right. They were all well-dressed, but their skin was pale and had a sheen, as if they were smooth, or wet. Their eyes were sunken in, in shadow. Their mouths were less like mouths, and more like...holes. They moved wrong; as if like a windup doll that had been left running too long. And they smelled damp.

"Come, child!" one of them said, grabbing her hand, "Celebrate our good fortune!"

"Please, no" she said, pulling her hand back, but more grabbed at her, pulling at her Victorian dress, "Leave me alone!"

The crowd swarmed in, oblivious to her distress.

"You must meet Him! He is waking!"

She couldn't see through the fog, but she knew He was there, just out of reach. A fresh wave of primal terror washed over her. He was right there, right *there*; his massive, impossible form, just mere feet away from her—and the crowd was dragging her towards him. He whispered at her mind, His presence seeping into her psyche with truths older than Eltar's sun, in tongues long forgotten by mere mortals. She screamed, pulling desperately as the eye opened.

"G'nrk'guglk'rib! G'nrk'guglk'rib! G'nrk'guglk'rib!"

G'nrk'guglk'rib!

G'nrk'guglk'rib!

"NO!" she roared in a mixture of fury and terror. Instinctually, a wave of morphin energy radiated off of her, and the crowd was knocked away for but a moment.

Another voice spoke—a child, twelve years old maybe? Human, female, she rushed by her—the same one she had seen in the library, "Hurry, follow me!" the child shouted, vanishing around the corner.

Having nothing to lose, she followed, racing around the corner even as the crowd followed in pursuit.

* * *

The atmosphere in Lasandra's study was...well, pretty friggin' somber. Iota, Isdilian, and Lasandra had retreated back into the back room to work, leaving the other four rangers to simply mill about the library—and Not Touch Anything. Sigh.

Sid found himself moving from shelf to shelf, reading off book titles as he went. So far most of the books hadn't been in any language he recognized, or even a script he recognized, so he wasn't really able to discern what they were about. Still, they were pretty, he supposed.

"Bored?" a familiar voice asked. Xolin stood just behind him, looking up at the top shelf at nothing in particular.

"I've always hated doing nothing" Sid admitted with a sigh, "Waiting to ride into battle is one thing; but being unable to do anything when someone's in trouble?" He shook his head, "I'm good at the former. Never been good at the latter".

She nodded as she slid down to the floor, leaning against the shelf, "Yeah. I just...I don't understand what could have happened to her. We don't even know if she's alive, or dead, or where her body is or..." she trailed off, taking a moment to steel herself, "...It happened so fast. I don't even know if we can mourn" she added, in a much quieter voice.

Sid sat down on the floor as well, bunching up his knees. "How's Trok taking it?"

"...Hard" Xolin sighed, eying towards the exit, "He went back to the Megaship awhile ago. Said he was going to try to boost the grid sensors. I dunno if that'll help".

Sid shrugged, "At least it gives him something to do".

"...Yeah..."

Silence settled over them.

"...Never seen Isdilian so up in arms about someone before" Xolin finally said after a few moments, glancing back in the general direction of the back room, "But he seemed genuinely concerned about Sel".

"I think they've been bonding recently" Sid said, then laughed softly, "Don't ask me how she got him to open up, because I haven't got a clue".

Xolin joined him for a second, then sighed, "...She was something special".

"Is" Sid corrected her.

"You think she's alive?" Xolin asked him, hopeful.

Sid forced himself to smirk, "I haven't seen a body. And even then, there are exceptions" he said, nodding in Nikki's general direction. In truth however, he was far less confident. Everything had happened so quickly; she'd been there, and then she hadn't, without a trace. And Isdillian lamenting that he couldn't feel her aura anymore...it had deeply unsettled Sid. But he couldn't let that show; the surviving team needed to keep hope alive at least in the interim until some sort of fact could be established.

Xolin mused over his explanation, finding it sound. "...You know, Iota seems pretty upset too".

"'Very bad news' he said" Sid agreed, "Which just further confirms that he's got plans for her and Isdilian. We just can't ever figure out what". He sighed, leaning back against the bookshelf.

Xolin shifted her weight, getting into a slightly more comfortable position on the floor, "We thought he was going to use them after we pretty much helped start the Confederate-Alliance war on his command. We thought his goal was to wipe out the Alliance for some reason".

Nodding, Sid added, "Which, while a solid theory at the time, is looking less and less likely. We've been in a stalemate for months, and he's mostly just been having us play as a normal front-line team. Even less than that, as of late. What's his game?"

"Maybe he *didn't* start the war?" Xolin theorized, "Or maybe it's the Peacekeeper organization itself that wanted the war. Or even the Confederacy".

"Which would make sense" Sid said, "Except Sel and Isdilian are almost certainly Iota's pet project. So how do they link in?"

She shrugged, "...Maybe they don't? Maybe it's just two unrelated things?"

That was an unsettling thought; all this time they'd been painting Iota as the singular bad guy but...what if it was a conspiracy that went higher up? What if the Confederacy really DID want the war? Except, that still didn't make sense. Sid shook his head, "...No, I can't imagine a scenario where the Confederacy would want to risk its independence against an equal or superior enemy it had JUST managed to break free of. Something's going on here; where the right hand doesn't know what the left is doing".

"So what's your theory then?"

Sid frowned in frustrated thought, "...I don't know. We're missing pieces of the puzzle here, and I feel like we're running out of time before something happens".

Xolin pondered, eying the floor next to her, "...Iota's got Sel and Isdilian for a reason. He's got a plan for them at the very least. So...why hasn't he used them? What's the endgame? Why is it 'very bad news' if one of them is missing? Why does he need both?"

"All very good questions" Sid said. He mused, "...His wording almost suggests it's something defensive, as if he's waiting for something. Or protecting from..." Sid trailed off, his expression changing to that of someone who had suddenly put some pieces into place.

"...What? What is it?" Xolin asked.

Sid looked at her, "...Xol, who was Capricorn going to sell Sel to? Back on Onyx, I mean?"

Xolin flashed back to the man in the cloak back in the bar. Sel had later told them it had been who they had since dubbed 'Briefcase Guy'. She'd never seen him, but she'd felt his aura. Her brow furrowed, "Why *does* Briefcase Guy want Sel so bad?" she asked, "He's been responsible for almost every single monster who's come after her".

"And he didn't seem to give a shit at all about Isdilian, if his subordinates are any indication. Capricorn sure as hell didn't that last time" Sid said, "If both he and Sel are similar, why the focus on the girl?"

"The only difference between them is that Sel was found wandering the streets" Xolin recounted, "Isdilian was in Iota's pocket from the getgo as far as we know. Maybe Briefcase Guy just doesn't know about him?"

"Then why does he know about some teenage girl found wandering alleyways without memories?"

"And where did they come from?" Xolin asked back, "If both came from the same place, why was Sel on the loose?"

Silence again settled over them as they contemplated their situation. Xolin's frown deepened, "...The most frustrating part of this is there's no way to get any information. All we can do is wait for whatever is about to happen to happen. Breaking into Iota's files didn't help; we found zilch and all we got for it was a nice beating from Isdilian. And we don't really have any other leads".

She realized Sid was no longer looking her, but instead eying Nikki, who was currently laying back on one of the ledges, watching the ceiling as her arm hung down near the floor.

"...Why was Iota so keen to add her to the team?" Sid asked quietly, "Was it me? Or some other reason?"

"Why were any of us chosen?" Xolin asked him as he turned back to her, "It's something that's been bothering me for awhile. He came for each of us, hunted a bunch of nobodies down. In your case, he drew you too him. Why?"

Sid searched his brain for reasons, but nothing he could come up with could adequately explain this. Why *were* they chosen?

* * *

Iota considered his options. On one hand, they'd lost Sel—and who knows what even happened. On the surface, this was a crippling blow. But the more Iota thought about it, the more he tried to rationalize it.

Certainly, Sel was gone. That was fact. Whether or not it was as horrible of a blow as he'd initially thought, however, depended on if she was still alive somewhere, or was dead or otherwise unreachable by any party. He sincerely hoped for the latter—she was a useful tool, but better out of everyone's hands than into his enemy's. In truth, if she WAS alive and had teleported somewhere, he didn't have a clue where to start looking, and with her 'gone' from Isdilian's detection, he simply couldn't rule out that she'd been somehow taken by the Others, which was a frightening suggestion regardless of how he looked at it.

In truth, the more he learned about the 'conduit', the more he considered that if she WAS dead, he had a ready-made replacement on hand. So nice of the Confederacy to send him on that errand.

What was ALSO a problem for Iota was the fact that Sel represented his only real link to the rest of the team, especially after the event several months ago. If Sel was gone forever, Sid, Xolin, and Trok really had no reason to stick around. That was...unfortunate. His plans were going to need some quick updates.

Isdilian had been moodier than usual. Perhaps the boy doth protest too much—for all the excuses and declines he'd given in the war room the other day, it seemed he truly felt a loss by the disappearance of Sel, even if he wasn't going to admit it. He'd been able to recompose himself from earlier, when he'd been visibly worried by the loss of Sel, but his surly nature had come back to the fore, worse than ever.

Pity.

"It certainly spiked in active energy output around when she vanished" Lasandra said as she checked her main computer terminal, next to the pedestal containing the conduit in a magical field, "Curious. I didn't expect it to be able to interfere with anything while behind sixteen different magical enchantments. Then again, a naked conduit is a wild card, isn't it?"

"Are you saying the conduit somehow...took her?" Isdilian asked her, confused, but a strange sort of hope growing despite himself.

Lasandra frowned, keeping her attention on her holoscreen, "A little early to say, but I do think that theory just gained some traction. The question is, why? Why her?"

Why indeed? Iota surmised it might have been due to her...unique abilities, but if so why hadn't Isdilian been taken? And to pluck her right out of where she'd been standing without even touching her, what kind of power did this thing have?

"...Is there a way to track her down?" Isdilian asked, a little more frantically.

"...That's what I'm trying to figure out" said Lasandra, "Conduits are essentially wormholes that simply loop back around onto themselves. If Sel's alive, we should be able to track her lifesource signature to wherever the wormhole dumped her".

As Isdilian watched anxiously, Iota waited—also anxious, but for different reasons. Sel could have been teleported anywhere—what would he do if she was taken into the camp of his enemies?

* * *

As the light faded, Rydarn risked a look back at where the girl had been as he stood up. They'd all been tossed aside to the far ends of the room once the ceremony had been initiated—some unseen force had blown them away as everything had been washed over by a blinding light.

A figure, lean and feminine, similar to the girl, stood up from her crouching position. Her head hung loosely, as if the being was simply unfamiliar with how humanoid bodies worked. She turned, her weight shifting in odd ways as she pulled her head up to take a good look at Rydarn, even as her green hair hid much of her face. He could still make out a wide grin though, much wider than was normal—and through her one visible eye, he could sense the unmistakable presence of a power much older than himself.

"Master..." he breathed, getting back down on his knee, "You've awoken, at last". He could scarcely believe it; while he'd never once wavered in his faith, he had always known that the likelihood of his Master returning during his lifetime was virtually nil. But to have Him here now, as the culmination of his life's work. Here, now, at the dawn of the new age, as a herald of the end of the age of mortals and the return of the True Gods...he could barely process this, much less simply being in the presence of an incomprehensible being.

Sel's attention was drawn to her fist, which crackled with morphin energy, "Not yet" she said with a low but pleased growl, "I still slumber. I am but the herald, a figment of his truth. To awaken, I require the star".

"What IS the star?" Rydarn asked her, "How can we help?"

Her already impossible grin only got wider as she looked up at the statue, "...The girl has seen it. It has haunted her dreams. She knows where it is, and how to get it" she turned to Rydarn, her movements jerky and unsettled, her head tilted and lopsided, "The days of men are over. Assemble your forces, for today you shall serve the Sleeping One".

Rydarn nodded, purpose swelling within him as he took a deep breath, "Yes, Herald. Of course!" he turned to the others, who had been watching, "The Herald has given us our mission! Our time is at hand! Our God needs us! Martial our force, we march within the hour!"

The mood in the chamber was exuberant; a rapturous feeling of bliss had settled over the cult as their God began to awaken.

"Glory to G'nrk'guglk'rib! Glory to G'nrk'guglk'rib!" they shouted, "Glory to He Who Sung At The Dawn! Glory to the Sleeping God!"

"He lies in his house, sleeping!" Rydarn chanted back at them in a fit of exhilaration, "But He is now waking! Glory to G'nrk'guglk'rib! Glory to our God!"

Sel just took in the praise, a wild, animalistic grin plastered on her face as her cattle worshiped at her feet.

* * *

She had ran for what felt like forever, but eventually Sel felt as though she'd outran Him, which was well enough as she just couldn't run anymore. The xybrian was completely lost, having immersed herself in the endless maze of back alleys of...what was this place, anyway? It felt like the fog, though omnipresent around her, was gone from her mind. It was no longer a dream, or some sort of sequence of events that she was an observer to, but real.

"It's your mind" said a girl's voice—the same voice that had urged her to flee. Sel had lost track of the girl awhile back, but now here she was sitting on some boxes near the back door to a building. She was...twelve, maybe? Definitely not in Victorian dress though. In truth, Sel couldn't place the origin of her garb—sort of a mystical robe outfit, almost Edenoite or Eltarian except...no, it was different.

"Pardon?" she asked.

The girl tilted her head, "Well...sort of. Think of this as like a dream. You've been separated from your body".

Sel nodded, that made sense—she remembered the ceremony in excruciating detail now, "...What happened to it? My body, I mean?" she asked, dreading the answer. If her body was dead, where did that leave her?

"He's got it, now" the girl said, "The monster that was after you. He'd have gotten your mind too, if you hadn't run when you did".

A million questions raced through Sel's mind. Most important one came first though- "So, if this is a dream, can I control what happens?"

The girl shrugged, "Sorta, I guess. Why?"

Sel looked down at the hideous overweight Victorian dress that had been weighing her down. With a concentrated thought, it was replaced by her normal street clothes. "...Much better" she sighed with relief, then glanced around the hazy buildings that surrounded them, "...Why a Victorian theme?" she asked.

Again the girl shrugged, "Don't ask me, it's *your* dreamscape".

Sel gave the area another sweep with her eyes, a confused and slightly suspicious expression on her face—why in the spirit's name would she dream up a Victorian setting? Eh, whatever. She had bigger things to worry about now, "So...who are you?" she asked the girl, "I remember you—you were in the library. And then...then I woke up in that cult place".

At that, the girl looked away, embarrassed, "I...yeah, sorry. That was my bad. I felt your power; you resonated. It was beautiful. I didn't mean for you to get sucked in".

"Sucked in *what*?" Sel asked, confused and increasingly exasperated. She'd just spent who knows how long running from...whatever That was, after being held down by a bunch of crazy cultists for a ceremony where she'd apparently lost her body. The fact that she wasn't completely freaking the shit out privately amazed her. Maybe she was still in shock and it just hadn't had time to come crashing down yet?

The kid sighed, "Right, okay. From the beginning then. I...felt you, I guess, when you came near the conduit. You..." she struggled to find the right words, "...You have immense power, and it resonated with the conduit's. And I guess while I was reaching out to you...something happened and you got sucked through the conduit to where He was".

"Who is *He*?" Sel asked, still remaining incredibly calm, considering.

"He is..." again, the girl took a moment to choose her words, "...There are things in this universe older than the star your homeworld orbits. Things from before the Dawn War".

"...The Dawn War?" Sel asked.

"When Good and Evil first went to war".

...Woah. That must have been pretty long ago. "So...before the Morphin Masters then?"

The girl smirked, "The Morphin Masters were just children playing in a sandbox".

Sel digested this information. If the Masters had been just kids in comparison, what did that make her? Or any of them. But that led her to her next question, "So then...who are you?"

"My name is Andromeda" the girl said with satisfaction.

When no further information seemed to be forthcoming, Sel pressed on, "...How long have you been here?"

"Longer than you" Andromeda said with a hint of haughtiness.

Sel frowned. Great, she'd found a kid with an attitude problem. Still, she continued to pry, "So how did you *get* here? Did...did He steal your body too?"

The girl looked away, ashamed, "I...something like that, yeah. I don't wanna talk about it".

Well, this had been enlightening. Not really, but Sel's attention was already being drawn to getting out of this mess, "So how do we escape?"

The girl snorted in derision, "'Escape'? You don't escape His grasp. He has your body, and there's nothing you can do about it. Your only hope is to run and hide for as long as you can".

Sel emptied a breath she hadn't even known she was holding in. Her hopes deflated; no escape? No way to contact anyone? "...I don't really want to live on the run in some nightmare for the rest of my life".

The kid shrugged, "Too bad. If you want out, go find Him and he'll put you out of your misery. Otherwise..." Andromeda got up, dusting herself off before beckoning Sel to follow her, "Follow me. He's coming back, and I know where we can hide".

Sel looked back; she could almost feel Him somewhere in the fog.

"Come on, we gotta go!" Andromeda called back to her urgently, "Unless you just wanna lay down and die!"

Sel decided against that. Maybe...maybe she could figure something out while they ran. She wished the others were here—they'd always know what to do. Sel turned and followed the girl, and together they slipped further into the back alley, away from the Beast.

* * *

Lasandra grumbled in frustration. It was a never-winning situation with her—she loved problems because she loved figuring stuff out. But she hated problems because the solution was never simple. Case in point: the mysterious disappearing xybrian girl.

"It was just supposed to be a routine appraisal of ancient godtech" she mumbled to herself as she ran another futile scan, "Was supposed to be simple...but nooooo, he had to bring something that sucks people up and does heaven knows what..."

That was when the alarms went off. Quickly her back room filled up with people—the rangers piled into the room from the library with urgency.

"What's going on?" Trok asked over the piercing noise.

"Is that like a fire alarm or something!?" Xolin shouted.

"Computer!" Lasandra declared, "Viewing Globe!"

Instantly a large spherical holographic display filled the room, zooming in on the source of the disturbance. The rangers suddenly found themselves floating over a massive, towering city—so high up that the buildings burst through the reddish cloud layer. The white and crystal towers rose up like a forest of spires, each connected by numerous bridges and pathways.

"Ionas, I should have guessed" Lasandra muttered, referencing the planet's capital city. The image zoomed in on one of the buildings—on top a number of robed figures burst onto the scene from the maintenance doorway leading back into the building. They were following what looked to be a pair of security officers who'd been running for their lives. They were badly outnumbered however, and soon found themselves being forced onto their knees as a new, familiar figure stepped in front of them, one with green hair.

"...Sel!' Trok shouted in excitement as everyone tensed, "It's Sel! It's-"

He never finished his third exclamation, as 'Sel' charged her fist up with dark electrical energy, before striking out at the two captured figures. Their bodies collapsed on the ground as she laughed, her body moving in odd, uncomfortable ways. Trok's mouth dropped open.

"...I feel...*something*" Isdilian said, shaking his head, "But it's not her. Her power, maybe, but it's been...changed somehow. Altered".

"…She's been posessed by something" Sid said in realization, as he watched this mockery of their friend laugh and strike the sky with her powers. Lightning bolts rained back down, striking building tops.

"Possession seems likely in this case, yes" said Iota, "Rangers, prepare to move out. You must ascertain Sel and if possible secure and contain her. We can figure out what to do at that point".

Trok looked at him worryingly, "Can we save her?"

"We'll figure that out when we get to that point. Right now we need to keep her from attacking innocent people. Move out" Iota reiterated firmly.

"We don't have jurisdiction on Eltar" Isdilian reminded Iota. This caused everyone to stop in their tracks—oh, yeah. That was a thing.

"Yes, you do" said Lasandra, "I might not be on the Grand Council anymore, but I still have more than enough influence to pretty much do whatever I want. Now go!"

"You heard the man!" Sid said, guiding the others towards the exit, "Come on! Let's go save Sel!"

At that, the other rangers glanced at each other, still a little bit unsure, before they finally decided to head off back out of the building and towards the Megaship.

Iota watched them go, his emotion grim. Worst case, he'd just off Sel. It would cost him most of his current scenario, but at least it would equally spite the Others and any other faction that had a hand to play.

* * *

Three skycycles and Isdilian's APC transport shot through Eltar's pinkish sky, high above the thick cloud layer that lay below them. Ahead of them lay the planet's two suns, both older orange dwarf stars, ancient but small enough that they could remain on the main sequence all this time.

"We're getting close" Sid said, communicating via helmet due to the wind rushing past them as they traveled well above mach twelve.

"Where is it?" Trok asked, "I don't—oh. Oh!"

Up ahead, as they bypassed a large cloud head, the rangers saw it—a gleaming, shining forest of towers all interconnected and spreading out to the horizon.

"Woah" Xolin managed.

"Right, that's impressive" said Sid, "Now everybody keep an eye for-" he paused, as a massive pulse of dark lightning ripped out from one of the towers, dancing through the sky as the bolts came back down, raining on the city. Sid sighed, "...Lightning. Right, okay, all rangers on me!"

Trok and Xolin flanked Sid. Isdilian's craft brought up the rear.

* * *

Sel laughed with glee as her lightning set buildings ablaze. Then, abruptly she stopped. Sel frowned; she felt something. Someone. Looking up, she saw them, a smile reappeared on her face.

"Company's comin'!" she cackled. Just as planned.

Sid and Xolin flew in overhead, strafing the cultists with laser fire. Trok was right with them—right up until Sel shot his vehicle out of the sky. He tumbled onto the top of the building.

"Trok!" Xolin shouted in concern as she and Sid wheeled about for another pass.

"Let's get in there!" Sid told her. She nodded, and as they came in, weapons still blazing, they leaped off, flipping overhead of Sel before landing on opposite sides behind her—Trok quickly took the last position of the triangle. The cultists hung back, not entirely sure what to make of three armed rangers suddenly showing up.

Sel just continued to grin as she looked around at her guests, "Ah good, my friends have arrived. I trust you brought my star with you?"

"...Your star?" Sid asked in confusion, "We don't know of any star. Who are you and what have you done with-"

She cut him off with a snarl, "You didn't bring the star? The artifact you acquired! Where is my star?!"

"The artifact? You mean the conduit?" Xolin asked.

"Yes" Sel nodded sagely, "Yes, the conduit. Whatever. Where is it?"

"Safe, and away from...whoever you are" Sid replied, "Now who are you and what have you done to Sel?"

Sel turned to Sid, a look of bemusement on her face, "You would ask the fire its name? You would ask the very earth why it shifts and shudders?"

"...What the hell are you on about?" asked Xolin. Was...whoever this was absolutely crazy?

"I am the Herald" Sel continued at Xolin, unabated, "I am the Prelude to What Comes Next".

"...And what would that be?" Sid asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

The Herald turned back to Sid, her characteristic wild, predatory grin on full display, "The end of your world, of course! And the return of the Our Lord and Master!" she shouted to the crowd, who immediately ate it up. Sid began to think that maybe this was a worse situation than he'd thought.

...Worse than 'possessed friend'. Yay.

"Glory to G'nrk'guglk'rib! Glory to the Dawn!" The Herald shouted. Soon the cultists began to join in.

"Hey!" Sid shouted, but he couldn't be heard over the crowd. "Hey!" Having had enough of this madness, he pulled out his pistol and fired, the laser shot barely missing the Herald's cheek. She shot a look back at him, a mixture of surprise, anger, and...excitement?

"I don't know where you're from or who you are, but you're going to give back Sel. Right now".

"Is that the girl?" the Herald asked, looking down at herself, "...Yes, that was her name. She's gone now. Don't know where she went".

"Last chance!" Xolin snarled.

The Herald smirked, "These three would undo the work we've done to return our Master to us" she shouted to the increasingly agitated crowd. She gave Sid a very dark, but very satisfied smile, "Kill them".

* * *

"...A star..." Iota mused as he watched the proceedings. He turned to the conduit, "A metaphor, perhaps?"

"How else would you describe a piece of godtech that could summon the power of a universe to mere mortals? Especially if those mortals were in the bronze age when they first encountered it?" Lasandra asked him.

"What do you know of this...'Gerk-gugk-rib'?" Iota asked her.

Lasandra shook her head, "Name doesn't ring any bells, but I'll check the database". The Eltarian moved back over to her computer console, and began to run a search through the database.

"If she's after the conduit to destroy the universe somehow, then we need to take steps to prevent her from getting it" Iota said firmly.

Lasandra nodded, "Agreed. Best course of action would be to get it off-world immediately".

"We'd be more than willing to help with that" said another voice, female. It was deeply familiar to Iota, and immediately he shifted into a combat role. The holographic viewing globe collapsed, and Iota and Lasandra found themselves facing off against a woman in blue armor, similar to Iota's, standing at the exit to the library. From behind her, a similar orange armored warrior, and a larger green armored warrior filed out into the back room.

"...Friends of yours?" Lasandra asked tensely.

Iota's vision narrowed, "...Something of the sort".

Beta laughed, "What, you're not going to introduce us to your friend? I'm hurt".

"And what, pray tell, brings you here?" Iota growled, deflecting. He knew full well what they wanted of course—but best not to forget manners, especially when you were stalling for time.

Beta wandered into the room casually, "Well you see, we were just in the neighborhood, and you can imagine my surprise when we found out you were keeping a conduit all to yourself" she eyed the device appreciatively, "You never did know how to share well, did you".

"It's not for you. It's dangerous" Iota said.

"Mmm, I'm sure" Beta mused as she stepped away from the object, "All part of our jobs, I would imagine".

"...Indeed" Iota replied.

Beta eyed Iota, her voice turning cold, "So tell me this. Where's the xybrian?"

"Pardon?" Iota asked.

"Don't play dumb with me" Beta snapped at him, "She's gone from my lifeforce scanners. So what, did you kill her, to spite us?"

"I don't know where she is" Iota said plainly.

Epsilon, in orange, snorted, "Bullshit. You expect us to believe that? After all the effort you went through to keep her from us, she's just 'gone'?"

"Events happen" Iota said.

She stepped forward, "Yeah. And Iota lies. Two constants in life".

"She wasn't yours to break or lose" Beta said coldly, "But I have a solution. You've stolen something important from us, so..." she glanced back at the conduit, "We're going to take something in equal measure. We can't have Plan A, so we're sure as hell going to commit to Plan B".

"I'm afraid I cannot allow that" Iota replied.

Delta finally spoke, "Then you die".

"Time to pay the piper, Iota" Beta bit at him. She reached for the conduit-Iota's sword impacted her wrist, and she withdrew in pain. She seethed in anger, "Take them. NOW!"

Epsilon and Delta lunged forward into the confined room, Delta's fist coming down on Iota. He barely dodged out of the way, before finding himself in a hand-to-hand melee with Beta. The two grappled with each other, blocking and parrying each other's attacks. She ducked his swing, before she retaliated with a kick to the helmet.

Delta was about to strike again, but suddenly pain flared up on his back. Turning around, he saw that Lasandra had her staff aimed at him. He shouted in anger and pain when she struck him with another lightning bolt. Charging forward, he was taken by surprise when his feet left the ground. He levitated for a moment, before wish a push from her wand, Lasandra sent him flying back into the wall.

"Aw, grandma knows some magic tricks!" Epsilon cooed, approaching Lasandra in a march.

Lasandra glared at her, aiming her staff, "Child, I am a fifteen thousand year old archmage. Do not test me!"

An ornate seal appeared around Epsilon's feet. She staggered as she looked down, "Wha-" Any reply however, was cut off when electricity snaked along the ground from the seal up her armored body. Sparks flew as she shouted in pain. But Lasandra's victory was short lived, as soon the cry turned into a roar—Epsilon broke free of the seal by will alone.

"Wha-?!" Lasandra asked in shock.

Her suit still smoking, Epsilon panted, "...Let me show you some of mine!" The orange warrior stepped forward—and then at super speeds slammed into Lasandra, throwing her into the wall behind her. While the impact didn't hurt that much, that was just the first phase of Epsilon's attack, as the archmage soon discovered when Epsilon's palm opened right in front of Lasandra's chest, with numerous small balls of light forming between the two of them. A second later, she fired them at point blank range. Smoke obscured the battlefield.

Beta swung out at Iota gleefully as it seemed Iota's ally had just taken a heavy hit. They were winning! She kneed Iota in the stomach, holding him against the wall, "Three to two odds, Iota! Bad news for you".

"Hardly" the white armored warrior said, "Agent Shadow, Now!"

"What?!" Beta's attention was drawn upwards, as the black ranger decloaked and came down on top of her, draggers drawn. Beta blocked them with her wrist guards, and Nikki flipped around, landing behind Beta before launching her weapons at the blue armored warrior. Beta managed to block the first one, but the second one got through and hit her side. She recoiled in pain.

"DIE!" Delta shouted from behind Nikki. The black ranger rolled aside as the green warrior came down with both fists.

Another explosion went off on the other side of the room—Lasandra had just knocked Epsilon back, and followed it up with a fireball spell.

"Tide's turning, Beta. Best run while you can. It's what you're good at" Iota glared at her.

Beta's fists clenched, "Hardly!" she declared, rushing in at him again with a fist ready to strike.

* * *

Sid punched aside one of the cultists before being grabbed from behind by two more—damned crazies wouldn't keep off him. He swung around, knocking one away before flinging the other one over his shoulder—and following it up with a solid kick to yet another one rushing him. A quick glance at the battlefield revealed the others were having just as hard of a time, and none of them were even getting close to Sel. Sorry, 'The Herald'.

How annoying.

"I hate cults" Sid muttered under his breath, spin-kicking the next batch away. Seeing an opening, he took it. He rushed the Herald, racing right at her. Sid let loose a flurry of kicks and punches, but she simply evaded them as if they were nothing.

"Like ants" she giggled, before flicking Sid's helmet. The red ranger was thrown back, into the half-wall that protected him from a really, *really* long fall. More cultists surrounded him before he could get back up.

"Get—get off me!" the red ranger protested, throwing them off as he got back to his feet.

"Sel!" Trok shouted, grabbing the Herald's shoulder from behind, "You gotta fight through this! I know you're in there som—augh!" The Herald had grabbed his wrist and twisted. Trok winced in pain, praying she didn't twist further, "I—ah, you uh...you-ah! You make some good points-" Trok's voice was cut off as she shoved a massive amount of dark lightning into his body. The power snaked through his suit, causing sparks and explosions to rip across his form. He screamed in pain, before she simply cast him aside. The green ranger landed in a heap.

"Trok!" Xolin shouted, rushing the mockery of their missing teammate.

"Yawn" the Herald moaned. Xolin stopped mid-stride, rising up into the air.

"Huh—wha-!?" the blue ranger got off as she dangled helplessly a few feet above the ground.

"Woah!" Trok managed, his suit still singed as he fumbled his way back to his feet, "When'd Sel learn to make people fly?!"

"I am a god unto myself!" the Herald cackled, "And I serve yet a higher power! What hope do you ants have to stand against me?"

Sid punched one of the cultists, then turned his attention back to the Herald, "Can't say I'm a huge fan of being called an ant!" The red ranger charged again. The Herald smirked as she extended her free arm. Electricity discharged, striking Sid right in the chest. The green ranger rushed her next, only to be met with the same attack.

"Guys!" Xolin shouted in concern, still floating helplessly. She struggled futility in an attempt to free herself, squirming in the air, "...Let me go!"

The Herald thought it over, "Hmmm….okay!" She spun her arm left, throwing Xolin in that direction—and over the side of the building. Xolin screamed.

"XOL!" Trok shouted. Thinking quick, he summoned his hammer, and wrapped its mace mode around her midsection as she began to plummet. Thus, she dangled helplessly over the side. She tried to catch her breath, but the view wasn't helping at all.

"Oh...oh trinity..." she muttered in terror. She knew a ranger suit had no problems surviving a fall from forty stories, but how about three *thousand* stories?

"You okay, Xol?" Trok asked.

"Oh...oh yeah. Just peachy" the blue ranger lamented, "This is...this is fine. I am okay with what is happening". First this job made her afraid of being drowned, then she got eaten by giant sand death worms, then the ship got infested with alien bugs, and now this. By the time she retired, she was going to have a first hand look at every phobia in the book.

The Herald laughed to herself softly as she approached Trok from behind. In her hand she summoned a long, broken dagger. She grabbed the green ranger by surprise, pulling him around, and prepared to stab. Her attack was halted by Sid, who grabbed her wrist before knocking her back.

"Get her back up!" Sid ordered Trok, before charging into what he knew was probably a Bad Move. Sid attacked, while Trok pulled with all his might. The red ranger's assault didn't last long before he was simply overpowered and took several direct hits from the Herald's blade, but it was long enough for Trok to pull Xolin to safety.

"You okay?" green asked blue as she panted, on her knees and her hands on the ground.

She pulled herself up, "Oh...oh yeah. Juuuust fine".

Sid's cry of pain drew their attention back to the fight. The red ranger tumbled to the ground.

"...How do we stop her?" Trok asked, despondent. He just wanted Sel back.

Xolin recovered her breath, but was still a little winded, "...Nothing we throw at her makes a dent".

The cultists swarmed in again.

"ENOUGH!" Xolin screamed, summoning her lance and in one quick move sent a wave of ice blue energy into the crowd in a sweeping formation. The cultist monks were tossed aside.

The Herald giggled as she grabbed Sid by the neck and pulled him up, preparing to snap it like a twig, "Your efforts are futile. When you're dead, I'll find the star anyway, so why don't you just give it to me now? Our God is a fair God. He will see that you're taken care of when the new day arrives".

"If it's...all the same to you..." Sid struggled to say as she effortlessly closed off his airflow, "...I'd rather..."

Sid never got a chance to finish that sentence, as a rush of air indicated the arrival of a third, uninvited party. Several highly advanced patrol ships hovered around the building, searchlights beaming down on the battle. Each of them vaguely resembled the buildings; white, with gold trim and blue crystalline accents. They were aerodynamic in shape, almost like birds waiting for a meal.

"_Attention unidentified parties—this is the Eltarian United Defense Force! You are under arrest for unlawful conduct and terrorist operations. Drop your weapons and stand down, or we will fire. I repeat, drop your weapons and stand down, or we *will* fire. This is your only warning"._

The Herald's face dropped into an expression of disgust as she tossed Sid aside harmlessly, "This is getting annoying. You can all go die now". With that, she clapped her hands together. As she spread them apart again, an electrical field developed between them, growing into a sphere of dark power and energy.

Seeing this, the patrol ships opened fire on the girl, volleys of lasers coming down from all sides. The blasts impacted, the smoke and dust from the fireballs obscuring the view for a moment. The three rangers stared in shock and horror-after all that, was Sel….?

They didn't have to wait long to find out—as the smoke cleared, there stood the Herald, hovering about two feet off the ground, coated in some kind of glowing aura, the electrical power in her hands still building. She smiled wickedly, "You're all gonna die now".

As she spoke, her followers were raised up into the air as well, collecting around her as a bubble of translucent energy surrounded them.

"Bye now!"

Sid frowned as he felt he wasn't going to like what came next, "Wait, wh-"

Everything exploded.

No, like, literally. The blast from the Herald's sphere of electrical energy in her hands expanded in all directions, ripping through the building and throwing everyone not within her bubble clear. The energy impacted the patrol ships, inflicting severe damage—one, on fire, slammed into another that had barely managed to remain stable. Another simply tail-dived into the side of the nearest building. The top of the building they'd all been focused over simply disintegrated like a bomb had gone off, with debris and trash falling in all directions.

"No. No no no no NO NO NO NO!" Xolin shouted in disbelief as she and Trok were thrust over the side and down into the empty sky, "OH SHIT!"

Sid felt the ground cave out from under him, and the sickening sensation that came with that as he began to plummet down towards the surface—however far down that was past the cloud cover.

This was not going to be fun.

* * *

_**To be continued...**_


	22. 2x09: When the Stars are Right, part 2

Upon thinking about it, this really wasn't how Sid had figured he would die.

Oh, certainly, he'd always imagined he'd die on the job. Even when he'd 'retired' from rangerhood after SPD, his odd mercenary work kept him within death's reach consistently. But he figured his end would be more...traditional. Y'know, a sword to the chest. Or exploding.

'Sub-orbital drop from a really tall building' seemed so...awkward? Embarrassing? 'Oh hey, how'd you die?' 'Oh, I fell off a building'. You know, that sort of thing.

...That was the worst part of this, you know. The waiting. They were STILL falling, so all Sid had time to do was think about all of his.

"If anyone has any bright ideas, I am WIDE OPEN to suggestion!" Xolin called urgently as they plummeted. She'd grabbed hold of Trok, who looked as though he was about to have a fit.

"Uh..." in truth, Sid had also been contemplating escape plans, but had so far come up blank.

...Wait.

"...Where'd Isdilian go?"he asked suddenly, "He was with us then..."

As if on cue, coming around the bend of the crumbling building they were flying down from, a familiar silver and grey transport vehicle swooped around into view, dodging the debris that was falling all around them as it came in closer.

"Oh thank the Trinity!" Xolin exclaimed in frantic relief as they tumbled.

"Never thought I'd be happy to see *that* hunk of junk" Sid said, referring to Isdilian's craft. What had they called it when they'd first been introduced to it? Useless? Impractical? Funny how things work out.

...And then it was gone. Everything was gone; the rangers had been thrust into a cloud layer, pink-tinted water vapor surrounding them before they fell out the other side.

"...Woah" Trok managed, eying the massive city below them. The building towers extended up into the clouds now above them, each of them heavily connected to each other by walkways and sky tunnels—a three-dimensional maze where hundreds of thousands of flying vehicles danced between them, heading to each of their destinations. The surface of the planet spread out below, a heavy urbanized landscape of science and magic, populated by buildings older than human civilization, but still majestic and as fresh as if they were brand new.

Debris began to fall out of the cloud layer, soon followed by Isdilian's transport. The silver ranger divebombed, shooting ahead of the falling rangers before sliding in right ahead of them, back door open. He slowed his speed, allowing Xolin and Trok to be gently escorted into the rear of his craft. Sid was about to join them when suddenly a volley of laser fire from behind caught everyone off-guard. Another craft had flown in behind, followed by a second. They were Eltarian in appearance, but unlike the Patrolships, these were more like fighters, with thin horizontal profiles and a single opaque cockpit in front. And they certainly weren't part of the official Defense Force—they were far too hodge-podge and jumbled; a grab bag of whatever hardware was lying around. For Sid, that took the number of suspects down to 'more cultists'. Yay.

The fighters let off another volley. Isdilian veered off slightly to avoid them.

"AH!" Trok shouted in shock, just before he and Xolin flew into Isdilian's ship and crashed into the back of his chair—the silver ranger, in his attempt at evading, had accidentally slowed too much.

"Get off me!" Xolin crowed at Trok, the two of them an embarrassing tangle of limbs.

"You get off!" Trok mumbled back.

"I *can't*, you're on my legs!"

"Well you're on my arms!"

Isdilian just sighed.

Sid, now on the outside, grabbed hold of the top back of Isdilian's ship pulling himself around before sticking his boots to the hull with a magnetic lock. Drawing his sidearm, he nearly dropped it when Isdilian made a near-90 degree turn to avoid the terrestrial highway they'd nearly crashed into—only a few stories from the ground level. He held firm however—as did the offending fightercrafts. Sid opened fire, making sure to duck when they returned the favor.

Oh boy. This was going to be fun.

That was sarcasm, by the way.

* * *

**Power Rangers Peacekeepers**

**Season 2**

**2.09: When the Stars are Right, part 2**

* * *

A dance of blades waltzed across the workshop. Beta's lance crossed with Iota's sword as the two almost effortlessly wheeled around the other with a grace and finesse that could have only come with years of study. The two weapons struck again and again in rapid succession, sometimes blocking, sometimes thrusting.

"You've wasted your advantage of surprise, Beta" Iota commented, "My team will be returning soon; you've lost. Leave now".

Clash; the lance and sword again met, as the two leaned in on each other. Beta sneered, "Hardly! If events really were in your favor, you wouldn't be pleading with me to abandon my goal so readily. You'd be biding your time".

The two broke from the other, before drawing in again for another round.

Nikki, meanwhile, had moved into the library, the heavy green-armored warrior known as Delta following in pursuit. The much lighter black ranger sent her daggers flying at the warrior, who simply brushed them aside with his bulky mass. His fists came down, and she barely dodged out of the way, flipping up onto the nearest bookcase before coming back down with a kick, hitting him in the head. She flipped around, landing a second hit as she came down his backside.

The attacks simply annoyed him. Delta turned about, launching a second swing from his arm, again barely missing Nikki's form. She vanished; cloaking in an instant. Before Delta could even begin to search for her however, she was behind him again, striking out with her daggers. Delta roared, and again swung.

"Nagosta Edador Ishtim!"

Lasandra put up a defense ward, the white light shimmering in front of her like a shield as Epsilon's lightning hail attack bounced off of it aimlessly.

"Now I will show you the might of a true Eltarian Sorcerer!" Lasandra declared, her eyes glowing with pure grid energy as she channeled it into her staff, "Everash Aokii!"

Epsilon growled, pulling out her sword as she dodged Lasandra's ice beam spell, swinging in for a melee attack while the archmage was still recovering from her failed assault. The blade met its target; Lasandra called out in pain as she jumped back, before blocking the next strike with her staff.

"Alorahana!"

An unseen force knocked Epsilon away, into the computer console, and then to the floor. As she slumped down, the Viewing Globe reactivated itself, filling the room. The fighting paused as the occupants suddenly took note of what had happened.

Beta glanced around, deciding it hadn't been an unexpected attack. She almost went back to fighting Iota, except…

The scene around them was that of an Eltarian skyline. Near them was a building, crumbling and burning. Above it hovered…

Her.

Beta's eyes widened, "...She's alive" she whispered in hope. Then she turned back to Iota, incredulous, "Why can't I track her? The power she's giving off on top of that building, it should be immense. Why are my scanners no longer tracking her?"

Iota smirked, "Maybe you need new scanners".

Beta's fists clenched in anger, "What have you done?"

"*I* have done nothing" Iota said.

Before they could continue, Lasandra's voice bellowed, "Itari Asandron Urevan!"

Beta turned and leaped out of the way just in time to avoid a bolt of lightning to the midsection, landing near the doorway to the library. She growled; this engagement was turning decidedly against her. Weighing her options, the blue armored warrior decided that the best course of action at this point would be to hunt down the xybrian. Iota could keep his toy. The man with the briefcase would undoubtably be annoyed, but she didn't really care what he thought. He was just a tool to be used, a subordinate in deed if not name. Besides, she could always give it another go later.

"Epsilon, Delta, on me!" Beta commanded. Epsilon limped to her side. In the other room, Nikki took a direct hit and crumpled into the side of a bookcase, allowing Delta to link back up with the others. "We have a new objective; we'll try this again later" she glared at Iota, "Don't think we're done here, traitor".

"I wouldn't dream of it" Iota nodded in return.

Beta's fists clenched tighter before she turned to the orange warrior, "Epsilon, recall teleport, now!"

Epsilon, still recovering from Lasandra's attack with a vague limp, nodded, and activating her wrist computer summoned her recall program-spell-a tool to quickly teleport them back to pre-established coordinates in case things got ugly, such as now. The three vanished in a flash of light, summoning themselves back to their ship.

They left behind two mildly bewildered women and Iota.

Lasandra looked around at the damage the fight had caused to her study. She grumbled to herself, "...When I said 'don't touch', I wasn't being metaphorical..." she looked at Iota, "You gonna tell me what that was all about?"

"A...grudge match, of sorts" Iota grunted back, obviously already running battle plans through his head.

She nodded, hoping for more, "Yeah, *evidently*. So how about explaining WHY your grudge match just wrecked my house?"

"It's complicated" Iota replied as he tapped his communicator, "And we have little time. Iota to Isdilian".

"I hate it when you do that" Lasandra frowned. She received no answer.

* * *

"Isdilian here".

"_Status report"._

The ship shook as another laser blast impacted the hull. The silver ranger remained firm, "As we assumed, Sel has been co-opted by another, more antagonistic presence. She is also demonstrating abilities beyond her usual level of control, and has rallied what seems to be some sort of cult to her banner".

"_What's your situation?"_

Another shake, "Currently taking fire. Sel destroyed the building and a sizable contingent of the Eltarian police force, now her faction is coming after us. We are currently attempting to flee".

Isdilian could hear a curse on the other end of the line. Iota replied, _"The Others are here, looking for Sel. Her...change tipped them off that something's off. You need to prevent them from doing so by any means"._

Another hit, "Nothing we threw at her had any effect, I doubt they could tame her either. I think we need a new plan".

Another curse, then a sigh. Evidently Iota was having a bad day, _"Understood. Get yourselves out of that situation and back to base. If you can, keep the Eltarian forces from tracking you down. The last thing we need right now is a diplomatic incident slowing us down"._

"Understood" Isdilian said, shuttering from another hit, "Returning to base". He hung up, then took a sharp left and down, further into the city's underbelly, diving into a trench between two buildings. The two cultist fighter followed suit, falling into the narrow maze, hot on the rangers' trail. Isdilian barely dodged an incoming hovertruck, which up above the red ranger had to step out of the way of. It blared angrily at the offending ranger.

"LEARN HOW TO DRIVE!" Sid called after it, before another round of laser fire turned his attention back to the fight.

Sid got off two more shots before a bridge nearly took his head off. Finally deciding that discretion was the better part of valor, the red ranger began to pull himself off the hull, flipping down into the vehicle.

"Nice of you to join us!" Xolin sniped at him, currently positioned behind one of the seats as she aimed her gun, letting off another shot.

"Sorry!" Sid chuckled as he got to cover, "The weather outside was really nice. You should try it".

"I'll take your word for it!" the blue ranger lobbed back. Another three laser bolts flew past them, hitting one of the bulkheads.

"Party cloudy with a chance of sizzling death, maybe" Trok muttered as the doors to the craft finally shut.

The ship took a sharp turn, crashing into the far wall as it continued its race. The rangers all toppled to the side in a heap. Another sharp turn and they crashed into the other side of the room.

"Careful in front!"

Isdilian payed them no heed as a lucky hit damaged his left stabilizer. He struggled to maintain control of the craft.

He needed an upset. Throwing caution to the wind, the silver ranger turned the craft about on its axis, letting it fly backwards as he got a good angle in. The guns opened fire, even as the craft continued to descend towards the ground. The first volley missed; the fighter in back dodged. It couldn't dodge its partner though, as the fighter in front took a direct hit to the wing and began to spiral out of control, ramming into its brother as they vaporized in a cloud of apocalyptic glory.

Isdilian turned his craft about once more, but it was already too late; the ship's stabilizer exploded, and all the silver ranger could do was keep it in a glide to the ground. It skidded against the top an abandoned land vehicle, then a fence. Finally, it hit the ground, skidding across the pavement as sparks flew in every direction. The force of the impact sent the entire ranger team inside flying forward, all but Isdilian comedicly slamming into the windshield before landing in a heap. The ship continued to push forward, slower and slower, until it finally impacted the wall at the end of the dead-end alley they'd managed to trap themselves in. Isdilian's craft gave one last lurch before the engines gave out, and the entire thing just settled.

"...Ow..." Trok managed, his face under Sid's rear.

"Well" Sid muttered as the three clumsily untangled each other, "That could have gone better".

"_Attention unidentified craft! This is the Eltarian United Defense Force. You are surrounded and under arrest. Surrender, or be destroyed!"_

The rangers looked up at the booming voice. Overhead they could see at least two hovercrafts from their vantage point. A third one was situated to their side, having parked on the ground several meters away from the driver's side door. Two full-bodied armored troopers approached, guns drawn.

Trok said what they'd all been thinking, "...Oh boy".

Oh boy.

* * *

She ran.

Funny, that seemed to be almost a reoccurring habit in her short life. She was always running. She'd ran when Coros found her on Arkilla, not knowing who or what she was. She'd ran when Capricorn went after her. She'd been told to run by Xolin when they'd been captured by SPD. And she was running now. It just seemed to be a normal thing for her, so on the rare events that she really thought about it—that maybe this was just unfair for her—that's when it really stung.

No time for pity parties now though—she really WAS trying to run from...Him. The entity, deeper than the void, bigger than the stars. He was now mere feet away; she couldn't see him, but she *knew* he was there, just behind the veil of thick, soupy fog that covered the city. And she knew that if she stopped, she was dead.

"In here!" Andromeda called to her, disappearing behind a door. Sel rushed in, grabbing the door handle as she swung her body around, slamming it shut behind her with bare seconds to spare.

"Hurry!" Andromeda called again, rushing down the dark maintenance stairwell—decidedly not Victorian in nature. Sel followed in pursuit, but the stairs just kept going. One floor, two floors, three floors, four floors, five, six, seven, eight…

The walls fell away, the color faded to a plain white. The stairs became ragged and sketchy, as if drawn on a page. When they'd reached the bottom—Sel assumed it was the bottom anyway—everything had vanished. They existed in a white void as they raced, no sign of Him anywhere.

But she knew that wasn't true.

"Here!" shouted Andromeda, opening a door in the void that hadn't existed before. She vanished through the entryway, and Sel quickly followed, closing the door behind her.

As Sel turned around, she found she was now in a very different place from before.

*Very* different.

They were outside again; though instead of a gloomy Victorian setting, Sel now found herself somewhere picturesque; on a bridge over and in front of a pair of waterfalls, cliffs hiding whatever could be further inland as the main view was that of the sun setting over the calm sea that expanded to the horizon. Below, she could catch sights of assorted pagodas and trees—some of which with pinkish red blossoms covering it. Up in the darkening sky, she could see three moons, one bigger than the other two.

"This world doesn't exist anymore" Andromeda said wistfully, standing next to her, "Hasn't for three billion years".

"...What happened to it?" asked Sel.

Andromeda shrugged, "Star entered the red giant stage; ended up swallowing the planet. Just a part of life; everything dies eventually".

Sel processed the information. Three billion. "...Where are we, exactly?" she asked, still not fully understanding this dream business.

"This is..." Andromeda trailed off, thinking, "...Think of this as like a shadow of our universe. An afterimage. All its memories, emotions, and thoughts. The realm of the subconscious, brought together by the power of the Grid".

Sel eyed the girl for a moment, digesting this, before looking out at the ocean, "So this is like...a dream world?"

Andromeda thought about it, and then nodded, "Yeah, that's fair. Dreamlands. The world that exists because of thought. Normally you only come here at night, still tethered to your body. But now..." she trailed off, a hint of shame and regret leaking into the girl's expression before she turned away.

But Sel nodded, knowing where she was headed, "He's got my body. So...what happens to me now?"

She shrugged, "You run. You hide. You hope He doesn't find you".

"For how long?" Sel asked, though she feared she already knew.

"...Until He does find you" Andromeda replied, her tone hushed.

Sel pondered, debating on whether or not to ask a particular question. Finally, her curiosity got the better of her, "...How long have you been here?"

Silence. The child became a little more moody. Finally, she replied, "...A long time. Really long".

"Was...was this your homeworld?" Sel ventured quietly.

To her surprise, the girl snorted in laughter, "Hah! No, I'm not *that* old. Not yet anyway. I just come here 'cause I like it. It's pretty. When I look out to the ocean and I feel the breeze" she paused briefly, letting the sunset air brush against her, eyes closed, "sometimes I can almost trick myself into thinking I'm really here; in the real world, with a real body". She opened her eyes, her content smile once more fading to a frown, "...But it's just a lie".

Sel's shoulders sagged at the girl's despair. She felt for her of course, but it was also the realization that her failure to escape meant bad news for Sel.

...She'd never see her team again, her friends. A pang of sorrow shot through her. She'd just seen them what felt like a few moments ago. Or...hours? Whatever. But to think that would be the last time was unbearable.

"...I want to go home" she whispered to herself. This scenery was nice, but it wasn't familiar.

The girl glared at her, "Too bad. You're here now. And we can't linger too long; come on". Andromeda led Sel away. The former yellow ranger took one last glance at the sea, before following.

"Where are we going?" she asked as they headed down the cliffside path.

The girl kept walking as she replied, "Anywhere. Come".

"...Why does He want us so bad?"

Andromeda shook her head, "No idea about you, though it might have something to do with how you resonated with his Star—sorry, the uh...the conduit" she corrected herself, "As for me?" she shrugged, "How should I know. His actions are beyond our understanding. All you kneed to know is that He's coming for us".

They turned the corner, into a tunnel in the rock. Then they turned again. And then again, except...they didn't end up where they'd started. No, instead the cave let out to a new area; a dense jungle of some kind, with no sign of the sea. They left the rockface behind. Again Sel lingered but for a moment. It felt like each new area they left, she was getting further and further away from her friends.

Friends she'd never see again. She sighed, steeling herself. There was always hope; maybe there was something Andromeda had overlooked, somehow. Or maybe her friends would track her down once they realized she was missing.

Spirits she missed them already.

"Hey, come on, we can't linger!" Andromeda called. Sel nodded, shaking herself free from her thoughts as she followed the girl.

* * *

They'd been too late.

Beta stood, covered in a thick hooded cloak to obscure her armor. Ahead of her, rescue crews were working to clean up the wreckage from the damaged skyscraper that dominated the area. She stood on the top of a much shorter building among the urban forest, about a block away. Beta sighed; although she couldn't see the top of the building from her vantage point, Epsilon had just confirmed from her position on their personal transport that was now circling the area that the xybrian had vanished again.

And they still had no way to track her.

So recap for the kids playing at home: they had no leads on Sel, and they'd failed to get the conduit. It was almost enough to make her want to punch something.

"_So what's the plan?"_ Epsilon asked over the comm.

Beta debated with herself for a moment. No leads, no goals. Things had never been this touch and go before. The entire Plan was in jeopardy, and it was all on her to save it. No pressure.

"...We track her down, by any means possible" Beta said at last, "You take readings of the area for anomalous ambient energy signatures. It's clear the subject still had considerable power; so even if we don't have a direct line to her anymore, if we can get a lock on the new signature she *is* emanating, we can follow her trail the old-fashioned way".

"_Understood. What are you going to do?"_

Beta looked down at the rescue crews pulling people out of the rubble, "...I'm going to persuade some eyewitnesses to tell me where they saw her go" she said darkly.

* * *

This...could have gone better, honestly.

Sid sat on the bench behind the force field, wrists shackled. Trok sat next to him, Xolin was over in the corner next to the force field with her knees to her chest, a frown on her face. Isdilian was standing to the side, distant as usual...or, no. Agitated, maybe? Their morphers had been confiscated upon arrest, each of them having decided that trying to make a stand against a large contingent of the Eltarian Defense Force in a downed transport was probably a bad idea. They'd been in here for about an hour now, all of them quiet and morose as the minutes ticked by. What was there to say, really? They'd messed up a bit.

"...You think Iota knows we're in here?" Trok asked, breaking the silence.

Sid shrugged, "He was probably watching on that Viewing Globe thing. And even if he wasn't, he'd probably start wondering why we weren't returning his calls".

"He's sure taking his time then" Xolin muttered.

Isdilian turned, "Even if he knows where we are, which is increasingly likely, that does not mean he has the resources to release us. Remember that he needs to play by the rules here as much as we do".

Xolin's tone was bitter, "So he just leaves us to rot here then.

"I didn't say that" Isdilian replied, testy.

"Implied then?" Xolin shot back, her tone rising, "Iota's made it fairly clear that he doesn't give a shit beyond using us as pawns. If we're out of reach, he won't hesitate to cut his losses and run. And I doubt the Confederacy would much care".

"He won't leave us" Iota said, firmly.

"And how can you be so certain?"

Isdilian locked his eyes with Xolin, staring right at her, "Because he needs us".

"For what, exactly?" Sid asked, jumping in, "We've been jumping through hoops for almost the past year, and so far we know zip. So what is it? Why are we so important? Why us?" he gestured to himself, as well as Xolin and Trok.

For a moment, it looked as though Isdilian might actually have spilled some of the beans. But then his expression hardened once more, "It's classified".

"Bullshit" Xolin bit back, "Classified only works when it's a government thing. It's clear that Iota's got his own goals separate from the Confederacy. Why does HE need US so bad?"

"It's complicated" Isdilian replied, "But you'll find out soon, I imagine. But first we need Sel back. She's...she's important" his tone became more subdued.

His first instinct was to press the attack; 'soon' was...ominous to say the least, and this was probably their best chance to get information. But he quickly understood the undertones of his statement. Sid's face softened, "...You really *do* care for her, don't you?"

Isdilian glanced at Sid for a brief moment before looking away in...shame? "She's like me".

A faint smile curved on Sid's lips, "...There *is* a person in there under all that bluster after all, isn't there?" he asked, sincere. Isdilian didn't respond, instead finding the wall outside of the force field very interesting.

"You know" Trok said encouragingly, "We're really not all that terrible. And we're worried about her too".

Isdilian gave the horathean a side-eye and...was that the briefest hint of a smile? Reluctant at the very least, but progress. Baby steps.

Sid clapped his hands together, "So, the way I see it, we've got a friend in trouble, possessed by...something. We're stuck in here, in a jailcell on a planet full of high-tech wizards with no idea if anyone's coming for us. We're down a member of the team and without powers".

"Such a way with words" Xolin snorted.

Sid grinned at her knowingly, then turned to Trok, "You think you can tap into the computer network with the synthatron over there?" he asked him, nodding towards the food dispenser on the wall in their cell, to the left.

Trok blinked, "Uh...maybe? I don't really know anything about Eltarian computer systems, but I can give it a go, I guess".

"Then just cause it to short out. Electrical fire maybe. Something that'll get their attention" he turned back to Xolin, "Hey, remember that triplets trick you pulled when you broke out of that SPD base?"

She eyed him with bemusement, "Wouldn't this have been easier had we simply not surrendered?"

Sid shrugged, "That was then, this is now. Different priorities. Besides, easier to break out with only incapacitating people than it is to fight through a whole contingent of soldiers".

"I still say we should wait" Isdilian said.

"How long can we afford to let whatever's got Sel to do whatever?" Xolin asked him, "We don't know where she got off to, or what they're planning. And considering they just blew up a building for kicks..."

"The longer we wait, the more chance something bad happens to Sel" Trok agreed.

Isdilian eyed them, thinking. Taking matters into their own hands jeopardized the plan, but then...the Plan was already jeopardized, wasn't it? And they were right, who knew what was happening to Sel, a person who despite his best efforts, had begun to really appreciate. She was important to the Plan, certainly, but she was also like him; distant, alone. She, like him, had been bred for The Mission, both created as such and raised as such. And considering their mutual origin, he'd begun thinking of her more and more as like a sibling. It was only natural, after all. And she'd come for him; despite all the walls he'd thrown up, she was always there to challenge them. On one hand it was annoying, but on the other...gratifying, maybe? Inspiring? Here was this shy little girl, breaking through where no one else had dared through sheer perseverance. Sel didn't give up.

Because she understood. She understood what it was like to be alone, to be apart from everyone else, and yet had somehow integrated herself with the rest of the team. He didn't want to be, he *couldn't* integrate with the group. The Plan wouldn't allow for it.

And yet.

Damnit, Sel.

At last, Isdilian nodded at Sid, "...What do you need me to do?"

"How's your control over your grid powers? Can you make a defensive shield of some kind?"

Isdilian frowned, "That's...not exactly how it works, but I can throw up a barrier of sorts, yes".

"Good enough!" Sid grinned eagerly as his group came together, "Alright team, lets-"

The force field flickered for a second before shutting down completely. Everyone just kind of stood or sat there for a moment, dumbfounded at the sudden change in fortune.

Trok was the first to reply, with a wide smile, "I love this plan already!"

Sid blinked in surprise, "That...wasn't us, right?"

"And you're free to go" said a guard, having walked up to the entrance, "No more causing trouble, understand?"

"I...wait, what?" Xolin asked, perplexed.

"You've been vouched for by Archmage Lasandra, formerly of the Council" the guard said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "Unless you really *want* to try escaping. I could use the diversion from my usual nine-to-five shift". The rangers all looked at each other, then back at the guard. The guard nodded, "Good. That's what I thought. Follow me, and we'll process you out".

The rangers followed him, still bewildered by the sudden turn of events.

"Well, this is...anticlimactic" Trok muttered.

"You disappointed?" Xolin asked teasingly.

Trok frowned, "...Little bit, yeah" he admitted.

"Told you he'd come for us" Isdilian said to Sid, a smug expression on his face.

Sid's eyebrow rose, "...You know, I hate it when you're right".

The smug look somehow got even more smug, "Good".

* * *

Iota was not having a good day, truth be told. Between everything that had happened up till now, and *now* his team was in the middle of creating an international incident—which he had been very clear on them not doing. He thanked whatever deities there were that they had been smart enough *not* to fight their way out. And thank those hypothetical deities for Lasandra's influence in the Eltarian government as well.

He saw the four of them walk out of the back and out into the office area they were in, escorted by the armored guard. The guard nodded to the officer on duty, then headed back to the back. The officer sighed, reluctantly opening a sealed case on top of his desk. He then turned it around to the four rangers, and each of them grabbed their respective morpher. He frowned, "Note that I'm only doing this as I was ordered. If I had my way, you'd still be rotting in your cell. Eltar doesn't need, nor requires vigilante justice".

"We weren't trying to...we were just trying to get our friend back" Trok said pleadingly.

He glared at the horathean, "Yes well, you and your 'friend' just caused billions of credits worth of damage, not to mention casualties".

Trok's eyes widened in terror at the word 'casualties', "I didn't mean-" he was stopped by Xolin's hand on his shoulder.

She spoke up in his defense, "*We* didn't cause that. We were trying to stop it. Where were you?"

"*I* was here, doing my job" the officer said testily, "While some of my buddies were on those patrol ships that got hit. They're in the hospital now. Nice heroics" he spat.

Xolin was about to lay into him, and Sid looked to be right behind her, but Iota put a stop to things, "Enough. We're done here. Officer Nikous, thank you, we'll handle it from here".

The officer snorted, and Xolin gave him one last death glare before she began to follow the group, "I'll show him heroics, alright" the triforian muttered under her breath, cracking her knuckles. Sid just led her away. The officer was unimpressed.

"So...how did you get them to let us out?" Trok asked inquisitively.

"Told them you were in my personal employ. Guards, of a sort" Lasandra said.

"Mercs" Sid corrected her.

She shrugged, "Whatever helps you sleep at night. Anyway, that gets the blame off you and on me".

"Won't that get *you* in trouble?" Trok asked worryingly.

"Psh, no. Child, I was on the Grand Council for thousands of years and I still hold much sway" her lips curled into a smile, "Honestly, I could probably get away with murder and they'd be willing to sweep it under the rug. Besides, you weren't actually the ones who caused the majority of the damage".

"Ah, favoritism" Sid commented blandly.

"That's...a little worrisome" Trok frowned.

Xolin side-eyed the people they walked past in the hallway, "...Can we not talk about killing people while in the police station, please?"

"Relax child, I've never killed unless it was in self defense. Not my way".

The rangers looked at her, unwilling to say anything. Not WHOLLY reassuring, but it wasn't like any of them had a leg to stand on either, so they let the matter drop.

The group headed out into the main lobby of the Defense Force station, a wide open roomy chamber three stories high with windowed walls on all exterior sides. They were far up above the main city; on one of the larger towers, near the top where the building had terraced into full-fledged mini district. All around them, outside, craft zipped by, busy ferrying people from place to place.

"Can't leave you people alone for five minutes" Iota muttered, agitation in his voice.

"Hey, *you're* the wise guy who sent us into a combat mission on foreign soil. Don't pin this on us" Sid said, glaring at him.

"So, what *is* the plan?" Xolin asked impatiently, "Because I feel like I've been a real good sport up till now, but I'm starting to become increasingly agitated that one of our team has been abducted and turned evil somehow, and I don't even know the hows or whys, and I'd *really* like to know".

"Ditto" Trok said, folding his arms.

"Same". Isdilian's reply surprised everyone a little bit—even he was in the dark on some of this. Considering his near meltdown back in the library when Sel had first vanished though, Sid decided this wasn't THAT big of a revelation.

Iota was about to reply—in truth, he wasn't entirely sure. They had to find some way to track down Sel, and then somehow figure out what had possessed her and how to undo it. A tall order—and even with Lasandra's magic backing them up, they were so empty on clues, it was starting to worry him. But he never got a chance to speak, as almost immediately a new person rushed up to them, calling.

"Excuse me! Excuse me!" he said, waving to them as he approached in a hurry, "Are you..." he paused, checking a small scroll he carried with him, "...Peacekeeper Team Twelve?"

"...Uh oh" Sid muttered.

The man, dressed in the usual Eltarian garb of robes, though notably less elaborate than Lasandra, turned to the Archmage herself, "Atchmage Lasandra?"

"Yes?" she asked blandly, "Who wants to know?"

"Right, yes" the young man pushed his glasses up to his face, putting the scroll away in his side bag—clumsily it might be added, as he almost caused everything else to fall out as he searched for another scroll, "Yes, right. I am...oops, I am...uh..."

"Yes, child? Spit it out" Lasandra sighed.

The man collected himself, "Er...I'm Acolyte Ioannes, with the Defense Force Eldritch Crimes Division. I'm uh...I've been requested to request your presence with the division. I think you're going to want to hear what we have to say".

'I'm sorry, I don't get into government matters anymore" she said, turning away.

But the man would not be deterred. He pulled out yet another scroll, handing it to her, "...Actually, that's not going to work. See, I've got a summons for you. From the Council itself".

The unamused elder woman read the scroll, "...Child, do you have any idea who I am?"

"Um...yes, yes, ma'am. Archmage Lasandra, formerly of the Grand Council. You're...you're kind of a legend" he adjusted his glasses again, blushing as he smiled awkwardly.

"Looks like you got a fan" Sid quipped.

Xolin folded her arms, a bemused expression on her face as she whispered to Trok, "This is the kind of guy I used to steal lunch money from".

"...Wasn't your family rich?" Trok asked, perplexed.

She eyed him skeptically, "I can tell you right now that has little to do with anything".

Iota turned to the Ionnes, "What exactly is this about?" he asked, though he had a feeling he already knew.

"That cult you fought" Ioannes replied, matter-of-factly, "Well, the cult you faced, of course. We've uh, we've been tracking them for awhile, and we think they're building towards something".

The group looked at each other. Lasandra sighed, relenting, "Very well. Lead the way".

"Trok, Isdilian, you two are with me" Iota said, "Xolin and Sid, head back to Lasandra's library. Nikki's guarding the Conduit, but I don't want her to be alone for too long".

Sid eyed him, "...Expecting company?"

Iota didn't respond, only giving him a knowing look—difficult, considering the helmet, but somehow he managed it. He then turned to leave, the rest of the group following Ioannes and Lasandra, leaving Sid and Xolin behind.

She sighed, "...I really hate our boss".

"In other news, water is wet, the sky is..." Sid paused, looking up at the reddish haze of Eltar's atmosphere. "Er...well, pink today, I guess".

She motioned towards the exit of the Defense Force station, "Come on, let's get our skycycles and go see what the grumpy lady's up to".

Sid gave her a wry grin they walked towards the door, "Since when can you call other people grumpy?"

"Since Isdilian and the new girl redefined the scale" Xolin said blandly.

* * *

Really, she was thankful for the piece and quiet. Certainly, Iota and Lasandra hadn't been too active even when they were here (the battle aside, at least), but it was always just ONE MORE PERSON to have to take into account, and she liked being in the blissful zone of being alone. Not that Nikki was doing anything; just idly checking sports scores, but she was alone, and that was what mattered.

There'd been waaaaaay too much pent up emotion going on, regarding the vanishing of the yellow ranger. It irritated her, though for reasons she wasn't quite sure about. Really, she shouldn't care this much, it shouldn't irk her this much that they were worried for another person. Deep down, she knew that.

But just...ugh. They cared so much. The yellow ranger was now an enemy; deal with her and be done with it. Would they cared if something happened to Nikki? No. Would she care if something happened to them? No. War was war; people died.

Blech.

She looked up from where she was sitting. Over on the pedestal, the Conduit still hovered, rotating on its axis. Or...many axes. Honestly, looking at it for too long made her eyes cross—as if it was rotating *too* much, or colliding with itself, or like one of those old Magic Eye pictures.

As she looked up though, she realized something was different. She didn't notice him at first, he seemed to blend right into the...everything, as if you were trained not to notice him. But there he was; standing next to the archway that led into the library. He was unassuming; a human man, middle-aged, in a business suit and glasses. His head was losing its mildly graying hair, and in his hands he held a briefcase. She started at him for a moment, her digital synapses not firing right for a moment. But the more she thought about it, the less he made sense. In fact, why had she not noticed him? She felt really stupid.

Nikki jumped to her feet, her stance tightening, "Who the hell are you?" she asked, glaring.

The man smiled, gently tipping his glasses at her as he bowed slightly, "Greetings. I represent a...let's say an organization, one with vested interest in your artifact". His eyes moved towards the Conduit.

Nikki's gaze followed his, then returned to the man, "...Yeah, I don't know who you are or how you got in here, but it's not for sale".

The man's smile turned cruel, "I know".

He was fast; impossibly fast. Before Nikki realized what was going on, he was already upon her. In a fit of battle-honed panic, she vanished, reappearing behind him as the black ranger. Immediately she went on the offensive, lashing out at the interloper. But the man simply blocked her attack with his briefcase. He blocked a few more attempts, before swinging in himself, somehow out-flanking her and striking at her side. Nikki fell back, letting her daggers fly. They few right at him and...somehow missed.

How did they miss? She was twelve feet in front of him.

She didn't have time to ponder that question, as he was on her again. His briefcase struck her abdomen, sparks flying as she grunted. Thinking quick, she grabbed the suitcase and pulled, using it as a base as she sent her legs flying at the man's face. They impacted, but the man seemed unfazed—in fact, he smiled. There was no obvious trauma from the hit; shouldn't have there been some sort of reddening? Some sign she'd scuffled him with her boot? She'd hit him as hard as she could.

He grabbed her by the ankle, twisting it. His strength was super-human; her whole body twisted, and she was forced to abandon her hold on the suitcase as she went for a spin, tumbling to the ground in a heap.

"Now, if you don't mind" the man said, turning to the conduit, "I have a schedule to keep. I'll show myself out".

He reached for the conduit.

She fired two shots from her laser, hitting his hand. He casually retracted his limb, turning back around to face her with an annoyed expression on his face. Nikki scurried to her feet as he approached.

"You're not taking it" she said firmly.

"Tisk tisk" he replied, shaking his head. He flash stepped, suddenly appearing in front of her as he grabbed her gun, ripping it from her surprised hands before he knocked her aside with his briefcase. She was sent flying into the wall.

"It's a pity I still need your team" he said, annoyed, casually walking up to her, "Sometimes your group is quite aggravating".

"What...what are you talking about?" Nikki asked, again scrambling to her feet.

The man said nothing, instead he adjusted his glasses, before slamming into Nikki. She did her best to defend—she managed to parry a few of his first few moves, but soon she found herself completely outmatched. Hit. Jab. Punch. His briefcase swung against her, causing more sparks to fly, before he grabbed her, ramming her against the wall head-first. After a few times of that, he pinned her against the same wall.

"I...I won't..." she struggled to get out.

"Pain receptors" the man mused, "I imagine it doesn't 'feel' like it did when you were alive, but it allows you to know when your avatar's form is injured, or when your processor is overloading. Though, I'd imagine it's an unnecessary handicap".

"How...how do you know about that?" she asked, horrified.

His cruel smile grew a bit wider, "My dear, I know everything. I know about you, about Sid, about Sel and Isdilian. About your entire team. I know what Iota's got planned, and what he's up against. I know the plans of his enemies, I know the path this war will take. I know what SPD has planned, what the Confederacy is doing, what the Vile Imperium is up to. I know everything there is to know about everything. I know secrets; forgotten, forbidden knowledge. I know what would make your pitiful mind weep, and would make you crawl back into bed like a whimpering infant".

"What...what are you?" Nikki asked, struggling against his grip.

He grinned knowingly, "I am that I am".

Before he had time to ask for clarification, he spun her around again, away from the wall. Hitting her a few more times with the briefcase, he then kicked the black ranger into the far wall.

"Would you like to know some of those secrets?" he asked, approaching her. She hobbled, grabbing the computer terminal for stability, still defiant, but obviously far more wary than she had been. Who WAS this guy?

The man opened his briefcase, turning it around to show her the interior. She saw...she saw….

She saw stars. She saw the entropy of all existence. The burning eons, the timeless expanse of reality, as it objectively was. She saw the void beyond mortal reckoning.

ERROR. ERROR. ERROR.

FATAL SYSTEM ERROR.

ERROR. ERROR. ERROR.

Nikki's form sparked and flickered as numerous system warnings began to flood into her. Her sensory programs were taxed beyond their limits as information flowed into her like a tsunami. She dropped to her knees in agony. *Real* agony, not the simulated version she'd become accustomed to. No, it...it was like she was flesh and bone again, and her consciousness burned, incinerating against the power of creation.

ERROR. ERROR. ERROR.

Whole swaths of her hard drive began to corrupt itself, unable to process the information. She wanted to weep, but she couldn't. She wanted to scream in abject terror, but she couldn't. None of her systems were responding. None of anything was responding.

Each of her systems shut off one by one. She could feel parts of herself disintegrating into zeros and ones, even as she lost her exterior senses.

"Yes…" the man said, his smile still on his face. He'd spoken correctly; he still needed her team, but he never said he needed *her*. Certainly, depleting the strength of Peacekeeper Team Twelve that this stage was a little risky, but frankly he figured he could make up the difference later. If anything, it would only make the Others pleased, being rid of one of Iota's brood.

A few more seconds, that's all it would take.

"...Nikki?"

The man, a scowl on his face, turned at the male voice; Sid and Xolin entered the room. Xolin's mouth dropped as the two of them suddenly took stock of what was going on.

"What the *shit*".

Tisk tisk. The man closed the briefcase, letting Nikki's near-destroyed form slump to the ground. Her 'body' was sparking, and missing large chunks—as if missing pixels and textures. Her ranger suit faded away, leaving her civilian form behind.

"Holy Trinity" Xolin whispered. One of their number was down, and she and Sid were now face-to-face with Briefcase Guy.

"What did you do to her?!" Sid demanded to know, his fists coming out in a defensive stance.

The man adjusted his glasses, "Merely showed her the world. Shall I show you?"

"D-d-d-don't l-l-l-ook at the briefca-ca-ca-case" Nikki managed to croak out, in between electronic spasms. That was good news for Sid at least—she wasn't dead.

The man tapped his briefcase knowingly, a smile back on his face as he eyed his two new opponents. "You have no idea the trouble you are in".

Even as he spoke, a thousand crystal knives formed out of midair, assembling from particles. They thrust themselves at the rangers.

"Now!" Sid called.

"Right!" Xolin replied. In a flash of light, the two new rangers leaped out of the way of the attack, flanking the man on both sides. They came in hard and fast, a flurry of attacks striking out at their foe. They were fast; Xolin was easily the single fastest member of the team, her fighting style based on a being quick and agile, capable of delivering a death of a thousand cuts. And Sid, while more of a mainline battle warrior, was no slouch either.

But this guy was faster. He seemed to almost flow like water out of their way, bending at impossible angles to evade their attacks and strike back with unsettling ease and speed. He blocked each of Xolin's attacks before sending her back, then turned his attention on Sid. If Xolin was no contest, then the somewhat slower red ranger had no chance at all; within a few parrys he was on the defensive, and was caught off-guard when the man's briefcase sliced into him. Sid fell back, sparks bursting across his midsection as the man turned back to Xolin. Quickly drawing a couple of ink pens out of his pocket, he threw them at the blue ranger, impacting her directly.

Sid came back in with a kick. The man, with one hand, grabbed him by the ankle and threw him into Xolin. The two crumpled on the ground. To their credit, the two quickly rebounded off each other, striking out with a united double punch—only to have the man vanish.

And suddenly they felt their backs explode; he'd reappeared behind him, swinging his briefcase again. They spun around to confront him again, but a second swing delayed them—and then he was gone. He struck their rear again, and they rolled away. Now with several feet between them, the man pulled more pens out of his pocket. With a grim smile, he threw them at the rangers. Except it wasn't just a few projectiles that struck them—it was a proverbial storm. The small knife-like tools struck at them in quick succession, more sparks flying, until finally the man followed it up with a barrage of lightning from his hands, the electrical energy cascading across the rangers' suits. They exploded, and the two of them fell to the ground, their bodies smoking.

"What the hell!?" Sid exclaimed worriedly, "We're getting our asses kicked by a guy who files taxes during his day job!"

"Thanks for clearing that up" Xolin breathed heavily as they got to their knees, "My ego wasn't battered enough as it was".

Both stopped their back and forth, as now the man was approaching them casually, one hand in his pocket and the other carrying his briefcase. Both rangers backed away slightly.

"...Who are you?!" asked Sid, "What do you want?!"

"I have had many names" the man said.

Sid eyed him skeptically, "Yeah, okay then Satan. Ambiguity isn't really helpful".

"...Is that who you wish me to be?" the man asked, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"...Sid..." Xolin cautioned as the two of them stood back up. Both were in defensive positions.

"How about you tell us who you really are?" Sid replied defiantly, "Because I've had just about enough mysteries without answers".

"On Zarkesh, I was Alamog, the Whisperer. On Bandari Prime, they called me the Shadow Man. The people of Turell IV knew me as the Voice of Chaos. Does that help?"

Sid frowned, thinking. He'd never heard of any of those places or people. Was he making this up? "Uh...no, not really" he said, deflating a bit.

The man's answer was to pull his hand out of his pocket and snap his fingers. A second later, the rangers' suits exploded again, sparks ripping across their body as they were hit by the seemingly invisible attack. Both cried out in pain, but managed to stay upright—just barely, and mostly by leaning in the wall behind him.

Using that as his cue, the man turned to the Conduit, still floating in its protective magical field. He casually strolled over, and stuck his hand into the field, grabbing the artifact as if there had never been anything in the way.

"No!" Xolin shouted, rushing forward, summoning her lance. That object was their best chance to find Sel, and she was *not* letting him get away with it!

"Xol, wait!" Sid called, but it was too late, Xolin was already halfway to him.

And suddenly he was behind her, pens in hand. Xolin, her weapon outstretched as if about to attack, paused in confusion—and then proceeded to explode into more sparks. Swinging back around again, the man's briefcase impacted Xolin repeatedly, until she fell back.

"Xol!" Sid called, rushing to help. The man snapped his fingers again, and again Sid burst into painful sparks. To the man's surprise however, Sid somehow powered through it, continuing his charge as his ax formed in his hands. Sid swung—but the man was gone.

"Troublesome" the man said, behind Sid. The red ranger wheeled about, but was met with the man's firm backhand across the helmet. Sid stumbled back—and subsequently felt a large number of voltage once again rip right through his body. The red ranger fell in a heap.

Xolin wasn't done. Or, Xolins, rather, as three of them came at the man. He sighed, adjusting his glasses once more. As they struck at him, he once again vanished. Thinking she had a handle on this trick of his, they spun around striking—and finding no-one there.

The man was already back over near the Conduit.

"NO!" Xolin shouted, as they charged him. It was too late; he pulled the artifact out of its protective field and aimed it at the three blue rangers. As she rushed him, space-time seemed to...warp, for lack of a better term. It was like a ripple went through reality, and through her. The three blue rangers were thrown back, reintegrating with each other as she landed in a heap next to Sid.

"Oouuuugh..." the uttered.

"You okay?" Sid asked, getting back up into a crouch.

"...I think I just gave reverse birth to myself" she shuddered. Sid grimaced at the thought.

The man smiled at them, "Until next time" he said, before vanishing into thin air, taking the Conduit with him. Left behind, the two rangers struggled to get back up.

"That...could have gone better" Sid said, demorphing.

Xolin did likewise, "Sid..." she said worryingly as the two locked gazes.

"...I know" Sid replied, holding his side in pain, a troubled expression etched on his face.

"The way he was fighting" she continued as she managed to stand back up, "He was just toying with us".

"He could have slaughtered us in an instant" Sid agreed. He glanced over at Nikki's prone half-form. His frown deepened, "...Looks like he did some of us anyway". Sighing, Sid headed over to check on her as he opened a channel to Iota. He was going to *love* this, "Sid to Iota. We've...got a bit of a problem".

* * *

The tram ride had been uneventful.

Well, in the traditional sense, anyway. Really, Trok had been enthralled as they moved between the city's towers, heading further and further into the urban forest that stretched into the sky. They had arrived at a shorter tower, one that ended beneath the ever-present cloud cover, but one that was also much wider—several blocks in both width and height, and its top was terraced in multiple sections as numerous multi-level buildings and courtyards grew out from the top, each in the same ethereal Eltarian architectural style. It was clear that THIS was the capital complex, the center of Eltarian government. The tram had entered into one of the larger buildings, parking at the station within. From there, it had been a short walk to the part of the Defense Force Citadel they were after—the Eldritch Crimes Division.

The room they stood in now was filled to the brim with activity; in the center a large holographic globe of the planet floated over a circular table lined with computer terminals. More terminals and cubicals lined the walls around them, and people were zipping back and forth. There were more than a few artifacts scattered about; three robed mages were trying to investigate what looked to be a giant stone monolith right in the middle of the floor. Another mage had activated a holographic map of the constellations at his desk, adjusting variables and watching the stars move with intent.

It was...different. Trok knew magic existed, sure, they dealt with it every day of their lives. Magic was a known branch of scientific study. But in the Condederacy, things were more...mundane. Here, it was like going to a police station back home, but instead everything had a magical bent.

It was really cool.

"Mage Antreii, Mage Antreii!" Ioannes hollered, waving over to one of the men currently engaged in a conversation near the globe. He waved his companion away before turning his attention to the young acolyte as he approached, group in tow.

"Ah, you brought them, good" Atreii said, a middle-aged man. He nodded to Lasandra, "Archmage".

"Antreii" she nodded back, "You do know I'm retired, yes?"

"And yet here we are" the man smiled, "With billions of credits of collateral damage and a foreign ranger team in your employ" he nodded to the others, "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Mage Antreii, head of the Eltarian Defense Force's Eldritch Research and Crimes Division".

"Wait, you two know each other?" Trok asked.

Lasandra snorted, "Please, child. I know everyone".

"So what's this all about?" Iota asked, steering the conversation back to its intended goal.

"Yes, straight to the point" Antreii said, "I like that". He turned back to the globe, dialing in a few things into the terminal at the table. "How familiar are any of you with the Prophecies of Telesar the Mad?"

"Uh..." Trok trailed off, his face blank. Iota and Isdilian remained silent.

Lasandra however, eyed him with a mixture of skepticism and concern, "Don't tell me you brought me all the way here just to talk third-rate apocrypha".

Antreii suppressed a laugh, "Well, I *do* run the Eldritch division".

"...What is it?" asked Trok.

Antreii mused on how to explain the situation to an absolute newcomer, "...The thing you have to understand is that Eltar is old. Very old. For millions of years we have delved into the mystical, to figure out how the universe works, to reach the very underpinning of the Grid. While we've never been able to reach the heights of the Morphin Masters, we are their children".

"Wait, like...literally?" Trok asked.

The man waved him off with a chuckle, "No, no. Metaphorically...although..." his train of thought went off the rails, but he quickly returned, "No. The Masters raised Eltar up, brought to us civilization. Since they vanished, our people have done our best to hold up their legacy".

"So what does this have to do with us?" Isdilian asked, clearly bored. Or agitated. It was always hard to tell with him.

Ioannes spoke up, talking quickly as he was seemingly prone to do, "The Prophecies of Telesar are one of Eltar's older extant works, based off research of even older Morphin' Master texts. See, Telesar was a warlord in the age after the Masters vanished, and he gained this interest in procuring Master knowledge and relics in his wars against the other Eltarian clans with the aim of reunifying our people and-"

"Ioannes, please" Antreii said, holding his hand up as he saw the others getting bored from yet another detour. Ioannes coughed, diminishing with a blush. Antreii continued, "Telesar wanted to rule Eltar. To do that, he wanted to utilize as much Master knowledge as he could. He was deadly on the field of battle, using magic and powers not seen since the Masters". Antreii sighed, "However, Telesar eventually dug too deep. He became obsessed with eldritch lore, with the Old Ones, from before the Dawn War. With Dark Gods, like Lokar, or Ahandran, or Octomus. Became obsessed with drawing their power, with summoning them. Eventually, he just went mad. His own power consumed him, and he became a gibbering wreck. Lost his kingdom, became a wandering mad prophet for his dark lords".

"The abyss blinked back" Iota mused.

Antreii nodded, "Exactly. At any rate, during his decent, Telesar compiled a work that we know of as his Prophecies, much of it based off older Master-era works. It became the starting point for many underground Eltarian religious movements".

"...Cults" Iota again mused, finally understanding where some of these pieces were coming into place.

"Again, exactly" said Antreii, "Eltar has had a long and colorful history with cults. Usually they're considered harmless. Tasteless, but harmless. They just don't field the numbers to be a threat, and so we leave them alone. Their gods are usually asleep or...gone, or just don't care".

"...So what's changed?" Iota asked.

Antreii dialed in a few more buttons on the terminal. Several red dots appeared on the globe, "In the past eighteen months, one cult has come to prominence, engaging in several attacks and other isolated incidents, as well as seeing their membership skyrocket. We're not entirely sure why now, but then again, they are working on eldtrich knowledge. There's likely a pattern we're not privvy to".

"The stars are right..." Ioannes whispered, concern dripping into his tone.

Antreii sighed reluctantly, "...Yes. That may be the case".

"...The stars? What?" Trok asked.

Lasandra spoke up, "It's an old phrase, shorthand. Eldritch beings work on cycles the rest of cannot comprehend. It's a mortal's way of saying that the god's plan is nearing fruition, or that the deity is waking" she eyed Antreii warily, "Are you telling me you believe an Old One is about to waken?"

"We can't say for certain, our scribes can't read into the Prophecies too deeply without going mad themselves. But...it *is* a possibility" Antreii admitted.

Ioannes pushed his glassed up to his face, "Especially after today. That girl you fought; she's never shown up before. Usually we're just arresting crazed cultists. But the power she displayed..."

"She was—is our friend" Trok said, "Our teammate. She...vanished from our group, and the next thing we knew, she's...there".

Antreii rubbed his chin, pondering this, "...Interesting. Did she ever display powers like what she wielded on the building top before?"

"No" Iota quickly interjected, "Never". Trok gave Iota an incredulous stare, but said nothing.

Antreii gave them a gave stare, "If that's true then..." he sighed again, more shakily this time, "...Then we may be very well headed for an Awakening Event".

"Iota" Lasandra said knowingly.

Iota sighed, relenting, if reluctantly. He nodded.

Lasandra turned back to Antreii, "A short time ago, my colleague found an old eltarian artifact a group of pirates were after. He brought it to me for study and disposal".

"...What *kind* of artifact?" Antreii asked.

"A conduit" Iota admitted, "Not a Master one, but one built by Eltarians millions of years ago. We believe the..girl is after it".

Antreii's frown deepened, "...Indeed?"

"I believe, considering the situation, that we are allies" Iota said.

The mage nodded, "Agreed. If an Old One awakens, that would be bad news not just for Eltar, but the entire known universe. We need to redouble our efforts; keep the entity, which ever one it is, from waking".

"How do we do that?" asked Trok.

"We find the cult's base of operations" said Lasandra.

Sid's voice came through Iota's wrist, cutting into the conversation, _"Sid to Iota. We've...got a bit of a problem"._

Trok looked over at Isdilian as the others talked. It was clear, even by Isdilian's standards, that the man was irritated.

"I'm worried about her to" Trok said.

"...What?" Isdilian asked, confused at first. Why was the green one talking to him?

"Sel" Trok clarified, "I miss her too. That's what you're thinking about, right? You've been pretty on-edge since she vanished. I just wanted you to know you're not alone in being worried about her".

The karovian stared at the horathean boy for a moment, until something surprising happened. A small grin appeared at the edges of Isdilian's mouth. He closed his eyes and shook his head, "...Yeah. Thanks".

Trok almost turned back to the conversation, but then Isdilian spoke again, "...Can I ask you a question?"

Trok shrugged, though very unsure by this new territory he was in, "Sure, what is it?"

Isdilian seemed to hesitate, but just for a moment, "...You hate me. You have every right to hate me. So why do you try to form camaraderie with me now?" His tone was inquisitive; Isdilian was genuinely unable to understand this.

Again, the horathean shrugged, "I don't like hating people" he admitted, "It's just not my style. And Sel trusts you, right? And I trust Sel, so that means we must have just gotten off on the wrong foot". When Isdilian looked away instead of responding, Trok pressed on, "She said you two are a lot alike, and at first I didn't believe her but...it's true, isn't it?" Trok smiled at a memory, "...I remember when we first met Sel. She was distant, cold. She wasn't...aggressive, I guess, like you, but she just didn't know how to deal with us. It took a lot of trial and error to figure out everything between us. I'd like to think it was just the same problem between you and us".

"You seem so sure of yourself" Isdilian replied, still looking away. In shame, maybe? "What if you're wrong?"

"If I'm wrong? Hmm" Trok put his hands in his pockets, deep in thought, "I dunno. I think there's something I've realized as of late. I can either be distrustful and alone, or I can risk myself and think the best of everyone. And...I think I'd rather be wrong a million times than think badly of a person who really wasn't".

Isdilian let loose a chuckle. A genuine one, not the haughty one of derision he'd let loose when he'd first come aboard. "You're a fool" he said, though there was no malice to it this time.

Trok beamed, "Yeah, I know. But that's who I am. And I'd rather be me than someone else".

The karovian's gaze met Trok's. With a slight nod, Isdilian finally relented, "Thank you".

"My pleasure" the horathean grinned.

Iota sighed, closing his communicator, "We need to get back to Lasandra's library. Now".

"What's wrong?" Trok asked.

Iota sighed grimly, "I'll explain on the way. Come" he said, heading for the door. The two rangers followed, along with Lasandra and the other two Eltarians.

* * *

They'd been traveling for what had felt like...well, actually, she didn't know what it felt like. It was almost as if time didn't really exist here in the dreamlands.

Well, no. Time certainly existed; her conversations with Andromeda had been linear, and there had been a definite progression from dream to dream. But it was almost as if...during her studies, Sel had once come across an experiment that had been played across multiple worlds, though the Terran and Karovian versions were the most famous. If a person was placed in a room with no clocks or any other sort of time keeper, and if there was nothing to keep them occupied, eventually the occupant would lose all track of time.

It was almost like that, except even more extreme. She couldn't tell if they'd been walking for minutes, or hours, or weeks, or years, or since the dawn of time. But then, she reasoned, dreams happened quickly; within a matter of seconds. If that logic still applied here, honestly, she'd only been here for minutes at most.

She hoped that was the case.

She and Andromeda had stopped talking long ago, aside from directions Andromeda gave her. Sel had been too busy thinking. Thinking about ways to go home, about ways to beat...whatever He was. Andromeda had shut her down fairly definitively earlier, and it had certainly put a damper on her spirits.

But the Sel that walked with Andromeda now was not the same Sel of months past. That Sel would have just given up, mutely accepted her fate as she wordlessly trailed her new companion. And while that Sel and this Sel were superficially the same—this Sel wasn't making much smalltalk either, things were indeed very different.

Privately, Sel had been trying to figure out a solution to all this. If there was anything Sid, Xolin, and Trok had taught her, it was that there was always a way out, as long as you were smart about it. She thought back to when she and Xolin had been captured by SPD. By all accounts, they should have rotted away there, but through teamwork and a craftiness they'd made it out.

And she wanted to see them again so much. She ached.

But there was still the problem of Andromeda. The girl had been adamant that there was no solution, so as much as Sel paced through her thoughts, she kept coming back to that. Each of her half-baked plans was probably something that Andromeda, in all her eons here, had probably already tried. Sel knew she wasn't exactly stupid, but she certainly wasn't the craftiest girl around.

Honestly, the best solution would be to bounce ideas off of her, but Andromeda had been fairly clear she didn't want to entertain them. She'd shut that part of herself off a long time ago, likely long before Sel had even been born.

So Sel was trapped. Currently they made their way through a seaside villa on Argesh III, circa fifty thousand BCE. It was a warm night, though a light breeze wafted in from the ocean.

Dreams. Dreams are...windows into the subconscious, right? And this, from what she'd gleaned from Andromeda, was sort of like the Grid taken physical form, a manifestation of all life, and its collective memories. So, following that line of thought, if this WAS the Grid, and all life was connected to it, and they could to an extent will reality around them, shouldn't she be able to contact her friends? Somehow?

But how?

Just thinking about it, just...willing it, Sel would assume, would just get her a dream facsimile of her friends. Wish fulfillment. Hollow, and empty.

How to reach them?

They moved into a new dreamscape; some sort of spacestation, overlooking a gas giant with rings and dozens of moons. The station lay within the outer ring section, giving it a fantastic view.

Sel thought back to her lesson with Elder Sesh, back on Xybria, when she'd been trapped inside her mind. Xybrians were part of a limited hivemind, they could feel each other, always know each other. Was that because they were more in-tune with the Grid? Was that how it worked? She'd never been able to 'link in' with the rest of her people, despite her own native non-Grid powers blossoming from time to time.

Doors.

Wait.

She thought back to Xolin. Sel had, on occasion, sought meditation lessons from Xolin, in the days just after the war had started. After Trok had introduced her to art, Sel began exploring (very cautiously) new hobbies—at the heavy urging of the others, especially after those hectic early days of the war when everything seemed to be changing so fast, and in the direct aftermath of Isdilian coming onboard. They'd decided she needed some way to deal with her emotions, and so they'd tried meditation. Sel had never been super into it, and so after awhile it had been dropped. But the lessons remained.

Doors.

"...I want to try something" Sel said suddenly, breaking the silence.

"I...what?" Andromeda asked, confused. She stopped, turning to the xybrian.

Sel repeated, "I want to try something. Just...I have an idea".

"I told you, you can't go home. It's impossible" the girl said, rolling her eyes as she resumed walking, "The sooner you get over that, the better off you'll be".

That shut Sel up for a moment, but...no.

"...I don't believe that" she said, quietly.

"...Excuse me?"

Sel steeled herself, "Psychic link".

"I...what?" Andromeda was in a mixture of confusion and irritability.

The xybrian took a deep breath. Here went nothing, "This is the Morphin' Grid, right? The fountain of all lifeforce in the universe. We're in the dreamscape of...everything. Right?"

"I guess" the girl shrugged, "What's your point?"

"If that's the case, then...there *should* be a way to signal someone on the outside".

"And who would you signal?" Andromeda snorted in derision.

"I..." Sel sighed, flummoxed, "I haven't thought that far yet".

"Typical" Andromeda turned to continue walking.

"But it's possible, right?"

"I doubt it. I'm sure I've tried it".

"You don't...you don't remember?" Sel asked, aghast.

Andromeda stomped her foot, defensive, "I've...I've been in here a long time, okay? I don't remember every little detail. Time just sort of runs together here".

"But you're not willing to try". Sid's advice to her during the ice spirit incident flushed back into her memory.

"So what, I'm just supposed to keep doing the same thing?!" Andromeda threw back at her, "Like some sort of ghost?!"

"...Aren't you already?" Sel asked in realization, "You just run from place to place endlessly, with no goal".

"And your plan is better? We stick around in one place too long and He finds us! You don't even know who we could contact, or how. And even if we did, how would they even be able to free us?!"

"I don't know!" Sel said, her tone finally rising, "But my friends are looking for me. And I trust them". Her tone was firm, solid.

Silence.

"...You really believe in your friends that much?" Andromeda asked, with just a hint of awe.

"Didn't you have friends you could trust?"

Andromeda shook her head sadly, "I...my people aren't really known for their community spirit".

Sel's curiosity was again piqued, "...Where are you from anyway?"

Andromeda hesitated, but finally, "I...you see-" something caught both of their attention, in the corner of their eyes. Outside, the planet. A shadow quickly covered over it, darkening the entire world. The rings began to darken next. Andromeda's eyes widened in terror, "He's here. We have to move".

Sel thought quickly, "This way. I have an idea". She headed for the nearest exit.

Please work. PLEASE work.

Sliding the door open, the two entered a new room.

"...What is this place?" Andromeda asked, surprised, "I've...never seen it before".

They stood in a large complex, the walls ringing around them, all of them lined in doors. Doors on the next floor as well, and the next, and the next, and the next…

"I have" Sel said quietly, thinking back to her lesson with Elder Sesh, "Once".

* * *

Normally he would have allowed Beta to take another crack at it; she'd failed the first time sure, but the Others were...relentless. Desperation, after all. And really, while he could have grabbed it himself, he much prefered to let others do the heavy lifting. The less others saw him, the better. Hence why he had been prepared to off that black ranger girl, Nikki. But he couldn't kill half the team in one go. It would...upset things too much. So unfortunately, he'd let them live.

For now.

Regardless, he had the Conduit. Now it was time for another unexpected risk—but that was all part of the game. You see, normally he'd have just taken the Conduit and either hidden it until the time was right, or given it to the Others and let them hang onto it until he needed it—pretty much the same choice, honestly. But fate had intervened to give him another option. A bit riskier, considering, but oh, it could be so much fun.

G'nrk'guglk'rib was awakening. This wasn't an opportunity that came around often, but as the man casually tossed the Conduit in his hand, he thought it over. A chance to weaken all parties at once. Yes.

Yes, this would do. It was acceptable. And on the offchance he *did* lose track of the Conduit, well...he played the long game anyway. He'd waited this long, what was a few more years?

And so the Man with the Briefcase approached the Herald, now having taken up refuge here, in G'nrk'guglk'rib's house, where he slept. It was dark, though the ruins of the city rested all around and above him, deep within the soil. The Herald and her cult noticed him approaching.

"Halt!" the lead priest commanded, "Who goes there?"

The man smiled, "Consider me...a friend".

The Herald eyed him blandly, "Friends are cheap. What do you have to offer?"

Casually, the man pulled the Conduit out from behind, "How is this?"

The Herald's face turned to surprise, and then to a warm gratitude, "Yes. I believe we can be...friends".

* * *

RUNNING SYSTEM DIAGNOSTICS: RUNNING. RUNNING. RUNNING. FINISHED. REPORT LOG, Y/N?

SYSTEM BACKUPS RESTORED. SYSTEM HAS RECOVERED FROM UNKNOWN FATAL ERROR.

She blinked, waking up.

"Unnn..."

"Take it easy" Sid said, as Nikki sat up, "You really had a number done on you".

She remembered. Thank god for hardware and software backups, otherwise she'd be dead meat. Er, again. "I'm fine" she said, "I got backups".

"What happened?" Iota asked. Nikki looked around; the entire group had returned to Lasandra's study, though with two Eltarians she didn't recognize.

"I..." she was at a loss for words, "...He came out of nowhere. I've never..." Nikki shuddered as she thought of what was in the briefcase. Her logs of that had mostly been deleted; no room on the hard drive for that much data. Not even close, "...I don't know *what* he was".

"Kicked our asses, stole the Conduit" Sid agreed. He shook his head, "What he did...I don't even know, man".

Nikki thought for a moment, her expression blank, "His briefcase. It...I saw something. I saw *everything*. It was too much data for my system, I just sort of...burned out".

Antreii spoke up, "...Then it would seem eldritch powers *are* on the move" he said grimly, "This bodes ill".

"Who was he?" Sid asked Iota firmly. He was in no mood for games.

"I don't know" Iota said.

"Iota!" Sid barked at the armored figure.

"I don't know!" Iota roared back. Sid backed down. The truth was, he really didn't know. And that worried Iota more than anything.

"So what do we do?" Trok asked worriedly, "The Conduit's gone, how do we find Sel?"

Alarms began to blare as soon as Trok finished speaking. Lasandra eyed them with suspicion, feeling that Trok would soon get his answer, "Viewing Globe, online"

The holographic sphere reappeared around them showcasing a map of the planet. One spot was highlighted.

"...You sure you should be moving around?" Sid asked to Nikki as she stood up.

"I'm *fine*, let it go" she replied testily.

Antreii studied the holographic map, "...That's the Arakoi Jungle. Middle of nowhere".

"Ambient energy levels are spiking there" Lasandra added, "And continuing to rise. This is...this is bad".

"The Conduit?" Sid asked.

Iota nodded, "Likely the case".

"Energy levels are...by the Masters" Lasandra said, "This shouldn't be possible".

Antreii spoke up, "If this keeps rising, the planet will crack like an egg within the hour".

Energy levels were continuing to rise; Nikki could tell they were reaching dangerous levels. 'Cracked like an egg' was an understatement—all that energy going off at once, it'd be like a giant meteor impact as it was right now. In an hour...a planetoid. An hour after that, if it continued to build and increase in speed, a supernova.

"The Conduit is summoning all the power in the universe to that location" Lasandra said, breaking into a cold sweat.

"There should be safeguards, shouldn't there?" asked Antreii.

Lasandra shook her head, "It's a naked conduit. It's not bound by Morphin' Master laws". The man's face visibly paled.

"Suit up" Iota told the rangers, "You're going in".

Sid grimaced, watching the energy levels continue to climb, "No offense but...we couldn't stop Briefcase Guy by himself...how do we stop a Big Bang?"

"I..." Iota thought quickly, "...I'll think of something. But right now you need to move".

Antreii pulled himself away from the alert, "...I need to make a report to my superiors".

"Can we expect interference from the Defense Force?" Iota asked him.

The man looked at him, "The Defense Force will move to ascertain the situation and render assistance if deemed necessary. Likely mages will be dispatched to contain the situation. Your rangers are now part of my investigation and will be treated as such, but time is not our ally here".

"Meaning?"

"Meaning the quicker your team succeeds, the better".

* * *

The team was already moving; all five had already morphed and were heading for the Megaship.

"G'nrk'guglk'rib! G'nrk'guglk'rib! All hail the Sleeping God! G'nrk'guglk'rib! G'nrk'guglk'rib! All hail the Waking God!"

The Herald laughed in joyous ecstasy as the crowd chanted in the hallowed halls of His City, His House. Power was surging through her as she wielded the Conduit. The power of her vessel's body, plus the holy artifact of her lord—she was a god. Light danced off the innumerable columns and archways of the hall, making the impossible architecture even more hellishly beautiful, stunning for those with an eye for fifth-dimensional architecture.

"YES!" she cried, standing before the great archway. The doors beyond were vast, and had not been touched for millions of years. Soon they would be open, and He would Return. "ALL HAIL OUR LORD, G'NRK'GUGLK'RIB! HE RISES FROM HIS SLUMBER!"

Everything began to move.

* * *

If she'd had hairs instead of an armored suit, every single one Epsilon owned would have been standing on edge right now. She didn't know why, it was as if a force had washed over her. From her seat in their personal transport, a distinct feeling of unease had settled. She eyed Delta; the green-armored figure also seemed visibly unsettled.

"...You feel that too?" she asked warily, realizing this wasn't just a personal issue. He nodded. Epsilon opened a comm channel to Beta, "...Epsilon to Beta, you feel that just now?"

* * *

Beta tossed aside the survivor; he didn't know anything and was therefore useless. The half-dead Eltarian managed to start crawling away in terror of the blue-armored woman who had been torturing him after his escape from building debris. Beta grunted in disgust.

And then the strangest, most unsettling feeling washed over her body. She shuddered involuntarily, "What..." she gasped. Looking over at the man, he was now curled up, shivering. He'd felt it too.

"_Epsilon to Beta, you feel that just now?"_

"What was that?" Beta asked into her communicator, a twinge of fear in her voice.

"_I don't know, but I'm suddenly detecting *massive* Grid fluctuations from...it says here the 'Arakoi Jungle'. Power levels there are spiking dangerously high, and only getting higher"._

This was it. They'd found them. Beta clenched her fist, steeling herself. They'd get the xybrian back. Damn Iota, damn the Eltarians, and damn whoever had her now. "Swing around, come pick me up. And then we're taking a field trip".

* * *

Four skycycles and Isdilian's armored transport blazed overhead, plotting a course through Eltar's truly ancient forests. All around them, majestic red cliffs rose from the greenery, lush vegetation hanging from their sides. It was wild, prehistoric, and stunning.

Too bad the rangers were all more concerned about the sudden feeling of nausea that had suddenly overtaken them, as if the entire world had just gone topsy turvy. A 'bad case of vertigo' as Xolin had called it after nearly falling off of her skycycle. It was passing, but the fact that they'd all been hit simultaneously worried them. Sid shivered; he had goosebumps and wasn't sure why.

And THAT was a bad sign.

"_We're approaching our target!"_ Isdilian called to them. But so far, they saw nothing. Certainly, their scanners were recording energy readings that were off the friggin chart, but so far-

Wait.

The jungle, all around them, suddenly began to move and shift. At first, for a split second, they could have been forgiven for thinking it was just the wind pushing trees around, but no.

It wasn't.

Everything began to rise up. Trees gave way to terribly ancient structures. Domes, arches, spires. A proverbial maze of architecture exploded out of the earth.

"Watch out!" Trok shouted, as he and Xolin veered out of the way, narrowly avoiding being shish-ka-bobed by a rising spire.

"What the hell?!" Xolin shouted in panic and disbelief, as the rangers began dodging more buildings. Everywhere, everything they saw to the horizon, was becoming one giant city, still partially obscured by the jungle.

"My god..." Sid uttered. At first, it just looked complex, but as Sid studied the outline of the buildings, of the street paths, he realized: none of this made sense. It was...it was kind of like looking at an MC Escher painting, or one of those optical illusion trick books he had as a kid. But that kind of stuff only worked on paper. You couldn't make buildings like that.

And yet.

"What is this?!" Trok exclaimed.

Sid nodded to Nikki, "Where are the energy readings strongest? We have to find a place to set down!"

"Over there" the black ranger pointed, to several more blocks which were still shifting and ordering themselves.

"Alright" Sid gritted his teeth, "All rangers, on my wing. We're going in".

* * *

"...What are you doing?" Andromeda asked. Once in the center of the room, Sel had simply sat down cross legged, taken a deep breath, and closed her eyes.

"I'm seeing if I can't find someone" Sel answered back.

"By sitting there".

"It's called meditation and a friend of mine taught me".

"Your friend is dumb".

Sel peeked at the girl with one eye, an unamused expression on her face. "She'd tear you apart if she heard you say that".

Andromeda's eyes met with Sel's for a moment. The girl sat down opposite of the xybrian, knees bunched up at her throat, "...You were really close to them, weren't you? Your friends, I mean" she asked, her tone sincere.

Sel finally gave up her pitiful attempt at Triforian spirituality telephone as she opened her eyes. Her expression softened, "I owe them everything. When they found me I had nothing, not even memories. They took me in, protected me, taught me how to be better".

"Must be nice" the girl said, subdued as she looked away. There was a bit of...envy on her face? Passive aggression? Longing? Hrm.

"You said your people don't...have friends? Is that right?" Sel asked, trying to broach the conversation carefully.

"My people are..." the twelve-year-old frowned, thinking, "...I am what's known as a Karmonian. We're a rare, nomadic people, we scatter ourselves among the stars, usually voyaging alone. And because we have a deep connection with the Grid, we're often hunted by those who want them. So...we tend to keep to ourselves, out of protection".

"Hunted?"

Andromeda shrugged, "Bounty hunters, evil warlords, corporations, governments. You know, that sort of thing".

"...Dark gods?" Sel ventured helpfully, as the pieces came into place for her.

"Heh. Yeah. I got really unlucky, I guess" Andromeda admitted sadly, as her defensive walls at last came down.

Sel straightened herself, "Would you like to be my friend?"

Andromeda blinked, then scoffed, "What? What are you on about?"

Sel grinned, "I'm asking if you'd like to be friends with me".

"...Why? What do you get out it?" the girl asked incredulously.

The xybrian shrugged, "I don't get anything out of it. I mean, besides a new friend. It...it doesn't work that way".

"Then why? I'm the one responsible for you being here".

Sel thought for a second. She thought back to Trok; what would he do? And why? "...Because...because everyone needs a friend. Because we're in this together. Because I care. So, friends?" she asked, holding out her hand.

Andromeda eyed the hand, then Sel, then the hand again, obviously debating. Finally however, a warm grin formed on her lips, "Yeah" she said, meeting Sel's hand in a slap, "Friends sounds good".

Sel smiled back, but it quickly evaporated from both of them as they heard a noise at the door they had entered from. Darkness snaked across the entrance, moving out across the floor and walls, like a shadow without a source.

"He's here" Andromeda shuddered, as they both scrambled to their feet. Sel mentally cursed herself for taking too long. Andromeda ran for the nearest clean door, "Come on!" she shouted as she grabbed the doorknob.

The door vanished into thin air, leaving behind a clean wall.

"What?!" Andromeda gasped, then watched in horror as all the other doors vanished too, leaving them in an empty room.

Empty, that is, except for the creeping darkness.

"No" Andromeda whispered in utter terror as the room was consumed, "No no no no no please gods no..."

Thinking fast, Sel threw herself in the way of the darkness and the girl. Summoning all her strength, she threw up a golden aura that stretched out around them.

"What...what is this?!" Andromeda asked, confused.

Sel smiled at her, though she didn't take her attention off the enemy, "You're not the only one with powers".

In truth, Sel was terrified. She did her best to keep her legs from shaking, but all she could do was remember that horrible nightmare, and that that horrible cult, and all the horrible things that was associated with Him. She'd give just about anything to be safe in bed right now.

But Andromeda needed her help. And if—WHEN she saw her friends again, they'd be so proud of her.

Sel's fists clenched. The darkness was being kept at bay by her aura. She thought back to Sid and Isdilian, during the ice spirit fight.

Find your center.

Sel took her deep breath, and held firm, even as the monster's full power impacted her aura. She gritted her teeth.

"No" she said firmly, under her breath, "I won't let you".

And for a moment, it looked as if one young green-haired girl would halt the aspirations of a god.

Alas, that was *not* His full power, but merely the calm before the storm. Sel's power began to crack under the next blow, her effort straining to its breaking point.

"N-no..." she wheezed, as the next wave impacted. And the next. Darkness swept through the room like an unholy tide. It wriggled through the cracks in her defense. "An...andromeda..." she struggled, "Together. Help..."

"We can't beat him!" the girl shouted at Sel desperately.

But they couldn't run. There was no place to run to. Sel pleaded with her as the next wave nearly sent her to her knees, "We can try! Please!"

"It's impossible!"

Sel dropped to her knees, and after one last hit, her tattered defenses fell, shattering into nothing. The darkness swept in. Andromeda prepared for the end.

"NO!" Sel shouted in a mixture of fear, desperation, and willpower. All her strength, her power, her will, went into one last move of panic. With every last ounce of being she had, Sel lit up brighter than the most brilliant star. One last defense. One last stand. And like the heroes of old, she stood against the night.

And then the night came crashing down, and the light was extinguished.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	23. 2x10: When the Stars are Right, part 3

_Author's note: We're at (roughly) the three-fourths mark of season 2, meaning there's three episodes left after this one. That's NOT the end of the series of course, season three will be starting up sometime in the fall/winter, depending._

_However, updates *might* slow here after this episode, depending. The last few episodes of the season have been a bit of a challenge for me, and I've pretty much run out of buffer. So...we'll see. If I'm lucky, episodes will update every two weeks as normal, but if I'm not we might see three weeks between. I dunno, we'll play it by ear._

_Anyway, enjoy the end of this three-parter!_

* * *

Spires rose up all around them, reaching above the birthing city. In the center emerged a monument—no, a temple, higher than all the other buildings, and yet somehow dwarfed. Its shape was...difficult to describe. It was certainly some kind of squarish complex but...not. The faces of the building didn't line up the way they should have.

The tops of the spires began to glow, before firing off beams of light into the sky. The center complex soon did so too, its beam being the strongest of all.

"...What's going on?" Trok asked, concerned.

"Nothing good, I'd wager" Sid grunted, "Everyone settle in the courtyard up ahead. Nikki, can you plot us a course through the ruins?"

The black ranger replied, "I think so but...it's hard. The readings I'm getting from the interior scan are...confusing".

"Confusing how?" Xolin asked as the rangers slowed their approach and began to hover down over the courtyard they'd chosen as their point of entry.

"It's like it's moving or...no" she fumbled with her words, "Hallways aren't going where they should".

"So is that a yes or no?" Sid asked as they finally parked.

Nikki sighed, "Tentatively yes. I'll be perfectly honest though, I'm not real big on going in there. We could easily get lost".

Isdilian stepped out of his transport, "We don't have a choice" he said firmly, "This is the closest entrance we can find".

"Not that that's saying much" Nikki replied, "I don't think three-dimensional physics are fully at play in there".

Sid glanced around at his team as they assembled, then at the entrance ahead of them—a great stone door. "...So" he said, looking back the others, "We ready to brave the Minotaur?"

"Oh!" Trok said suddenly, pulling something out of his belt, "I have an idea on how not to get lost" he revealed a small disk in his hand to everyone.

"Um..." Xolin squinted in confusion.

Trok sighed, then explained, "It's a hand-held beacon. I've been toying with disposable devices, in case we got separated on a mission. I think here they'll make for perfect breadcrumbs".

Sid grinned at Trok's preparation, "...Okay, I'm feeling a little better about this now".

"...How many of those do you have?" Xolin asked, curious.

Trok shrugged, "Enough. Trust me".

"Come on" Isdilian said, turning and heading for the door, "We don't have time to spare".

The others followed. Isdilian grabbed one giant stone door, and Sid the other. Together they pulled, opening the entrance.

"...Last chance to back out" Nikki frowned, staring into the dark underbelly of the city, obscured from view.

Trok looked at her, "One of our teammates is down there. We can't. I won't".

"Come on" Isdilian repeated. The others followed, leaving Nikki behind.

She sagged, "...I hate everyone" the black ranger muttered, before reluctantly following.

* * *

Priest Rydarn howled in ecstasy as he and his fellow servants worshiped and chanted and summoned their Master from his place of slumber. They were here—in His house. He'd never dreamed this day would come. They hadn't ever been able to locate His place of dwelling, instead setting up shop underneath the capital. But the Herald, wise as she was, had located the lost city as if common knowledge. And so they'd come here.

It was beautiful, working in ways that were so much more elegant and creative than simple three-dimensional mason work.

He continued chanting. The door was beginning to open.

* * *

**Power Rangers Peacekeepers**

**Season 2**

**2.10: When the Stars are Right, part 3**

* * *

Wake-fullness did not come quickly, or smoothly. At first she just wanted to go back to sleep, but spirits, her head hurt. It was a throbbing pain, sharp and ugly. Blinking her eyes open, she found she was in fact not in her bed.

Groggy and unwell, Sel pushed herself up, taking stock of her surroundings. How had she gotten here? What...what had happ—oh. A sharp jolt from her headache flashed through her as she remembered. Remembered The Night, crashing down all around her. Remembered her last ditch final ploy.

She wasn't in her mindscape chamber anymore. Looking around, she found herself in a very unfamiliar and foreboding location. The sky was pitch black, not a star in sight. Yet the light of the world around her was bright enough that it was like an overcast day. Not that there was much to look at; it was mostly empty expanse. Brownish gray rock existed as far as the eye could see. Small hills and unremarkable rock formations dotted the horizon, but it was mostly empty. In fact, the only point of interest was right on top of her—a few dozen bookcases filled with material. Some of them had been knocked over, others were still upright. Some of the books had been littered around on the ground, in piles.

"...Andromeda?" Sel called out as she stood up. The xybrian winced as her headache hit again, "Andromeda, where are you?"

No answer.

Sel sighed in despondence as she again looked around at the desolate landscape that surrounded her. No Andromeda, no...Him, no...anything, really. She was at a loss as to what to do next. How had she gotten here? Didn't He defeat her? Shouldn't she be dead or...something? Was she in the dreamscape still? Deciding to try something, Sel attempted to will her ranger suit onto her, the same as when she'd switched out the Victorian garb for her regular clothes. Nothing happened.

Hm. If she *was* in the dreamscape, she was no longer capable of influencing anything. Frowning, Sel made her way over to the nearest bookcase, doing all she could *not* to collapse into a panicking fit. She hesitantly pulled one of the books out, dusting the cover off before reading it.

"The Tome of Hidden Revelations".

Eying the book skeptically, she opened it and flipped through a few of the pages. It was mainly gibberish. Pretty gibberish—stunning, if not confusing illustrations and inked in the manner of a medieval manuscript—but gibberish nontheless. She pulled out the next book.

"Transgressions of the Flesh".

More gibberish.

"The Prophecies of Telesar the Mad".

...Well, he certainly earned his moniker.

"Lost Arts".

Sel sighed, tossing that book aside as well. None of these were helping her. She picked one out of a random pile on the ground. The Necronomi—something. The cover was in bad shape and she couldn't make out the rest.

Another, smaller book rested next to where it had been. She picked it up, and flipped through it as well—some sort of play about a king. Bleh.

Dropping the books with a scowl, Sel made her way to the edge of the would-be outdoor library, staring out into the expanse.

"ANDROMEDA!" she bellowed, calling out for her missing friend.

Silence. Sel sighed in aggravation.

...Wait.

Something caught her left eye. Turning, she saw something new on the horizon. It was a mountain, and though far in the distance, she could see it was immense, towering far higher than any mountain she'd ever seen before. It was impossibly high, and yet she had no problem seeing the top. Or would have, anyway, had dark storm clouds not encircled it like a leash. The mountain itself was sharp and jagged, and overall not friendly for hiking.

That mountain had not been there before.

Sel looked behind her at the books. He hesitated leaving; what if one of the books did have something useful?

And yet...she stared up at the mountain again. She felt His presence. He was there, behind the clouds. Sel clenched her fists tight. She didn't even want to think about Him and yet...if He was up there, where was Andromeda? Sel pondered this for a moment, an idea coming to her. If she could feel him…she took a deep breath, and again attempted to exert her will. Except this time, instead of just attempting to lucid dream, she drew on her powers, taking a moment to 'feel' the underlying power of her surroundings.

Two things were confirmed to her. One, she was still in the dreamscape: everything around her was pure Morphin' Grid. Two, she *could* feel Andromeda, but just barely. And she was exactly where Sel had been hoping she wasn't—up at the top of the mountain. And with her still in the dreamscape yet unable to influence it...it worried her. Why was she unable to alter anything anymore?

For a moment, Sel considered stopping, to somehow try again at contacting her friends. But there was no certainty her idea would work, and if Andromeda was being held by Him, then she really didn't know how much time she had to save her—and besides, the distance to the mountain plus climbing it would take a fair amount of time as well.

Taking another steady breath, Sel realized she really only had one option. And she was well and truly on her own, for the first time. She shivered instinctively—she was alone. Not even just technically—Sid wasn't here to offer advice. Trok wasn't here to synch with her. Xolin wasn't here to defend when she faltered.

And she had someone who was counting on her. She tried not to think about how it was all on her shoulders.

Sel stepped forward, making her first movement toward the mountain. It was going to be a long trip.

* * *

SLAM.

Another robed guard went down, courtesy of a flying spin-kick from Xolin. The cultist defenses barely slowed the rangers down as they raced through the city's ruined corridors. The cultists were lightly armed and armored, and seemed to have very little training in melee or ranged combat. With their main advantage (numbers) having been nullified by stationing them throughout the complex, they were little threat to the well-armed rangers. What *actually* slowed them down was the city's non-Euclidean layout, with hallways and passages folding into each other but not; a confusing fifth-dimensional maze that made little sense to their poor addled minds. Thank god for Trok's disposable beacon system.

"You got anything for us?" Sid asked his communicator as he sent his ax flying ahead of him into another cultist. The robed figure was hurled into the far wall before Sid's weapon flew back to him. They turned the corner, leaving the man behind.

"_The cult we've been tracking worships a being known as 'Gerk-gug-lik-rib', at least that's the best I can pronounce it"_ Antreii's voice sounded over the comm.

Sid frowned at the lack of helpfulness, "...Okay, that...doesn't actually mean anything to me. What else you got?"

Ioannes spoke up, _"Gerk-gug-lik-rib is a deity who's origins are uncertain, but he's certainly *very* old, stretching back to Morphin Master times, at least. Legend says he was there at the Dawn War, but he was beaten back and afterward slipped into a deep slumber, only to awaken when 'The Stars Were Right'"._

"The Dawn-whatnow?" Xolin asked, as Isdilian sent another cultist flying. They kept racing down the hall.

Ioannes replied, _"The Dawn War. Legend has it that good and evil didn't exist before the war, and first did battle billions of years ago"._

"...So what *did* exist?" Sid asked, "What were the factions involved in the start of the war?"

"_We don't know"_ said Antreii, _"The Dawn War is a mythical event in history; there are no direct sources from anything that long ago, the best we get are handed-down legends from late-era Morphin Master texts a few million years ago. But it's likely that the factions involved wouldn't have even been recognizable to us; many of the forces that fought in the Dawn War were beyond our comprehension. There's even some texts that imply that time itself did not exist as we currently know it before the war. The Dawn War may have shaped the very universe as it exists now"._

"Comforting" Sid grunted, "So the question remains: how do we kill a god?"

"_You don't"_ Antreii said matter-of-factly, _"It's impossible, at least with the resources available to us. This is why time is of the essence; you need to stop His followers from summoning him to the waking realm. If He escapes, then all is for naught. Nothing will be able to stop Him"._

"Great. No pressure or anything" Xolin sighed.

"_Eltarian forces are moving into position. Mages and patrol craft will attempt to contain the energy output of the ruins and curtail its exponential growth to give you time, and Eltarian marines are being deployed to liquidate cultist forces elsewhere in the ruins. But you have to hurry"._

"How much time do we have?" asked Sid, as they turned another corner, and now began heading down a flight of stairs. Trok stuck another beacon to the wall.

"_It's hard to say"_ said Antreii, _"Power is growing at an exponential rate, but we don't have a clue how much energy they need to release their god. It could be a day or two, or it could be five minutes"._

Lasandra spoke, _"And if they *do* have the Conduit, then they definitely have all the power they would ever need to complete their goal"._

"Any idea how we're supposed to stop this thing?" Sid asked, "Last time we faced off against Sel, she kicked our asses without breaking a sweat. How do we take on Sel now that she's probably wielding an Artifact of Doom?"

"Not to mention Briefcase Dude, if he's still with her" Xolin concurred. Certainly, they didn't actually know if Briefcase Dude was behind all this, but considering how he'd shown up and stolen the Conduit? After expressing interest in Sel for as long as they'd known the guy (tangentially anyway)? And suddenly this had happened just after they'd lost the Conduit to him? Yeah, the two incidents being unrelated were not the kind of luck their team was accustomed to.

"_...We...we're working on it"_ replied Lasandra, _"For now just locate the ceremony location and mess things up as much as you can. We'll have a solution for you shortly"._

"That's what you said before we left!" Trok interjected, worry lacing his tone. He threw another beacon to the nearest wall.

"_Do your job and let us do ours"_ said Iota, "_Iota out"._

The comm shut down abruptly. Sid's frown deepened, "...Man, I love our boss" he said with an aggravated sigh, "And I totally don't secretly want to push him down a flight of stairs".

Isdilian bludgeoned a cultist with his shield. The figure slumped to the ground.

"That's because I don't think there's anything 'secret' about it" Xolin replied, concurring.

The rangers paused at a T-intersection.

"Man" Trok grumbled, "If it wasn't for my beacon trail, I'd totally think we were going in circles".

"I dunno" Sid replied, "What's the eighth-dimensional equivalent of a circle? We might be going in one of those".

"Nikki, what's our course?" Isdilian asked the black ranger.

She grunted, aggravated as she mentally scanned; why did this city have to be built on non-Euclidean geometry?! Hoping she was making the right choice, she pointed left, "That way. I think".

"Might as well" Sid replied with a shrug, as the rangers hurried down the chosen hallway.

* * *

"So what *is* the plan?" Ioannes asked the others as they stood in Lasandra's back room.

Lasandra rubbed her chin in thought, glancing back at the pedestal where the Conduit had once been, "...If we assume that the cult has the Conduit, and let's be fair, all signs point to that being the case, then there's not much they can do short of destroying it—which could end badly for everyone involved".

"Not to mention the Herald and the man with the briefcase" Iota grumbled. This was supposed to be a one-in-done 'stop the pirates' mission. But there just seemed to be endless complications that were spiraling out of control, "The team is strong, but as we've witnessed, they don't have the firepower to go up against those two and win, much less together".

"...Wait" Lasandra said, a lightbulb going off in her head, "The Conduit is just that—a conduit for the energy of the universe, working through properties of quantum superposition. If we could somehow exceed its power, the resulting resonance cascade could, in theory, break the link between the Conduit and the deity".

"We'd need more conduits though" Antreii said, "And we keep all known S-level Master artifacts offworld for...protective reasons".

"How soon could you ship a couple of them out here?" asked Lasandra.

Antreii thought for a moment, "...If I recall correctly, there's a pair, the so-called 'Cosmic Orbs', in safe storage on Ragesh III. I'll contact the facility and see if we can't get them transported here immediately".

"So how soon can they delivered?" Iota repeated.

He shook his head, "...Likely not soon enough. Ragesh is five hundred thousand lightyears from here, it would take a few hours. And we don't dare directly teleport artifacts of that magnitude".

"So that still leaves us with a problem" Lasandra grunted, "A few hours may very well be more time than we have. Are you sure there's no other pairs closer?"

"Positive" Antreii sighed as he moved to contact the facility via his wrist-bound communication terminal, "Our first goal has always been to keep Eltar safe, so we keep them at a great distance in case something happened".

Iota scowled. They needed two conduits, and immediately, but none would get here in time.

...Except…

Ugh. It would raise so many questions though. Except, would it really? People were already suspicious, and there was so little time left anyway, eventually he *would* be forced to reveal everything to complete his plan. Honestly, there were much worse people he could reveal this to, and...it really didn't look like there was any other way.

Damnit all.

"...I may have a solution" Iota grumbled, having come to his decision, though reluctantly. This had better work.

* * *

"This maze is becoming irritating" Delta snarled, as the three armored figures entered a room that was yet another dead end.

Epsilon sighed in frustration as she checked the sensor holo-map on her wrist, "I don't understand it. It's like this place is moving around just to keep us away".

"Hmm" Beta stepped further into the empty room, looking around. She turned back to Epsilon, "You're good with magic, can't you counteract whatever it's doing?"

She shrugged, "I'm not even sure it IS doing anything. It might just be the extra spacial dimensions messing with us. I *could* carve us a path to the central temple, but as far as I know, it could also just lead us right back to he exit".

"Then we'll just carve another path through until we *do* find what we're looking for" said Beta, "We're out of time—do it".

Epsilon nodded, and summoning magic to her fingertips, thrust them forward at the wall in their way. It seemed to dissolve, from the center outward, until a sizable hole remained, shimmering at the edges where magic kept everything at bay. Then, the wall behind it did the same thing. And the next wall. And the next. Epsilon put her hands down as she walked through the first hole.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" she asked the other two, before heading further in. Beta gave Delta the go-ahead, before bringing up the rear herself.

Soon. Very soon.

* * *

She'd been walking for what felt like forever. For the longest time, she wasn't even sure the mountain was getting closer, and she began to lose hope. But she kept going on, as there wasn't really anything else for her to do. The landscape was barren and empty, just loose rock formations and the occasional dead tree.

This world was Old, she could tell. No stars, no sun. No clouds, except for the storm at the top of the mountain. No life, no natural processes. No geological activity, no erosion. This world had likely been dead for longer than the lifespan of her homeworld. Maybe double that. All had turned to dust, all that remained was the mountain.

But finally, she reached the base. It was jagged and dark, made of volcanic rock and obsidian glass. Thunder and lightning raged overhead, though the rain never fell. The mountain towered impossibly high above her. Her body sagged, then she tensed back up, taking a deep breath before she grabbed the nearest rock and began to climb. She got several feet up, before the ledge her left hand was gripping hold of gave way, and she tumbled back down, landing splayed out on her rear in the dirt. Sel looked up at the mountain hopelessly—she almost gave up right then and there.

Except...her friends were waiting for her. She had to find them. Steeling herself once more, Sel stood back up, dusting herself off as the once again grabbed the rockface, and again began to climb…

* * *

Two more robed guards slumped to the floor. A third was tossed into their pile casually by Isdilian as the group of rangers moved into a much larger hall. It was enormous, and up above it seemed to go on forever as the walls and spires and archways folded in on each other in impossible manners. It gave the rangers headaches just trying to make sense of it.

"Up there!" Isdilian pointed, towards the other end of the hall. There stood a large pair of stone doors, not supported by any wall but just...standing there, in the open, leading nowhere. In front of it was a familiar sight—Sel's possessed form, the Herald, was standing before the doors, the Conduit in her hands above her. All around her the inner circle of the cult knelt, praying and chanting.

"Come on!" Sid shouted, motioning to the others as he began to charge down the enormous hall. The others quickly followed. About halfway down however, they were stopped. The wall to their right opened up, shimmering like a portal as three figures stepped through into the hall, blocking the rangers' path.

Beta glanced over at the activity at the door, "...Good work, Epsilon. Looks like we pulled it off".

"You again!" Nikki bellowed as the rangers came to a confused stop just a few feet away.

Beta and her two companions turned around at the other new arrivals. She scoffed as she shook her head, "No offense kids, but we're really kind of on a deadline here, so if you could just sod off and die, that'd be great".

Sid looked at them, perplexed, "Who are..." he paused, noting Delta, "...Wait...you were on Ralkesh II. When we infiltrated the mining base!"

Xolin's eyes widened too as she and Sid got into combat positions, "What do you want?!"

"They're after the Conduit too" Nikki said, "They came for us just after you left to find Sel. We beat them back then".

"...You were just getting all sorts of guests while we were gone, weren't you?" Sid asked, eying the back ranger with a hint of bemusement.

Trok glanced around at the group—Nikki, Xolin, and Sid were ready for a fight, and even Isdilian had visibly tensed. "Um..." he questioned hesitantly, "Am I the only one here who has no idea what's going on here? Did I miss a meeting?" No one replied, "Yes? No? Okay".

"I'm afraid you'll be leaving here empty handed" Sid declared at the opposing group. He, Nikki, and Xolin closed ranks.

"Ugh" Beta growled. She waved at them dismissively, "Delta, Epsilon, take care of them. I'll deal with Omega-Sigma and the Conduit".

Delta grunted in appreciation as he and Epsilon came to the for, "With pleasure" he said with glee, smashing his fist into his other palm. Beta nodded approvingly, before turning towards Sel. This would be a quick errand. Two birds, one stone. She'd quickly grab the conduit *and* the xybrian and finally everything would be-

Beta slammed into an invisible force field. The electric shock she received more surprised her than hurt her, but she still jumped back instinctively. A bit more cautious, she stuck her hand out, receiving another shock from the barrier. She grunted, stomping her foot in aggravation.

The cultists within the barrier paid little attention to her, though the Herald spoke up with a laugh, "I'm afraid you'll have to come back later. I'm currently very busy, as you can see!"

Beta's fists clenched in annoyance; the xybrian was telling *her* what to do?! She'd been little more than a doorpost before she'd been stolen! Such an ingrate. Beta pounded on the barrier, ignoring the shock, "It's time to come home, little girl. Hand over the Conduit and come with me".

"Can't hear you!" the Herald cackled, "Busy summoning a god!" She let go of the Conduit, allowing it to float above her, spinning about faster and faster as an unearthly glow surrounded it.

Beta pounded harder and with more ferocity; it didn't help any.

The doors beyond began to crack open; light shone forth where it shouldn't have—standing in the middle of the floor, there should have been nothing beyond the door other than just more hallway. And yet, brilliant light began to flood into the chamber.

* * *

Sel climbed. She didn't dare look down; that was miles below now, and she was hugging the rockface like a baby. But the xybrian continued her trek upwards—pausing only when a lightning bolt struck the bolder next to her, vaporizing it into a cloud of dust and rubble that fell downwards. Sel quickly scurried away, not wanting to be hit. Another bolt struck somewhere just behind her; she even felt the air charge as the searing power flew past her at speeds she couldn't even follow.

Finally however, she reached a clearing. Pulling herself up and over, she dropped on her backside in a fit of exhaustion—it didn't last though, as another lightning bolt struck about three feet away. She again scurried, huddling herself under an outcropping. She looked up—the rest of the mountain seemed just as tall as it had when she was at the basin. She hadn't made any visible progress, despite all the work and toil and time. Her friends were still out of reach, and she was stuck down here in this horrible storm. The wind howled, beating at her as another bolt struck.

Was it even possible to get up there?

_HELP!_

Sel shot up. Had..she heard that? No, it wasn't a voice outside. There was nothing out here except the storm above.

_HELP!_

"...Hello?" Sel asked, though she felt ridiculous doing it. She KNEW the plea hadn't been a verbal thing.

_HELP!_

Sel's eyes widened as her attention shot upwards, back towards the summit. She DID know that...'voice', for lack of a better term. Less of a voice, more of a...feeling? Almost like a person's individual smell but...deeper.

It was Andromeda's. Andromeda was still alive, and still needed saving.

Another bolt right in front of her nearly sent Sel back on her back.

"We always hated that we just weren't ever up to par, huh?"

Now *that* was a familiar voice. Sel spun around, even as the storm seemed to pause for a moment. There, to Sel's surprise, stood...herself. She looked back at her, a faint smile on her face. But there was something else—it wasn't quite like looking in a mirror. There was a hint, a flare of primalness behind the veneer of the other Sel's melancholy state.

"Who...who are you?" Sel asked hesitantly, guarding herself as she looked her doppleganger over.

"I'm you, obviously" Sel2 said, "Well, a version of you anyway".

"What is that supposed to mean?"

The other girl didn't bother to elaborate. Instead she began casually pacing, staring up at the summit, "Remember when Sid would call us 'princess'? Because we were always getting in trouble and always needed saving".

"He stopped that awhile back" Sel replied crossly.

"Only because we asked him to".

"Because he respects us. Me, I mean" Sel corrected herself, "And you still haven't told me who you really are".

"Do you really think we could beat Him?" Sel2 asked, still looking up at the storm, "A power beyond our reckoning. And we're just one little girl".

"I don't have a choice" Sel said, turning away and heading back toward the slope.

"We always have a choice" Sel2 replied, "And we always choose to let outside forces to dictate our actions".

"That's called life".

"It's called being the victim".

Sel began climbing, but her counterpart wasn't done, even if Sel was, "Always running, always hiding. Always just barely eeking out a victory because of our friends, just in time to panic at the next hurdle. You think other people worry about this?"

"Go away" said Sel.

Sel2 continued, "Always being rescued, always being the weak link, always being the target for every monster we come across, and we never even know why. Always scared and alone, we don't even have our own memories-"

"I have memories" Sel bit back, pausing her climb briefly as she cut the doppleganger off, "The last year. My *friends* ".

"And before that?" asked Sel2, "We've spent the last year desperately trying to figure out who we are, all while constantly being hunted and being told who to fight and where".

Sel reached another minor cliff face, but Sel2 was right next to her. She put her hand over her shoulder, and Sel tensed as she whispered, "But what if I could give you what we've always wanted most?"

"There's nothing you could give me. Please go away" Sel said, shrugging her off as she continued to climb. She wasn't going to listen to this girl. Wasn't going to listen at all. She blinked away the unformed tears; she wasn't going cry about this. Her doppleganger was wrong—Sel had come a *long* way from a year ago.

"Oh yes I could" the other Sel smiled, "I could give us control".

Sel paused, "...What?"

"Control. We could be the hero for once. Just once, we could make the universe stop and tell *it* to move".

Sel's grip on the rockface slackened, just slightly. Despite her best attempts, the other's words *had* resonated with her. She was always running, always hiding, always the target. For once, couldn't the universe just stop, and let her breath? Let her figure things out?

"...What do you mean?" Sel asked cautiously, even as she had stopped climbing.

"Isn't it obvious?" the other her asked. When Sel shook her head slightly, she continued, "Why do you think everyone is always after us? Why do you think Iota keeps us nearly under lock and key?"

Sel looked at her free hand, clenching it in thought, "...My powers".

"Xybrians are empaths and telepaths—we feel each other's emotions and thoughts and feelings. And some high-level xybrians can even translate that into genuine precognition. But we don't have that kind of bond with our people. In fact, our native-born powers are barely there at all, despite our attempts".

"What's your point?" Sel asked, testy that her shortcomings were continually on parade here.

Sel2 grinned, raising her first up as it crackled with grid energy, "Xybrians are empaths. They don't wield the Morphin' Grid with their fingertips. And remember what Trok said—you don't just summon energy, you manipulate it. Those storms you created, when you were frightened, or angry? You didn't generate that power, you aggravated the grid around you, as if you were channeling the universe itself".

Sel frowned, thinking back to that conversation the others were having with Lasandra, just before she'd been teleported to the cultist compound. She didn't like where this was heading, "...What are you saying?" she asked warily.

"Don't you get it?" the other Sel laughed, "We're a Conduit".

* * *

"Are you serious" Lasandra deadpanned at Iota, "...How?"

"It's...a long story" the armored figure sighed.

"No" the elder woman grunted, "*How*? The best Eltarian magic can't replicate Morphin' Master artifacts—and even the one exception we're hunting after now was likely created with Eldtrich lore. And nevermind that, how did you create a living, breathing person as a Conduit? How does that even work?!"

Iota glanced around at the other three people in the room with him. Sighing, he relented, "*I* didn't create Sel and Isdilian. They were created by the people we fought for reasons of conquest. I...liberated them".

"So how did *they* create them?" Antreii asked curiously.

Iota eyed him, "I'm not entirely sure of the sequence, though I do know it involved trial and error, and copious amounts of dark magic".

"For what ends?" asked Lasandra, unconvinced.

"Conquest, as I said" Iota replied, "If those two's powers were fully realized, they would have no problem bringing the entire Local Group to heel".

"Well, that still leaves us with a problem" Antreii mused, "The girl is still in the hands of the enemy, and we need both of them to neutralize *and* reverse the polarity of the first Conduit".

"Are we sure she's not also helping to power the door?" asked Ioannes.

Iota shook his head, "Her energy signature is...different. Even in her current state, it would still register as something separate from the first Conduit. So far, it hasn't".

Antreii nodded, "In truth, her powers probably wouldn't be as useful to open the doors. It's likely their god had that Conduit specially created to interact with his artifacts—to be his eyes and ears while he was locked away. Sel will be a good servant for him after he is freed, but for the moment, not so much".

"Thank the Masters for small miracles" Lasandra muttered, "Though even if we do use them, how do we know they'll be up to the task? Organics aren't usually used as talismans for a good reason; they're too unstable. Organic material doesn't hold up well against massive amounts of energy—it just...burns out".

To that, Iota didn't have a good answer.

* * *

Delta's fist met with Trok's hammer, the two mighty weapons clashing as Trok barely parried his opponent's attack. Sliding back, the green ranger unlocked his weapon as the head of his hammer lashed out in mace mode, slinging itself at Delta. The larger figure deflected it with his other fist, just as Sid came in. The red ranger's foot impacted Delta's helmet as the red ranger flipped up and over, landing a second strike as he came down. It didn't save him however, as Delta swung around, his massive fist impacting Sid dead-on as he rebounded from his attack. The red ranger was sent flying into a column.

The other three rangers, meanwhile, danced with Epsilon. The orange warrior deflected Nikki's quick succession of attacks before knocking her back, just in time to deal with Xolin's sudden assault. Nikki came back in, forcing Epsilon into a sudden two-front conflict. All things considered, she did well, dealing with both rangers—first knocking them back before leaping away. Charging up her fingers, she lit the air with several fireballs, sending them flying at the rangers. Black and blue sparked and wheeled away, landing separately apart from each other as the recuperated.

Isdilian struck. Epsilon parried his fairly weak and indecisive attack, before turning to him, his arm in her grip, "Omega-Zeta!" she greeted gleefully. Then her voice darkened, "Are you being a bad boy? I think you should sit this one out".

Before the silver ranger could reply, Epsilon's fist charged up with lightning, and it impacted directly into his midsection. Isdilian flew back, tumbling into a heap, and didn't move.

"Really?" Nikki grunted in disbelief, "*That* little attack is what knocks you out? Ugh, useless". She rushed back into the fight. Just as she was about to charge into Epsilon, she vanished, leaving the orange warrior momentarily at a loss, even as she scanned her surroundings. Too late though; Nikki struck from behind, her daggers digging into Epsilon's armor. She shouted in pain as sparks flew out, and the orange warrior stumbled forward—right into Xolin's waiting fist.

Xolin never got a chance to strike however, as Epsilon grabbed her and tossed her into Nikki. The two rangers collapsed into each other. Epsilon panted heavily, "You'll regret that!" she said, charging up her hands with magical electricity again.

"So, riddle me this" Sid called out, dodging Delta's swipes, "You attack us on Ralkesh, working for SPD. Now you're here hunting for the Conduit. AND you look just like our boss! So who are you?!" He got in a swift punch before dodging again, "And none of that Faustian 'I have many names' bullcrap. I've already had enough of that shit for today".

Delta chuckled as he slammed an incoming Trok into Sid's side, then rammed his fist into both of them, "Some just call us the 'Others', but you can call us the Antipodes".

"Anti-who now?!" Sid exclaimed as the two rangers jumbled out of the way of Delta's next blow.

"Antipodes!" Trok replied, his mace wrapping itself around Delta's arm, "It's a geographic term referring to the opposite point on a globe from where you currently stand!"

Xolin dodged out of the way of a bolt of lightning, and then another, "...That's not an engineering term! Since when are you into geography?!" Her moment cost her though—another bolt struck her dead on.

"I've...been hanging out with Sel too much—WA!" Trok muttered, before being pulled into the air by Delta yanking on his mace, sending the green ranger flying right into the palm of his hand. Delta grabbed Trok by the helmet, before smashing him into the ground.

"Trok!" Sid called out in distress, summoning his ax. Charging it up with fire, Sid shot into a run, swinging his weapon in. It slashed across Delta, who didn't seem to register any pain at the scorch mark it left behind. As Sid swung again, Delta grabbed the end of the ax, breaking it in two before landing a second hit on Sid's helmet. Then a third hit to the abdomen sent the red ranger crumpling into a heap.

Three laser shots impacting his side kept Delta from finishing Sid right then and there. Trok was back up, sidearm blaster in hand. Switching it into sword mode, he rushed in.

Epsilon flipped Nikki to the ground, before smashing her boot into the black ranger's midsection. This left her open however, as Xolin's leg slammed into her side, and the orange warrior stumbled back, giving Xolin enough time to help pull Nikki to her feet.

The door was widening. They were running out of time.

"You deal with the door, I'll handle her" Nikki said to Xolin, her voice low. Xolin nodded, and rushed off towards Sel. Epsilon moved to intercept, but Nikki was faster, suddenly appearing in front of the orange warrior as the two again clashed off.

But Xolin didn't get far. Beta's twin short swords cut into the blue ranger's side, and Xolin cried out as she rolled away.

"New plan" Beta seethed, clearly at her wits end at all the roadblocks that were being put up—stupid rangers, stupid backtalking xybrian conduit, and now she couldn't even force her way through the stupid force field, "How about I kill all of you and wait for them to finish doing whatever, and *then* I take what I want?"

Xolin's eyes widened as she rebounded, lance summoning to her hands, "You can't! We can't let them finish the ritual! If they do, the entire universe is in danger! This is bigger than our war! Way bigger!" She pleaded with Beta, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears.

"Psh" Beta scoffed in derision, "Like I care what happens to your universe". The blue warrior swung at Xolin, and sword was met with spear.

* * *

Sel laughed in disbelief, "You can't be serious".

"Can't I?" asked her other self, "Think about it; we can *feel* the grid, how it flows, and moves. We can manipulate it on its fundamental subatomic level. And remember how we had such a derisive reaction to the other Conduit when it was found. The others got headaches sure, and Nikki delved too far into the data, but only we and Isdilian had such an aversion".

"How can *I* be a conduit?" Sel asked, "I'm just a xybrian girl, not some ancient artifact. Hypothetically, how would I become one?"

"I dunno" Sel2 grinned, "Maybe we should ask Iota when we get out of this".

Sel snorted, "Yeah, like Iota tells anyone anything".

"You're still thinking like the old us. Remember—we can do anything. We don't have to let other people dictate reality to us".

"And how do you propose we get Iota to tell us?"

Her other self's grin widened into a wild smile as her fist came up, grid energy dancing at her fingertips like lightning, "Easy. We *make* him tell us".

Sel had to admit; that sounded good. Finally, answers. And the thought of making Iota pay for his crimes...it had a certain appeal. Something about it though sounded all too good to be true.

_HELP!_

Sel looked upwards again, from the rockface she was hanging onto. The summit was still infinity far away. She couldn't get there on her own, and Andromeda needed her. She tensed as Sel2's hands bushed up against her shoulders, and she whispered encouragingly in her ear.

"We can do it together".

The xybrian exhaled, her free hand gently grasping her other self's hand—she was giving permission. She NEEDED to get to the top. And then they began to move; ever faster towards the summit, effortlessly, as if flying. No, that was wrong. They weren't going to the mountain.

The mountain was coming to them, as they had commanded it to do.

"We are a God, after all" Sel2 smiled.

* * *

Beta swung Xolin into a column, before rushing in, kneeing the blue ranger in the chest. A hit to the back of the neck sent her to the ground.

"XOL!" Trok shouted, breaking from his fight with Delta to help his friend. Sid jumped in the way of Delta, distracting the larger figure with his ax as Trok rushed at Beta, sending his mace to encircle Beta's arm. Pulling, he got Beta to stumble a few steps, before the blue armored warrior looked over in his direction and, tightening her grip on his chain, pulled hard. Trok was sent flying as she spun him around, before letting him loose.

Xolin attempted a counter-attack as she got up, but her helmet was only met with a kick from Beta.

Epsilon rose from the ground, levitating over Nikki's general position, an aura developing around her.

"How high of a voltage can you take before you short-circut?" she asked the black ranger with amusement as electrical energy began to arc over her body, "Let's find out!" The attack cascaded at Nikki, causing her suit to spark and smoke as the black ranger fell back, Epsilon laughing all the while.

Sid grunted as he tried to get back up, having been knocked aside by Delta. The green giant's foot placed itself over him, before stomping on the red ranger's backside repeatedly, sparks flying from each hit.

Trok got to his feet, but saw each of the other three active rangers being torn apart—and Isdilian was still out cold. Meanwhile, the cult, with Sel leading them, was still chanting behind their invincible force field, and that door was opening wider and wider, allowing more and more unearthly light to flood through. He'd lost sight of his hammer...somewhere. The green ranger's heart plummeted—they weren't winning this. Not by a long shot.

Taking a desperate gamble, the green ranger made a straight shot for the cult while the others were distracted. He ran headlong into the barrier, electrical energy spraying off from the point of impact.

"SEL!" he shouted, "STOP!"

She didn't stop. He rammed into the barrier again, and again. Finally pressing himself against the barrier, he pounded it with its fists, even as energy snaked across him, pain coming off in waves through him.

"SEL! YOU GOTTA FIGHT THIS THING!"

She looked at him, and for a moment, he actually thought he had gotten through. But her smile wasn't Sel's, and a second later he realized his mistake as a beam of pure white-hot energy shot out from the barrier, once again sending him flying, a large scorch mark now dominating his chest.

* * *

The summit was...well, it was infinite. She recognized this city, this ruin. It was the one from here dreams; the arches, the columns, the impossible architectural style, the fact that it went on forever. The sheer depth of everything.

And above...there was no sky. Not in truth; there was just Him. A vast impossibly large entity that began a mere few feet above her, and stretched on for eternity. It's like when you're downtown somewhere, and you look up at the tall building you're standing at the base of—it's so much larger than you and makes your knees almost tremble a little at how small you are. It doesn't inspire that same kind of awe at a distance. It was the same here, except magnified beyond anything she could really understand.

She was face to face with a god.

Up ahead were a pair of large doors, in the process of cracking open. Light emanated from the other side.

"SEL!" Andromeda called, relief in her voice, "YOU CAME!"

Sel turned; there was the girl, chained up under an archway a short distance from her. "Andromeda!" she called out, rushing over to her as she let go of her other self. She didn't get far though; an invisible barrier stopped her, lightning spouting off as she crumpled to the ground.

"SEL!"

Sel coughed as she stood back up, before cautiously touching the barrier—it shocked her finger pretty bad, and she withdrew helplessly.

"I'll...I'll find a way to get you out!" Sel said to the girl, "I promise!"

Her other self casually walked up to her, "A shame, isn't it? Helpless to save those you care about. But only as you are. If you wanted, this barrier would be nothing".

"...How?" Sel asked, her fists clenching as she kept her attention on Andromeda. Her voice was low; barely controlled. She hated this. She hated always being the weak one, the one who got others in trouble—she should have heeded Andromeda's advice and ran instead of trying something else.

She hated running.

_SEL!_

That wasn't Andromeda's voice. That had come from the doors—turning her attention, she recognized that 'voice'-it was Trok's. Through the light of the doors, she could see all. The others were fighting to save her. And they were losing.

Badly.

"...What is this?" she asked in disbelief at the doors.

"His path to freedom" her other self replied, nodding upwards, "He's waking up, and soon he will return to our world".

"...We have to stop him" Sel lamented, then turned to Sel2, "How do we stop this?!"

"Why *should* we stop this?" her other self shrugged.

Sel gawked in disbelief, "How can you say that?! He's evil!"

Other Sel scoffed as she paced, glancing up at the entity above them, swirling and shifting in unnatural ways, "We should know better then to simply label everything we don't understand as 'evil'. What part of Him is evil? He just wants to be free, to wake up. Isn't that what we want?"

Sel eyed Andromeda, "I don't hunt down children. Or have cults kidnap people and sacrifice them" she said, her eyes narrowing.

"Andromeda is here for her own good. It's dangerous for a little girl to be wandering the wilds of the Morphin' Grid alone. And while what the cult did to us is...regrettable, is it really a god's fault for what overzealous followers do? Would it be our fault if someone killed a man because they mistakenly thought it would make us happy?"

"So you're saying He didn't have them do it?" Sel asked, unconvinced.

"He is beyond them. While in some small way they did hasten His return, He would have returned in his own way. A thousand years, ten thousand, a million. It really makes little difference to Him".

Sel's tenseness began to lax—though reluctantly. Honestly, it made a certain amount of sense—even if it wouldn't feel right, would it really be HER fault? Her other self seemed to have all the answers in a self-assured way, but they didn't put Sel at ease—even so, she didn't really have any avenues to continue digging at her. Still, something about this bugged her—something about this was wrong. She couldn't quite formulate an argument on why, but she *felt* it.

"We're still afraid, it's understandable" said her other self as she paced around casually, basking in the aura of the Being above them, "People always fear the unknown, and we know that better than most. It's understandable we'd be skittish at first, with such an...unusual god at our side. Unfamiliar places, people, things….but we don't need to be afraid. For the first time in our life, we can be free of that emotion".

Sel almost looked up in the direction her other self had, but she couldn't bare it. The...Thing up there was horrible, terrifying.

"Don't listen to her!" Andromeda called to her, "She's—AH!" the girl shuddered under the sudden electrical wave she fell under.

"Andromeda!" Sel shouted worriedly.

"Don't worry" Sel2 stated, gently pulling Sel away after wrapping her hand around her shoulders, "Everything will be fine".

Sel pushed herself away, breaking the contact between the two. Sel2 pouted with a huff as she tried to close the distance again, "Come on, you can trust me!"

"I thought it was trust 'us'" Sel glared, fists clenching as she continued to back away towards the direction of the door.

"Sel" her other self sighed, frustrated, "As we are now, we have only potential—you can barely control your powers, and what results is but a pale shadow of what could be. But He can help. He can unlock our potential, make us like a god. Make us great, untouchable".

"...Why would he do that?" Sel asked, her eyes narrowing, "Why does he need us so bad?"

"He only wants you for your powers!" Andromeda crowed, "Don't listen to her! Run while you can! Get out of here!"

For the briefest second, Sel considered it. She considered running through the door to freedom.

But she didn't.

"Come on" Sel2 smiled, extending her hand, "It's true, we would be a great asset to his reign, but He would just as easily help us".

"Reign?" Sel asked for clarification, glaring at the other self.

"The Dawn was a mistake" her other self said, "Linear time, mortal life, entropy, 'good and evil'. The universe was broken, and what came after was a pale afterimage. He seeks to fix that, to return everything to how it was supposed to be".

Time? Entropy? Life? That didn't sound right. "...And what happens to the mortals?" she asked herself.

Other Sel shrugged, "Should man worry about the ants that scurry beneath his feet? Should fire be responsible for where it burns? Should the sea care about the limits of its coast?!" Her voice became a bit more manic with each bit.

"...You're insane" Sel realized, stepping back once again.

"You're thinking too small" her other self said with a wild grin, "Is it wrong to wish for a universe unbroken? Before entropy? Before death? Before this linear prison? Is it wrong to wish for life?"

"You're not asking for that" Sel replied, "You want to rewrite reality, and forget everyone else. I won't let you do that".

Sel2 chuckled, "You won't 'let' us?" Her face switched to serious on the turn of a dime, and before Sel knew it, she was on her knees, crying out in pain as electricity flowed over her, courtesy of her other self. "And just how will you not let us? You can't even get up. You have no powers here—you're in my Master's house, and his influence is absolute".

"Who...who are you?" Sel croaked out, still recovering from the attack, "Really?"

The other Sel responded with a wild grin wide as her face. Her hands outstretched, "I am my Master's Herald! I am you, what you could have been, perfected and beyond reproach! But instead you run and hide like the child you are". She issued another bolt of lightning at Sel. Sel screamed in pain.

"SEL!" Andromeda shouted in desperation, but she couldn't move—she was still bound to the chains that held her up.

The doors were almost completely open.

* * *

The bridge of the Eltarian defense frigate shuddered; the power output of the ruins had just spiked dramatically. They'd positioned themselves around the ancient city in synchronous formation to better plow the local laylines against the rising threat, hoping to contain it with their magic, but it seemed even the full might and magical know-how of the Eltarian forces, this was too much.

"We can't hold our position here much longer!" the navigator of the ship said from his seat at the front, as the controls began to spark, "The energy output is frying our systems!"

"We're getting similar reports from the rest of the fleet!" said another acolyte, female, from her seat.

The Mage-Commander grimaced, and braced himself as another wave of power shot out, again causing the ship to shudder. From the viewscreen, he watched one of the frigates rupture and explode—the last attack had been too much. Realizing they had no choice, he made the fateful order.

"...Pull back, fifty extra kilometers. Now".

"Sir?" asked the navigator, concerned.

"I said now, navigator" the Mage-Commander said urgently. The navigator nodded glumly as the ships began to pull back further.

"How are we supposed to contain if we keep retreating?" asked the other acolyte.

The Mage-Commander sighed, "We aren't. All we can do at this point is delay the inevitable, and hope Mage Antreii's men can pull through".

He had to admit though, he'd heard these operatives of Antreii's were outsiders. Mercenaries. ...Not exactly something he liked to put faith in. But at this point, it was all he had.

* * *

Sel struggled against the electrical attack, crying out as her other self casually moved towards her, a smug grin on her face as she continued her attack.

"I'm...I'm not running" Sel croaked out, "I'm still here, aren't I?"

"And yet you die the same" Sel2 crowed as her attack finally abated, "You could have had it all. Power. Safety. Stability. And you gave it up for...what?"

"I gave it up because you're crazy" replied Sel, "You've forgotten about my friends. If you were really me, you'd know I'd never abandon them".

Sel2 sneered, "Can your trust in your friends really protect you everything? Can they really offer you a life where you aren't constantly on the edge, in unfamiliar territory? Where you aren't barely hanging on?"

Sel struggled, forcing herself to her feet, even though her muscles ached and her nerves were shot. She clutched at her chest, "...You're right, they probably can't. But it doesn't matter".

"How doesn't it?" her other self asked in annoyed confusion.

Sel gave a wane smile, "You know, a year ago I probably would have just gone along with it. I would have just let you control me, and lead me along like some kind of weapon. I had nothing; no memories, no life, nothing. But they found me, and they didn't care about my powers. They cared about *me*. They helped me learn how to live, how to become a real person". Her voice steadied itself as she drew more upright, "You're right—my life *is* uncertain. I don't have memories from before a year ago. I have all sorts of bad people after me because of what I am, because they can use me. And my friends, my team and I are in some of the most dangerous work in the universe. Every mission, there's a real chance that one of us might not come back, or that the status quo will change forever".

Her smile became more direct, "And you're right. I hate it. I've always hated it. I hate change, and that's all my life is. I've never wanted anything more than for things to just...*stop* for awhile and let me catch my breath. But I also know now that I'm strong enough to take it".

She got into a fighting position, having grabbed a pole from the ground—a chunk of debris, but it was the best weapon she could find.

"Maybe someday things *will* settle down. Maybe someday I'll get used to it. But I'll work for that day, with my friends—my family. And I don't need you. I'm not your puppet".

Other Sel scowled as her fist charged with energy, "Then you can die with the rest". Pulling back, she launched a fireball of energy at Sel. Thinking fast, the xybrian swung back, and then forward. The pole met with the fireball, and the attack was flung in a completely different direction—right at Andromeda. It passed right through the energy shield, and hit the chains holding her up. They broke instantly, dropping the girl, and the remainder of the chains vanished.

"What?!" the Herald exclaimed in shock, "How?!" Where had the energy shield gone?!

From the shadows, the Man with the briefcase watched for a moment longer, his work here done. Then, he stepped back, allowing events to unfold—though now in a different direction than before.

Sel rushed over to Andromeda.

"Are you okay?!" she asked the girl as she helped her up.

Andromeda nodded numbly, "Yeah...nice aim—WATCH OUT!"

Another fireball was incoming. Sel, currently powerless, braced herself, but Andromeda, still hanging on Sel, projected an energy barrier that dissipated the attack.

Sel blinked as she realized she hadn't been fried, "...You have powers?" she asked he girl, confused.

Andromeda grinned, "I'm a Karmonian, remember? And I'm not a conduit like you, so my powers aren't *directly* sourced from the Grid, which is why I'm guessing He's not silencing me like He is you".

"It doesn't matter" the Herald sneered, "My Master is more vast than your entire cosmos. He is a parodox unto himself! You think two little girls can stop him?"

"I dunno" Andromeda her grin still plastered on her face, "Why don't we find out?"

"What happened to running?" Sel asked with a hint of amusement.

Andromeda looked back at Sel with a smirk, "Well after a speech like that, how could I miss out on the fun?"

The Herald was all out of shits to give, "...Then you can die together. Your end shall usher in the next era!" Charging her hands up with lightning, she sent the attack flying at the girls. Another energy barrier went up—but the Herald simply increased her attack, causing the two girls to be forced back, even as the shield kept defending.

"Sel" Andromeda said matter-of-factly, "The only way we can win this is if you take my power".

"...What?!" Sel asked in surprise, concerned, "What'll happen to you?!"

Her former grin was gone, replaced by something a little more melancholy, "When Karmonians die, they pass on their power to those closest. That's why we're always being hunted. Kind of like you, I guess".

"What are you saying?!" Sel gasped, "You can't die! We can get out of here! The door's right there!" she pointed at the fully open gates.

Andromeda chuckled sadly, even as she kept defending from the attack, "My body died millions of years ago. Even if I escaped with you, there'd be nowhere for me to go. It's time for me to move on. After this long, I'm ready".

Sel's heart broke, "But...but I was trying to rescue you! I want you to come home with me. To be free".

Andromeda's smile returned, wider than before, "You already rescued me" she said, "I'm already free. Thanks to you, He doesn't control me. And I'll finally be free of this prison, after all this time".

The energy attack continued, Sel just blinked, trying to keep the tears away.

"Please" Andromeda pleaded, even as she began to glow, "I want you to have my power. Share it with your friends and remember me. And kick His ass" she added with her smirk.

Sel's mouth twisted upwards despite herself, nodding with a warm smile, "You got it".

"Right then" Andromeda said determinedly as she turned back to their enemy, "Give 'em one for me".

She suddenly began to feel a warm presence flood into her body, even as Andromeda vanished. Holy fire coursed along Sel's form, up her arms as golden armor formed over her body, wings of flame unfurling from her back. Her pole had become a spear, and a shield had emerged where Andromeda had been in her other hand. She was a knight—no, a goddess.

"...What?!" the Herald gasped, "What is this?!"

Sel didn't give her an answer. Instead she simply charged forward, fire burning out behind her, her armor glinting in the non-existent sun. But she ran much faster than a normal person, charging into the Herald.

"NO! STAY BACK!" the Herald screamed, unleashing another lightning attack.

It never even slowed Sel down.

* * *

The Herald laughed wildly as the ceremony reached its apex—the doors were open. He was waking. The Dawn was ending. ...And then her laughter began to change—and soon it was replaced by her screams. Every inch of her body burned. Her energy field flickered and died, and the cultists became alarmed and confused at the sudden change; was this part of the ceremony?!

And just as quickly, the Herald began to burn away, her body flaking into energy that streamed back to the open doors, coalescing around a figure that began to walk through.

Their master?

The rangers, now lying in a heap as the Antipodes surrounded them, paused to watch—what was going on?! Was G'nrk'guglk'rib waking? The Antipodes, too, paused.

"Sel!" Trok shouted in confusion and worry, as the Herald vanished, her screams the last to go. The trails of energy that remained of her flooded through the door, to the new figure, who as they stepped through, became more defined. And it was…

"...Sel?" Sid asked, also confused. But it was true—at the doorway now stood Sel. Just Sel, no armor, no flames, just a teenage xybrian girl. But still, at the sudden shift and change of plans, the cultists seemed wary of her.

Sel eyed them, "...You should run" she said, raising the wrist with her morpher up to her chest, before pressing the 'morph' button. Instantly, the yellow ranger replaced her, now standing defiantly between the cult and the door to their god. They stepped back in shock and fear as she summoned her bow.

"Sel!" Trok shouted with relief at the sudden reappearance of his friend.

And then Sel laid into the cult, cutting down one with the blade of her bow, before spinning around and kicking another aside. They didn't stand a chance as she swung in, taking them down one by one. Finally, she sent Rydarn tumbling into the dirt. He looked up at her with a sense of confusion and loss.

"I don't understand. Where...where is our lord?"

"Not here" Sel replied with an uncharacteristic coldness in her voice, "Now run".

Rydarn lingered a moment longer, as if questioning her in disbelief, as if his god would come through just then and save him. But she fired a bolt from her bow, torching the dirt next to him, and what was left of his resolve finally shattered, as he and his group began to scatter, losing themselves elsewhere in the ruined city.

"Sel!" Trok shouted again, in gleeful enthusiasm as he raced over to her, before crushing her in a bear hug, "You're alright!"

She giggled, "I am! It's great to be back".

"Where have you *been*?" Sid asked in exasperation as he, Nikki, and Xolin rushed over to the other two.

She chuckled bashfully as she rubbed the back of her helmet, "It's...a long story". She received a brief hug from Xolin.

"It'll have to wait" Nikki said matter-of-factly, pointing to the assembling group of Antipodes, "We've still got company".

"A cute reunion" Epsilon cooed sarcastically.

"But we'll be taking the yellow ranger" Beta said, pointing her sword at the rangers, "Now".

The other rangers instinctively moved to shield Sel, but she pushed them aside, glaring at Beta, "I don't think so".

"Subject's gained a little bit of a mouth, huh?" Epsilon chuckled at Beta. The latter remained *very* unenthused.

"Then we'll take you by force" Beta growled.

"No offense guys" Trok said, "But do we have a plan here? Because they've been kicking our butts".

Sel lit up, "Actually, I think I've got something that can help" she said, before thrusting her morpher out. Golden energy crackled over it for a second, before a shining orb of golden power burst forth, rising above the rangers heads, its aura creating an unnatural but refreshing breeze that swept through the entire chamber.

Sid gaped at it, mouth open. He'd *seen* this before. Not in person, but like, history class, back at the academy.

"...The Lights of Orion?" he breathed, not understanding how Sel had them now. The Lights, as far as he knew, were still on Mirinoi, back home.

"Not...exactly" Sel said with a lopsided grin. The orb broke apart, into four fragments, each of which chose a ranger—red, blue, green, and yellow, entering into their morphers and surging through their powers. Each of them felt a warm presence fill them with energy. A new status appeared on Sid's morpher's holoscreen.

"...The Lights of Andromeda?" Sid laughed in disbelief, "...How? Where?" he turned to Sel, "We have to have storytime later, missy".

She laughed earnestly, "You got it. For right now? It's a gift. From a friend".

"So...are we ready to wreck some shit?" Xolin laughed in anticipation, still feeling the new powers coursing through her.

Sid grinned as the rangers assembled, "Oh yeah. Ready?"

"Ready!" Xolin, Sel, and Trok shouted in unison. Nikki wisely stepped back.

"Lights of Andromeda!" the four shouted together, "Activate!"

In a burst of light, golden armor formed around the rangers—around their chest, wrists, upper arms, thighs, boots, and belts. It was certainly mystical in design, contrasting with but still somehow complimenting the technological design of their suits. As the new armor formed, the excess energy let off behind them, creating a massive explosion.

"Hyiah!"

"Ooooh, this is *so* cool" Trok exclaimed with giddiness as he looked over his new armor.

Xolin looked over herself as well, "I feel like I could just...I dunno" she chuckled a little as the power coursed through her, "I just have so much energy..." her attention was drawn to her boot armor, where two large but streamlined protrusions came out of the back, "...Wait, are these..."

Twin jets of blue energy shot out, propelling Xolin a couple feet into the air. Likewise, two more blue jets popped out of her backside, where her shoulder blades were, "Oh, holy shit, yes they are!"

Trok looked over the similar protrusions covering their new gauntlets, "...Wait, then that means..." twin green lances of energy shot out, creating fine blades. Trok giggled a bit despite himself, "Oh wow. Okay yeah, these are officially the best thing".

Beta growled in abject rage as her quarry got further and further from her. What was with today and its constant upsets?! "Take them down" she ordered Delta and Epsilon, "Subdue the yellow ranger. The rest? Kill 'em".

"With pleasure" Epsilon said, cracking her knuckles. They rushed forward.

"Alright kids, round two" Sid ordered with confidence as Xolin's feet once again touched the ground, "You know the drill! Pick your targets, take 'em fast and hard!" With that, he rushed headlong into battle, the others following his lead.

Launching into a flying kick, jets flying behind her, Xolin rammed into Beta. The armored warrior fell back in defense, before meeting to parry Xolin's blows. She tried anyway; after the first two blocks, Xolin simply became too fast for Beta to keep up with; Xolin locked her grip and began slamming her wrist into Beta's chest repeatedly, before pushing her away and sweep kicking her foe, blue energy shooting out from her boot as it impacted.

"You will regret this!" Beta seethed.

Xolin chuckled, "Not as big a fan when the tables are turned, huh?" The blue ranger swung back in, launching another powered kick before flipping around and delivering a series of powered slashes with her wrist energy blades. Beta had no solution for this, and sparks exploded off her suit as she fell and rolled away.

Her suit smoking, Beta pulled herself up, even as her form was haggard. "Insolent girl!" she shouted, pulling out her swords and charging them with energy, "Prepare to burn!" Beta thrust her blades forward, allowing waves of cascading energy to fly forward at Xolin. The blue ranger leaped up, her jets propelling her into the air, evading the attack as it impacted behind her, causing a large explosion as she came down, flipping around and down as she landed another kick. The blue ranger then flipped over Beta, evading her next strike as she came in down behind her, slicing down with her energy blades. Beta staggered forward from the hit. She spun around swinging, but Xolin had already backed off.

Xolin's powers went into overdrive, charging up as she prepared her next attack. Beta came at her, wild and desperate, but in the blink of an eye, Xolin had cut straight through her, emerging out the other side. Beta staggered and sputtered as her suit exploded into sparks and smoke, before she finally keeled over. Xolin turned to see her handiwork, wearing a smug grin under her helmet.

Sid, meanwhile, was busy defending against Epsilon's incoming attacks. The orange warrior had summoned magic energy spears, flinging them around with her mind as Sid continually dodged, trying to get a good shot in.

Epsilon laughed as she hovered in midair, as Sid barely evaded a wall of spears, "What's wrong, red ranger? Looks like you need to work on your cardio!"

Just then, Sid's red energy blades extended, and he cut through a pair of spears coming right at him. Epsilon's jovial mood dropped in favor of sudden shock, "What".

Sid pointed his left blade at her, "Okay, I gotta say? I'm supposed to be the funny guy with the clever quips. Stop taking my shtick".

Epsilon's response was to summon more spears, before flinging them all at Sid, as if akin to a storm. "How about I kill you instead? Then there won't be a problem".

Pulling his arms back, Sid swung them out in a wide arc, cutting through each of the spears like butter. Before Epsilon had a chance to react, Sid launched into the air, spinning around into a charged up kick. He rammed into her, continually kicking as his thrusters sent both of them flying away from the rest of the battlefield, until Epsilon flew into a wall, her suit sparking as Sid's thruster blades impacted her against the ruin. She fell to the ground, landing in a heap a several feet away from where Sid landed on his feet. The red ranger turned around as Epsilon staggered to her feet.

"Do all of us a favor" Sid said, "Leave".

Epsilon had no witty retorts. She simply charged with a guttural roar. She charged up her fists and fired electricity as she closed the distance between the two of them. Sid however simply split his arms apart, creating a defensive energy shield that blocked the attack until she got close, at which point he spun around, coming down with his powered up boot, slicing into her. Sparks ripped off her hull as the area behind her exploded, and she slumped to the ground, beaten.

Delta punched the ground, creating a shockwave that Trok and Sel leaped over, before running towards their opponent, arms outstretched. From their gauntlets, they fired an ongoing rapid series of laser bullets—green and yellow—as they rushed towards him. As they came within his striking range, the two diverged, flanking the larger warrior. Trok charged up his gauntlets striking at Delta with a series of superpowered punches. Delta swung down at him, but his larger fist was blocked by Trok's own, even as sparks emanated from the point of impact. Trok dropped to one knee, but his block held.

Several more yellow laser blasts impacted Delta's rear, before Sel jumped up, launching into the air before delivering a powered kick. She jumped off him, landing a few more laser shots from her feet. He swung at her, but she was already gone. Trok followed it up by slicing through him as he raced past.

"GRAAAH!" the armored warrior bellowed, "DIE!" he swung down on Trok again, who rolled out of the way.

"Trok!" Sel shouted worriedly as Delta's other fist came down. She again jumped up, landing another cutting blow from her foot on Delta's wrist. He fell back, and Sel dropped down to help Trok up.

"Ready?" she asked him.

He nodded back, "Ready!"

The two charged up their wrist gauntlets, and two seconds later four beams of green and yellow light shot forth, plowing into their target. Delta cried out in pain as he fell back, rolling over onto his back as Epsilon and Beta joined him in a heap, their suits all smoking.

The rangers regrouped as the three Antipodes pulled themselves back to their feet. Sid eyed his team and then gave the single, "Alright, time to wrap this up. Lights of Andromeda, Powerup Mode!"

"Hyiah!" the rangers shouted in unison as they ran at their foes in a tight line. Their bodies charged up, Andromeda's power fueling them as they raced faster and faster, until they became a single ball of light and fire, plowing through the Antipodes as if they weren't even there. The four rangers emerged out the other side, unharmed.

The same could not be said for the Antipodes, who sparked and sputtered, explosions going off all around them as they dropped. They fumbled about on the ground for a moment, before Beta finally called it in.

"Antipodes, pull back. Regroup back at base".

"What!?" Delta exclaimed.

"Just do it!" Epsilon snapped at him. A moment later, they had teleported out, leaving the rangers behind, who quickly began celebrating.

"That was AWESOME!" Trok exclaimed in post-powerup bliss.

"So" Sid said, his hand dropping on Sel's shoulder, "I believe you owe us a storytime".

"Well, I-" Sel was cut off suddenly as the entire ruin began to shake and rumble.

"W-what's going on?!" Trok asked, alarmed.

Xolin's attention shot over to the open doors to the other realm. Her blood ran cold as dark inky wisps of tendrils began to sneak through, "...We forgot about the portal".

"Oh no" Sel gasped, "He's free".

"We need a way to close that door, NOW" Sid said, even as Isdilian and Nikki rejoined them. Sid spoke into his communicator, "Iota!"

Iota's voice came through loud and clear, _"The Conduit's power has become self-sustaining. It'll take something greater to depolarize and break the link"._

"Like what?!" Trok asked, "The Conduit's channeling the power of an entire universe! How are we supposed to counter that?"

"...By channeling two universes" Sel said, the pieces suddenly clicking into place.

"...Uh..." Sid said, not entirely following her.

Iota replied, _"She's right. Thankfully, Sel and Isdilian are supremely suited to the task"._

"Sir" Isdilian interjected, "...Are you sure about this?"

"_It can't be helped" _said Iota, _"And eventually we would have revealed this anyway"._

"Revealed what?" asked Xolin.

"...Isdilian and I are conduits" Sel said, then turned to the silver ranger, "Aren't we?"

He nodded.

The others looked around at them, "Wait...what?" asked Xolin in bewilderment.

"...How?" Trok gaped.

Sid blinked, "...Okay, yeah, we're *definitely* getting storytime later".

"Can't wait to hear this one..." Xolin muttered as she shook her head, still bewildered.

As they talked however, the inky tendrils began to take form—indistinct at first, but growing. Before they knew it, it was already crashing through the roof—and still growing.

"Uh...guys?" Trok asked, concerned.

Isdilian frowned at the growing...thing, "Sel and I will deal with the Conduit and the door, the rest of you take the zords and keep him busy".

"You sure you're up to it?" Nikki asked him, a hint of suspicion in her voice, "You DID just spend the entire battle out of action".

"Lucky shot" Isdilian replied evenly, "I'm fine now".

"Hmm" the black ranger replied, "...How inconvenient for you".

"Alright, come on guys" Sid said, waving them off, "Let them do their thing. We got some robots to pilot".

"Oh, Trok!" Isdilian said.

Trok paused as they were leaving, looking back at the silver ranger, "Hm?"

Isdilian tossed a small device at him. Trok caught it in his hands, and his eyes widened when he realized it was the silver ranger's zord. "…Woah, are...are you serious?"

Isdilian shrugged, "You've piloted it before, right? Just bring it back in one piece".

Eagerly, Trok nodded, "Don't worry, I'll take good care of it!"

The silver ranger scoffed, though good naturally, "We'll see".

"Right, come on guys!" Sid said, then spoke into his communicator, "Iota, it's zord time!"

* * *

The beast crawled out of the ruins, growing ever further as it did. The Eltarian frigates that hovered at the city's perimeter didn't stand a chance; they opened fire, and were met with a sweeping particle beam from the beast's maw in response. Those that weren't outright destroyed quickly fell back even further, now certain that they were outmatched.

-And that was when a foot impacted the side of the beast's mouth. The Defender Megazord landed a short distance away within the ruins, soon joined by the Sentinel Megazord. The two titans faced off against the beast. It roared, before issuing another particle beam at the two zords. The attack sparked off against the zord hulls, causing explosions to rip across their chest sections. The cockpit shuddered as Sid, Xolin, and Nikki struggled to hold onto their seats.

"Direct hit!" Xolin reported, "Moderate damage to the hull. We can't take too many of those kinds of hits".

"Then we don't!" Sid replied, "Trok, flank 'em!"

From his cockpit in the Sentinel Megazord, Trok gave a thumbs up, "You got it!"

The two Megazords encircled the creature as the Defender Megazord went on the offensive. The black and gold robot punched the beast before grabbing hold, struggling to keeping the monstrous titan in place.

"Trok, now!" Sid ordered.

"Right!" shouted Trok, "Cosmic Blitz!" The Sentinel Megazord stood firm, opening all gun ports before it unleashed a maelstrom of firepower on its opponent. The finishing move had little effect however, as all it did was cause the black, inky hide of the monster to steam and smoke. It then turned its full attention on the megazord holding it, shrugging it off before slashing with its claws, and following up with a strike from its tentacle...tail...thing. The Defender Megazord stumbled back; and just in time to be hit with more tentacles in rapid succession. The robot slipped and fell, collapsing into the ruins.

The cockpit sparked and sputtered.

"Main power's offline!" Xolin said as her hands raced over the controls.

"Switching to axillary!" Nikki replied.

Sid's fist slammed into the side of his console in frustration, "Man, this guy's powerful".

"He's an Elder God, of course he's powerful" Nikki said, rolling her eyes.

The Sentinel Megazord moved in, attempting to hit the beast. Its arm was locked into the creature's maw however, and it bit down as electrical energy coursed up its limb, sparking as it did. Its mighty claws then dug deep into the megazord, as more energy snaked along the zord's hull. Then, upon pushing the zord away, the beast unleashed another swarm of inky tentacles, which impaled the Sentinel Megazord, causing more explosions. Trok suffered inside the damaged cockpit as the megazord was lifted up into the air by the tentacles, energy still flooding into the robot and overloading its systems.

The Defender Megazord's sword came down, cutting through the tentacles as the beast recoiled and the Sentinel Megazord fell back to the ground. The Defender moved between the two other combatants, defending the Sentinel. It fended off a few more tentacles, before another particle beam nearly vaporized it—the zord was saved only by its own summoned shield.

"Man" Sid muttered in distress, "I hope the others do their thing soon. We can't take this guy alone".

* * *

"So what's the plan?" Sel asked as the two rangers stood at the doorway.

Iota's voice came through their communicators, _"You need to resonate at the opposing frequency as the Conduit's. You'll have to feel for it—allow Isdilian to lead you if you must. With the door closed, the rangers should be able to defeat whatever little bit of the entity has already managed to escape"._

Isdilian nodded, and she nodded back, but Sel still had another question, "Why is it taking so long for Him to escape anyway? The door's already fully open".

Lasandra's voice responded, _"The best analogy I can make is it's like a computer. Gerkguglikrib is like a really large program, and the door is like a low-quality extranet connection. It's taking Him a long time to transfer his data over because He's just so large"._

Sel nodded; that made sense.

"_Are you in position?"_ Iota asked.

Isdilian nodded as the two rangers surrounded the floating conduit in front of the door, "Yes. Shall we begin?"

"_Yes. Do so immediately"._

"Right" Isdilian said, then nodded at Sel, "Follow my lead".

She nodded back, and the two of them began to summon their Morphin' Grid powers, a faint golden aura flooding over them and into the Conduit.

"Search out the Conduit's vibrations within the grid" Isdilian told her calmly, "Don't force it—just let it come to you, naturally. Feel it, and lock onto it".

Sel did as she was told. It was hard at first, she was unused to this, but between the Conduit and Isdilian's own aura that quickly began to synch with it, she soon found what she was looking for.

"Right" Isdilian said, "Now, follow my lead. We need to oppose the Conduit, reverse its polarity. If we can negate its frequency, we can not just cease its power output, but between us we can reverse it and close the door".

She nodded again, and followed his lead, matching his quickly changing frequency.

The silver ranger took a deep breath as they approached their target, "That's it. Now, the hard part".

"...Hard?" Sel asked. She didn't like the sound of this.

"On the count of three, we inject as much power as we can. And we keep injecting. You can feel how much power it's releasing, right? We have to match and exceed it".

"Wh-" Sel gasped. She COULD feel it's power, and she didn't like it, "But...I've never been able to summon that much energy!"

"It's dangerous I know, but together we can" Isdilian replied, "Are you ready?"

Sel gulped, trying to keep herself from hyperventilating at the thought. "I..." she took a deep breath and steadied herself. It would do no good to fall apart here, not after all that today had brought, "...I'm ready. I guess".

Not really, but…

"Right. On three" said Isdilian, "Follow my lead. One. Two. THREE!"

Their auras began to charge rapidly, quickly increasing in power as they expanded to the entire region close to the door. A torrent of Grid energy shot upwards, a pillar of power punching through what remained of the roof and reaching into the sky.

Sel pushed. She pushed HARD, trying to match Isdilian's quickly rising expectations. It was hard—it felt like her entire being was on fire. There was so much power flowing through her; it was terrifying, one wrong move and she'd be consumed from the inside out. That might even happen anyway; it was searing her soul and body and mind. She wanted to collapse.

But she had to keep going.

"Isdilian" she croaked out as her knees began to shake, "I—I can't-"

"You CAN" Isdilian shouted back at her, obviously struggling as well, "Don't you DARE give up. It'll kill us both. Do you understand me?!"

She understood; they'd already left the point of no return.

"FORWARD!" Isdilian ordered, "PUSH!"

She pushed. Spirits, she pushed harder than she'd ever pushed before. She couldn't see anything anymore; she was blinded by the white-hot pain. She could barely hear him. Her senses, her very existence in this world, were burning away.

But spirits, she kept pushing.

And then, it happened. The Conduit was finally overwhelmed. Not just matched, not just slowed down. It began to be reversed, its power falling away as now the new aura of power established by the rangers began to close the door.

"ALMOST...THERE!" Isdilian roared, "ALMOST…."

Sel channeled all of her remaining will into one last charge, one last offensive. All of her will; all of her being.

And then, there was white.

The next thing she remembered, she was laying face-down in the dirt. Her body felt like it had been through the workout from hell, and every inch of her muscles ached in the worst way. Somehow, she managed to drag herself into a sitting position, leaning against the fallen column. She glanced over, at the door.

It was closed. There was no portal, no unearthly glow, no nothing.

She breathed a sigh of relief, "...We did it". She giggled, exhausted, "We did it".

"Indeed" Isdilian said, equally exhausted, and sitting a few feet away, "...Good work".

Sel smiled warmly, "...Thanks".

A flash of light however, distracted them. They turned, and to their surprise, there stood Epsilon, the orange warrior they had faced. Both scurried to their feet—or attempted to anyway, neither got very far, due to their situation.

But Epsilon was obviously heavily injured as well, still clutching her side as her charred suit smoked. "Don't bother" she said, before grabbing the fallen Conduit, "I'm just here for the consolation prize". And with that, she was gone again. The two rangers slumped down again.

"...That...can't be good" Sel muttered. Isdilian said nothing, but Sel went for her morpher's communicator, "Iota, Sel here. I have some good news and some bad news..."

* * *

The Defender Megazord crashed into the ruins as the beast set upon it, slashing and cutting.

And then, suddenly, it howled, screaming as electrical energy sparked across its uncertain hide. Screaming an unholy roar as it reeled in pain, the creature backed off, stumbling through the ruins.

"What...what happened?!" Trok asked, as the Sentinel struggled to get back up from an earlier attack.

"It's Sel!" Sid exclaimed, "They must have cut him off from his source! He's no longer an Elder God, just a run of the mill monster". He paused, considering that statement, "I mean...okay, aside from the void-like appearance that makes it look like it was pulled out of deranged animation. Or the unsettling shapeshifting. Or its unbelievable power levels. But besides that".

Xolin's console sparked, "Too bad we're too damaged to do much about it" she said, "The monster's done a number on both megazords. Powers down, hull's heavily damaged".

Sid considered their options, "...We still have the Guardian zords. We can make a go of it".

"The auxillary zords?" Nikki eyed him incredulously, "You have to be kidding. They're built for support, not heavy assault. They don't have the power to take out a monster by themselves, especially not of his magnitude".

"Not alone, no" Sid said, "But together, I think they have a chance".

"I don't think we have a choice" Xolin replied, "The Megazords are down, and we'd need a few minutes at least to just get them back on their feet".

Nikki grumbled, but said nothing.

"Alright" said Sid, turning back to the battle, "Guardian Zords! Online!"

Five points of light emerged from the Defender Megazord, each a different color—red, blue, green, yellow, and dark violet. They grew in size, forming into full-fledged zords as they flew around, each opening fire on the monster. The beast reeled away, before returning fire with its particle beam. It missed—barely, but it was clear that the zords as they were weren't enough.

Sid hit his console, frustrated, "We've got the chance to beat him, but we don't have the means. We've got ships, but no Megazord".

And that's when his fist began to glow with the Lights of Andromeda, and then it began to flood into the console. Outside, the Guardian zords began to glow with a golden aura as well.

"...Woah, wait" Trok said from his cockpit, "What's going on?!"

Sid lifted his hand from the console, glancing at it, "I think...I have an idea".

"Fill us in?" Xolin asked him.

"If it works, it works" Sid replied cryptically, "Give me a minute". With that, Sid jumped ship, over to his personal auxiliary zord. "Okay, let's see if this does what I think it does!" he said, gripping the controls tight, and flooding his own Light powers into it. The five zords continued to power up, until...until…

GUARDIAN MEGAZORD: ACTIVATED

"Aw yeah!" Sid shouted with a grin, "We have green light! GUARDIAN MEGAZORD, ONLINE!"

Immediately, the five zords moved into formation as they began to transform. Green unfolded, forming the chest and upper legs. Red split apart, connecting to form the lower legs and lower backside. Blue flew in from behind, connecting to form the back and wings. Yellow also split apart, connecting to form arms and shoulderpads. From the wings in the back, a head flipped over and connected onto the top of the zord. The black zord unfolded and slide over ontop of the new megazord, forming armor over the chest, arms, and a helmet for the head. An ornate staff formed in its hands as it landed a short distance from the recovering monster, Sid at the helm.

"Guardian Megazord!"

"YES!" Trok punched his fist in the air from his own cockpit, "YOU GO, SID!"

"...Was that even in the zord design specs?" Nikki questioned curiously, "Did...did he just create a zord formation from wholecloth?"

"Never underestimate powerups" Sid grinned, as his new megazord assumed a fighting stance, "Now, let's see what this bad boy can do".

The monster fired its particle beam, but the attack was simply deflected by the Guardian Megazord's spear as it approached its quarry, the energy exploding harmlessly to its side. Then it deflected another particle beam, and another. Finally, the monster unleashed a flurry of laser shots. The ruins sparked and exploded, but the megazord simply powered on through, before landing a punch that caused the beast to stumble back. A second hit from its staff sent the monster reeling.

Several guns unfolded from the yellow zord, all across the megazord's arms, and a barrage of firepower unloaded itself on the monster.

Again the monster struck out, its tentacles wrapping itself around the megazord's limbs. It struggled, but it was soon clear that the tide had turned; the zord was being torn apart.

Or was it?

"I don't think so" Sid grunted, before igniting the megazord's thrusters. The zord took off, carrying the monster behind it into the sky. Sid flipped the zord about, slicing the tentacles apart with the staff before launching it like a spear at the beast. The spear powered up, charging through the monster and coming out the other side as it roared in pain. Still in midair, the monster grabbed hold of the megazord as they began to plummet, cutting into the robot. But just before they hit the ground, Sid re-ignited the jets, sending them flying through the ruins, crashing into building after building, before the megazord simply spun about, and strugging with the monster, kicked it away, using its foot thrusters to its advantage. The monster tumbled into another building as the megazord slide to a stop.

Then the megazord charged forward, its staff flying back into its hands as it rushed the beast. The monster responded with another particle beam, but a large rectangular shield unfolded over the wrist of the megazord's free arm, blocking the attack just before it charged in with its staff, striking repeatedly before stabbing the monster. It pushed the megazord away with a claw, but its second attack was blocked by the shield—again allowing the zord to strike with its weapon.

...Its other weapon too, as the arm cannons again unloaded themselves at point-blank range.

Sparks exploded over the monster as it stumbled back, roaring in pain.

From their cockpit, Nikki's face lit up—at least, as much as it ever did—as her attempts to get the Defender Megazord's power back online were finally successful, "We're back online!" she stated. With a determined grin, Xolin pulled the zord back to its feet. Trok did the same with the Sentinel as well—he'd been just as busy. They were damaged, but still functional.

The two megazords regrouped around the newest member of the fleet, each striking a defensive pose.

"I'd say it's high time we wrap this shit up, what do you say?" Sid asked.

Xolin smirked, "I'd say it's time for a Final Strike!"

The Defender Megazord leaped forward, spinning around on its axis as it became a whirlwind of whit energy with its sword at the front, cutting a clear path through the monster in a single quick motion.

"Cosmic Blitz!" Trok shouted triumphantly, as every gun on the zord primed itself in unison, collecting energy. What resulted was a hurricane of firepower, which impacted the ailing monster with unmatched ferocity.

"And now for the showstopper!" Sid said, "Zenith Phalanx!"

The Guardian Megazord spun its staff about in a circle, gathering energy as it did so. When it was at its peak, the Megazord swung down with all its might in a diagonal slash, its charged-up weapon ripping through its foe. Then it repeated its strike with a diagonal attack in the other direction. Finally, charging the staff even higher, it thrust forward, impaling the monster before the head of the staff began to spin, golden energy spiraling around it. The beast was torn apart, a giant hole now dominating its midsection as it stumbled back, sparking for a moment before finally keeling over and exploding in a gigantic blast of energy. All that remained were the three megazords, and not one trace of the monster.

"YES!" Trok shouted in joy, "Score one for the good guys!"

"WOO!" Xolin shouted, lounging back in her seat. Nikki rolled her eyes.

Sid just collapsed into his seat, exhausted, but content.

* * *

Beta grasped her side in pain, her armor smoking and damaged as she stumbled into her seat on the Antipodes' personal transport. What a day. They'd failed on every front—failed to get the xybrian, failed to get the Conduit, failed against Iota's rangers. At...least the xybrian was still alive?

Kind of a shitty consolation prize, truth be told; but at least their plan wasn't completely screwed. Through no effort of their own, though. She hated feeling so...powerless.

Ugh. Today had been a bad day. Delta hadn't said anything since they'd teleported out, and Epsilon had vanished again soon after. Actually, that was why they hadn't left this godforsaken planet yet—Epsilon had said she'd be right back. Honestly, Beta didn't have a clue what that could be, but at the same time, she didn't care. Epsilon always had her little projects.

"I'm back".

Speak of the devil. Beta turned in her seat to face the orange Antipode, "So what was that little trip all about".

Epsilon shrugged nonchalantly, "Oh, you know. Getting us the consolation prize".

Beta eyed her suspiciously, "Consolation prize?"

With just a hint of smugness, Epsilon pulled a small device out from behind her back—a very familiar device, in fact.

"Is...is that..." Beta sputtered in surprise.

Epsilon laughed, "The Conduit? Yeah. Nicked it off the rangers right when they closed that portal or whatever it was. I've also encased it in a personal force field so it doesn't have any...erm, unintentional side effects".

Beta laid back in her seat, feeling a little bit better about today now, "Alpha will be pleased, good work".

Epsilon shrugged, "I try. Now come on, let's go home. I've had enough action for one day".

Beta chuckled as she turned to start the ship's takeoff sequence. She agreed wholeheartedly.

* * *

"You know, we've been at this for a year, but I don't think we've ever been um..." Trok trailed off, as he watched another set of fireworks go off in the distance in the night sky. They stood on one of the terraced sky towers, in a large commercial complex of the Eltarian capital. It had been decked out in festival garb; lanterns and food stands dominated the courtyard.

"...Celebrated?" Sid offered. Trok nodded, and Sid continued, "Yeah, it's...been kind of a long time, honestly. Like, the Peacekeepers were undercover for the long time, and then there was the war and...yeah, you're right. I've kind of forgotten what it's like to just be...appreciated".

Xolin scoffed, "You know they aren't actually celebrating *us*, right?" she asked them, "Just the near-apocalypse that was averted".

"Eh" Sid shrugged, "Same difference".

More fireworks went off. This entire festival was in their honor—they'd unequivocally saved Eltar, after all, and the Council had quickly signed off on the after party.

"It doesn't help that the Confederacy just...isn't that fond of superheroes" Trok sighed sadly, "It'd be nice if we could get more respect back home".

Sid shrugged, "Such as it is. We're not in it for the accolades anyway through".

"I know" Trok said, chastened, "I just said it'd be nice, a bit. You know".

Sid gave him a sad smile, "I know. It's rough, sometimes".

Xolin glanced over at where Sel lay, dozing in her seat. She'd zonked out pretty quick, which was no surprise, considering. Isdilian has just outright went to bed back on the Megaship. Xolin gave soft chuckle before turning back to the others, "So...do we believe Iota's story?"

Sid looked at her, "What, that he happened to uncover the Antipodes plot months ago and rescue Sel and Isdilian after they were created as some sort of mad experiment? Psh, no"

"That's what I thought" Xolin muttered, "So, any theories on why Iota and those 'Antipodes' look so similar?"

"A few" Sid grunted, "And I don't like any of them".

She sighed, "That's...also what I figured".

Trok rubbed his arm self-consciously, "You guys ever feel like something's coming?"

"Howso?" asked Xolin.

Trok shrugged, "I dunno, just like...I dunno. The Conduit, the Antipodes, Briefcase Dude, Sel and Isdilian being mad science experiments or whatever...it feels like something's gonna happen".

"The Antipodes DID make off with the Conduit" Sid mused, concerned, "Iota wasn't too happy about that".

Xolin nodded soberly, "What do you think they're going to do with it?"

Sid sighed, shaking his head, "I haven't a clue. Wish I did".

Fireworks continued to go off.

"Ah" Xolin grumbled, "What are we doing? We won! Let's go celebrate. We can worry about conspiracy theories later, huh?"

Trok's face lit up, "I'm hungry".

"You're always hungry" Xolin said, rolling her eyes.

"Well, good think I know where the food court is" Trok grinned, leading them away.

"Where it is?" Xolin asked sarcastically, "It's *everywhere*. It's a festival, we're literally standing inside it".

"Like I said!" Trok replied happily.

Xolin just rolled her eyes, though good-naturedly, following the horathean as they took a look at each stall. They'd worry about the future another night. Tonight, they deserved a break.

Sid remained behind, glancing at the sleeping Sel. She'd not yet divulged the entirety of her adventure; she'd been pretty wiped by the events of the day, and it hadn't been super long before she'd simply zonked out. He gave her a wane smile, then returned his attention to the fireworks. Not really though—he was too busy thinking about other things now. His brow furrowed.

* * *

"A dangerous game you're playing, Iota. Whatever it is" said Lasandra. She stood in his office on the Megaship, ordering a cup of tea from the synthatron.

"How do you mean?" Iota asked, sitting in his seat.

She glared at him, "Please. Lie to your subordinates if you must, but don't lie to me. I've been a politician for thousands of years, and a mage for long before that. I *know* bullshit. I don't know what your game is, but I do know it's dangerous".

"I have everything under control, don't worry" Iota replied, not elaborating.

"You have two children with raw open connections to the Morphin' Grid, and more than a few other kids asking questions and poking holes in your story. I don't think that's what 'under control' means".

"There are always risks" Iota sighed, for the first time showing just how worn out he was, "In truth, today came close. But at the end of it...for what it's worth, I do believe it will all be over soon".

"What will?" asked Lasandra.

Iota mused at himself for a moment, contemplating his response, contemplating how much he wanted to reveal, "My sin" he said at last.

"You know those two will die" Lasandra said matter-of-factly, "The conduits, I mean. You, or the 'Antipodes', or whoever, you've played god here. You've done what never should have been done".

"I've done many things that can never be forgiven" Iota said quietly, "All I can do is play my part to the bloody end".

"And when they burn out?" asked Lasandra as she sat down, "What then? There's a reason conduits are so rare—they're difficult to make and require high knowledge of science and magic that civilization today barely grasps at. They're dangerous, unpredictable, and self-destructive, channeling that much power. And that's when we're talking about inanimant objects; artifacts specially designed to house that sort of power, to interface with the Grid directly. But those kids? They're organic, they aren't built to contain that sort of energy. They'll continue to increase in power, before they literally burn from the inside out". She actually shuddered a bit, before taking a sip of her drink, "What a horrible way to die".

There was a moment of silence between them.

"I am a monster" Iota admitted, "I do not deny that. I do not seek penance, or salvation. I only seek to halt what has already been set in motion. And if I have to have a bit more innocent blood on my hands, then I will gladly accept that burden to stop what comes next".

"And what comes next?" asked Lasandra, earnestly.

Iota looked dead ahead, staring at the wall as the replied, "Armageddon. The end of all things".

* * *

Nikki sat in her room, scanning over her internal systems one more time, just to be sure everything was in working order. She'd been dealt a heavy blow by the Man with the Briefcase, and despite her numerous hardware and software backups, she was paranoid like that.

Wouldn't you be?

...Huh. That was odd. There was a hidden file on her hard drive that was encrypted. She'd never noticed it before, how was that possible? Any scan deep enough should have found it, and she'd run countless scans over the years, and yet…

Could it have been a virus? Something left by the Man with the Briefcase? Except no, he didn't attack her via cyber methods, he'd just overloaded her databanks with useless junk. And this was...this had been saved shortly after her er...well, re-creation, after her program had been saved by Confederate forces. But she hadn't made it, had she?

She didn't know the encryption code. How...odd. Maybe the Man's attack and subsequent backup loading had lodged something loose? But if so, where had it come from? Why was it encrypted? And why was it so large? Several thousand terabytes of data—not AMAZINGLY huge, considering, but certainly something of SOME weight.

Huh. She was stumped.

What could it be?

Frustrated and immensely curious (and still very concerned and cautious), she constructed a background task—a lower-level process would begin the process of trying to break the encryption. It would take a long while, but maybe someday she'd know the answer.

Maybe.

* * *

_**T-minus 14 Days to Zero Hour**_

_**To Be Continued...**_


	24. 2x11: Transitions in Character

Honestly, it shouldn't have been this hard. It was a simple flux junction connector, he'd put numerous ones together before, so why wasn't it working now? He'd checked over the full device just in case it was something *else* he'd overlooked, but no, no, there couldn't be.

Could it?

AUGH.

He hated troubleshooting. Why couldn't things just work the first time? Now he was driving himself nuts double-guessing himself over a simple lifeforce scanner-slash-calculator-slash-laser gun-slash-minesweeper mobile game. Trok sighed in exasperation as his head landed on the table in the workbay.

"Your power converter is insufficient".

The horathean looked over at the karovian sitting next to him, "...Huh?" he asked.

Isdilian sighed nonchalantly as he cleaned out the parts of his ranger sidearm, "Your power converter. You forgot to upgrade it when adding in all the other...devices" he said, choosing his words carefully, "It's not channeling enough power through to the addons".

Trok blinked. Oh, huh. Yeah, that probably WOULD be the problem. How'd he miss that?

"...Oh" he said, dumbfounded, "Um, thanks".

Isdilian shrugged and returned to his work.

Trok eyed him, "You know, you work on those every day".

"Just standard cleaning and diagnostic routine" Isdilian replied, "You don't check yours enough".

Trok shrugged, "I've never had a problem with my gear. I think you're just a little obsessive about it, is all".

"There is no such thing when it comes to preparing for battle" Isdilian replied, "Battles are won long before they are fought, through preparation".

"I'll take your word for it" Trok replied.

The karovian paused, "...Are you familiar with Sun Tzu?"

"...Who?"

Isdilian sighed, "He was a famous terran general during their bronze age. Wrote 'The Art of War'. Very important".

Trok blinked, then became incredulous, "Why does it seem like everything important is terran in origin?"

Isdilian began reassembling his blaster, "Would you prefer Phsai the Conqueror, leader of the Koralis Stellar Dominion?"

"...Who?"

Isdilian sighed.

Across from them, on the other side of the room, Xolin grumbled to herself as she reluctantly dug into her breakfast. Occasionally she'd glare over in the direction of the other two chatting rangers.

"...Problems?"

She looked up, seeing Sid having just grabbed his own food from the synthatron. He sat down next to her. Xolin grumbled, looking back in the direction of Trok and Isdilian, "When did Trok get so chummy with him?"

Sid eyed the other two, then back at Xolin, "I dunno, after that last mission yesterday, I think. Weird shit happened on Eltar".

"...Doesn't it bother you?" she asked him, pleadingly. Sid shrugged half-heartedly, not entirely sure what she was getting at. She continued, "...Trok's making nice with *the enemy*".

Oh boy. Sid grunted before chewing his food, "...You know, it's never a good sign when we start actually labeling people as 'The Enemy'."

"He tried to kill us" Xolin deadpanned.

"I know, I know" Sid sighed, catching sight once more of the two on the other end of the room, "I'm uneasy around the guy too, but I trust Trok. And Sel, for that matter. If anyone can get through to him, they can. And who knows, maybe they can convert him to our side".

"...Do you *ever* turn off the strategy part of your brain?" Xolin asked him with a grin.

He snickered, "Nope".

Xolin's smile faded as she watched Isdilian giving Trok pointers on something, "...I just worry. It's his best quality, but sometimes Trok's TOO trusting. And we know Isdilian's under Iota's thumb..."

"You know what your problem is?" Sid asked her, before tipping the remains of his bowl of cereal into his mouth, "You worry too much".

"You apparently don't worry enough!" Xolin shot back at him, surprised at this. She'd thought she was on the same page as him. Was everyone going mad?

"Oh no, trust me. I worry" Sid shot a glare at the unmorphed silver ranger across the room, a darkness clouding over his expression, "...But there's nothing my worry can do right now. We've watched Iota for a year with few moves on his part, and all our theories just went up in smoke on Eltar. I can't stop Trok or Sel from making friends. It wouldn't be right, and they'd hate me for it. All I can do is trust them". He chuckled to himself, "And maybe take a page out of Trok's book".

"So you're giving up?"

"Not at all" Sid replied, "I'm always watching everyone like a hawk—most of all Iota and Isdilian. But until they make a move, all I can do is wait. To try and be preemptive—that's the kind of shit that gets people exiled from their homeworld because I didn't think". Sid gave Xolin a knowing glance.

She looked away, "...He forgave you, you know".

"Doesn't make it right" Sid replied glumly.

Any further conversation died however, when the next member of their team finally staggered her way through the door. Sel looked a mess—hair frazzled, eyes bloodshot, and a sour expression on her face.

"Sel!" Trok called happily as the yellow ranger slouched into the room. She mumbled at him in passing, before forcing herself over to the synthatron, planting her head against the wall and letting a whimpering moan out.

"...You look like you were run over by a train" Sid mused.

"Or hungover" Xolin added quizzically, "I don't *remember* you drinking last night. In fact, you were out like a light before the fireworks even started".

Sel moaned again, not moving from her spot, "Everything hurts and is terrible".

"It was likely the first time she's channeled that much grid energy" Isdilian said, "Back at the ruins. Her body's not used to that kind of power".

Xolin eyed him suspiciously, "You did the same thing. So why aren't you doubled over?"

Isdilian deadpanned, "It was her first time, as I said". He caught sight of Trok playing with part of his sidearm. The karovian grabbed the object, giving the horathean an unamused expression before Trok handed the part back to him with a sheepish grin.

Sel moaned again, weakly, "Please make the lights stop screaming".

"Here" Sid got up and punched a few controls of the synthatron. A mug materialized, full of some sort of yellow-ish liquid. He handed it to a very confused Sel, "It's orange juice. Drink it, trust me". He led her over to the table, letting her sit down before returning to his own seat. Sel eyed the drink suspiciously, before cautiously tasting it. Surprise, then enjoyment swept over her face, before she took a bigger drink.

"So...what happened, exactly?" asked Trok, bounding over to the other three. Isdilian remained where he was, "One minute you were with us, and the next...well, and then you were possessed or something but except that you then...evaporated I guess except you came through that glowing portal thing right after and-"

"Trok" Xolin cautioned him.

"Right, sorry".

"She is going to have to answer soon enough" Isdilian said, "Iota is going to want her debriefing as soon as possible".

Sel looked down at the mug she was cradling, contemplating her answer. "I was...teleported, I guess. The conduit resonated with me somehow, I guess since I'm the same thing. Sent me to that cult's home base. Don't ask me why, I don't know. Maybe...maybe He was calling me to Him".

"Why you and not Isdilian?" Trok asked, looking back at the karovian, "He's a conduit too, right? And he was in the same room".

Sel thought back, to Andromeda, catching sight of her just before she was led through the rabbit hole. "I...don't know" she lied.

"...What happened with the cult?" Sid asked, both curious and concerned.

"They..." Sel took a deep breath as the memories flooded back, her fingers clenching the cup, "They sacrificed me. I think. Held me down in front of an idol of their god and then...next thing I knew, I was...elsewhere".

"Elsewhere?" Xolin asked.

Sel pondered, "It...it was like a dream. Like lucid dreaming. Things would shift and move. I'd go through a door and end up someplace else. I was told it was the Morphin' Grid. Or...maybe like a mixture of the grid and subconcious thought or...something. Like a dream realm, where time was...fluid, I guess". Sel tried to recount the words Andromeda had used, "...The underlying subconscious of the universe. Where dreams and concepts go".

Trok digested this, "...We know that the Morphin' Grid is the source of lifeforce energy in the universe. It actually makes a bit of sense that if someone were to tap into the grid's underlying vibrations, under certain circumstances, one might be able to translate that into memories or images of events long since past".

"What like...some sort of telepathy?" Xolin asked him.

Trok frowned slightly, "Not...exactly, but various alien psychic powers may have their basis in that. It's more like...an afterimage. A library of what once was. When something dies, its lifeforce energy dissipates, returning to the grid to be reused, kind of like how matter can't be created or destroyed. Memory imprints could be carried along".

"An afterlife?" Xolin asked, curious.

Trok shook his head, "Nah, there's never been any indication that souls return to the grid. Think of it more as like..." he paused, considering his options, "Think of it like your bed—you might not be laying in it right now, but for a time it'll 'remember' where your body was. Or like, when you look at a bright light, and that blinds your vision for a moment. Stuff like that".

"...So, how did you get out?" Sid asked Sel, "And where'd you get those powers? The Lights, I mean". Truth was, Sid had always wondered where the Lights of Orion had come from—supposedly sentient, at least in a sense, it was like living grid energy. And now here was a second set—the Lights of Andromeda.

"I..." Sel hesitated. She thought back to Andromeda, thought back to her sacrifice. She thought back to how Andromeda had died for her, and now she was using her powers for herself. Andromeda had died, and Sel was still here, safe and sound. All Andromeda had wanted was to be free. Sel clenched her eyes shut, banishing the thought, "...I don't know. The powers...just came for me, when I needed them. I was up against...against the entity, and it...just knew, I guess. I dunno" she lied, agitated, "Can we talk about something else please? My head is killing me".

"Might have just been something the entity was holding onto" Trok theorized, "And if they're anything like the Lights of Orion, it makes sense that given the chance, they'd choose you over Him".

"...Yeah" Sel muttered morosely, looking away.

"Sounds like quite the adventure" Sid said, leaning back.

Sel whimpered, her forehead meeting the table, "Make everything stop please".

Sid chuckled, despite himself, "Anyone wanna go get princess here a pair of sunglasses?"

* * *

_**T-minus 13 days to Zero Hour.**_

* * *

**Power Rangers Peacekeepers**

**Season 2**

**2.11: Transitions in Character**

* * *

_**Four days later…**_

The rangers had gathered in the Megaship's briefing room within minutes of Iota's announcement, each of them seated at their normal places around the central table. Iota circled around them as he summoned a holographic display above the center, showcasing a planetary system of six and a single, dim orange star.

"The Vendandas System. Situated in the Ternan dwarf galaxy, it's one of many, many independent systems littering the border between the Alliance and the Confederacy" he said, indicating at the hologram, "After the first war, the region was turned into a buffer zone of sorts, and so numerous small-time powers were allowed to fill the vacuum. They declined membership in either the Alliance or Confederacy for various reasons, and the area was deemed too volatile by both powers to bother with recruitment.

"Bad news for them now, I'd imagine" Sid mused.

Iota nodded, "Indeed". The holographic projection zoomed in on the second world in the system—a deep green planet, "This is Liaria, one of the worlds that, after rising up with the other former Alliance worlds during the first war, declined to join with the Confederacy afterward, instead seeking isolationism"

"...Liaria..." Sid pondered, thinking back to his academy days as the name struck a bell, "...Aren't those the little furry wizard guys?"

Iota sighed, "Crudely put, but yes. The Liarians are a reclusive, but peaceful species with a high disposition towards magic—mostly of the nature and healing schools".

"So what's the problem?" asked Xolin.

Tapping a few more controls, red dots began appearing in orbit, three in total, "Approximately fourteen hours ago SPD warships were detected entering orbit. Three hours later, we received a formal request for assistance by their Supertribal Conclave. Peacekeeper Team Twelve has been ordered to intervene".

"So we go in, kick some ass, save some ewoks?" Sid shugged.

"Not...exactly" said Iota, "There are complications".

"Such as?" asked Isdilian.

"Communications with the liarians have confirmed that the Alliance is using their planet as some sort of testing ground for an experimental power inhibitor field utilizing their own magical prowess. Their magic use has been restricted, and all readings suggest that, yes, it would prevent ranger powers from operating".

"...Wait, what?" Trok asked, confused, "Power inhibitors need a certain frequency to work, that's why they're not practical—they can only target a specific ranger power".

"And usually, that is the case" Iota replied, "...Until today, it would seem. Utilizing liarian magic, the Alliance seems to have developed the perfect countermeasure to power rangers. More worrying, the Alliance should have easily been able to prevent the liarians from sending a distress signal".

"...It's a trap" Sid noted, realizing the gravity of the situation now, "...They want to draw Peacekeeper teams in to test their new toy".

"And, likely, to capture and interrogate them" Iota agreed, "It goes without saying that we cannot allow this weapon to get beyond prototype stage. We have to end this threat here and now".

"How do we do that without our powers?" asked Nikki, visibly annoyed by this turn of events.

A point of light appeared on the holo-planet's surface as Iota replied, "You will be making landfall on Argalis, one of the few city-level settlements on the planet, and the location where the device has been deployed. There, you will make contact with one of the Confederacy's agents. He's been our unofficial envoy to the liarians for a while now".

"Who is he?" Sel asked.

"He's..." Iota uncharacteristically hesitated, "...You'll know him when you see him".

Huh. That was less than reassuring.

"So" Sid recounted, "No powers, little backup, and a planet swarming with enemy soldiers with an experimental weapon. Have I about got it?"

"That would be correct, yes" Iota replied.

Sid clapped his hands together, "Awesome. Sounds fun. When do we go?"

"Within the hour" said Iota. He glanced around at the group, "Get what supplies you will require and meet down in the loading bay within that time. Remember that until the weapon is down, you will not be able to rely on your ranger powers. You will be teleported down from orbit—but we will have no way to teleport you back up".

"Won't teleporting just alert them that we're there?" asked Trok.

"True" said Iota, "But at the same time, considering the circumstances, we cannot afford to let you take the skycycles, or land the Megaship. You will simply have to move quickly upon landfall".

The team sighed, anxiety coursing through each of them. Iota eyed them one last time.

"Dismissed".

* * *

Click. Sid slid his pistol into its holster as he turned to the others, each of them getting ready for what he was fairly certain was going to be an exceptionally trying mission. Because, you know, they couldn't just have a breather after Eltar, no no. That wouldn't do.

Trok slung a sash of various devices—explosives, sensor arrays, and decoys—over his shoulder, glancing in Sid's direction and meeting his gaze as if looking for some confirmation. Sid nodded back to him.

"Remember to pack light; this is a stealth mission, not a heavy combat mission" Isdilian said as he checked his own rifle, "Nothing we have, sans ranger powers, will be able to stand up in an assault, and we need mobility above all else".

"Why do I get the feeling this is going to go pear-shaped real fast?" Sid muttered to himself.

"_Iota to rangers, we are nearly in position. Are you ready?"_

Isdilian scanned the room, each of the others giving him a nod or a thumbs up, and then replied through his morpher's comm channel, "Affirmative. Ready to teleport".

"_Understood. Jumping into normal space in three, two, one..."_

* * *

With a flash of light, the Megaship thrust itself back into regular spacetime, streaking at the green world like a runaway comet. Even before the SPD ships in orbit could begin to move to intercept however, it had already delivered its cargo, as six multicolored specks of light shot from its undercarriage, firing at the planet's surface. A second later, the Megaship veered off, before its engines roared to life once more and it zipped away to the system's outskirts.

* * *

Six points of light landed under the canopy of a thick, ancient forest, before fading away to reveal six young adults. It was night where they'd landed, though somehow they doubted they'd be able to see the sun under such a thick jungle canopy to begin with. It was calm and tranquil; fireflies (or their equivalent) fluttered past lazily, unaware of the tension that was building.

"No doubt they've already detected our arrival" Isdilian said quietly but urgently, slinging his rifle from his back, "We need to move, now".

Sid frowned, "...Not to worry anyone, but weren't we supposed to land in a city? What happened?"

Isdilian's face furrowed in concern as well as he looked around for any sign of civilization. Crap.

"...uh..." Xolin uttered, pointing upwards. The six unmorphed rangers looked up, and witnessed a sight to behold. All around them, the thick redwood-like trees shot upwards into a winding maze of branches—but that was not all. The branches were organized, set up as streets and pathways from one treehouse to the next, each well-lit by torchlight. Parts of the tree trunks themselves had been hollowed out (or perhaps they had simply grown around) for more interior space.

There was an entire arboreal city hanging several stories above their heads, stretching as far as they could see.

"...Oh" Sid managed, surprised.

"So how do we get up there?" Trok asked.

"Bigger question" Xolin added, "How do we hide in a city populated by people half our size?"

Isdilian spied a ladder attached to one of the trees. He began moving towards it, "Carefully" he said, waving for them to follow, "Now come on".

The team of rangers quietly made their way up the ladder, before slinking behind the corner of one of the huts, hidden by the long shadows cast by the magical torch lights that illuminated the tree city.

"Hey, you! Halt!"

The rangers tensed at the commanding soldier's voice. They spun around, prepping to attack, when they discovered that the command hadn't been directed to them at all. From their spot behind the hut, the team watched as two SPD soldiers rushed up to a lone liarian in the middle of the street. The lead soldier continued, "There's a curfew in effect, what are you doing out here?"

The liarian purred...something. It was too quiet for the rangers to make it out, but it obviously wasn't what the soldiers wanted, as the lead pushed the liarian, "Check his bag".

Trok moved to intercept, but Xolin grabbed him by the arm before he had a chance to blow their cover. She gave him a stern look.

"...We have to help him!" Trok glared back, pulling away.

"Help him, and we'll have every SPD soldier here on our asses within seconds" Sid grumbled. Trok relented, though very reluctantly.

"Come on, we're taking you in for questioning" the solider said, as the pair led the liarian away. Trok's form slackened.

Isdilian eyed him, "Often sacrifices must be made for the greater good".

"You're all heart" Xolin muttered flatly.

"Would you disagree?" Isdilian asked, "You stopped him for the same reasons". Xolin said nothing, but only gave him a deep disapproving glare, her fist clenching. Isdilian ignored her, "We need to find our contact. The longer we wait here, the more likely SPD will be to find us".

"How do we even find our contact?" Sid asked him, "Iota wasn't exactly clear on that". Ugh, this was so unprofessional.

"Well I would imagine it would be the contact who finds you" said a new voice from behind. The rangers jumped, then slipped into combat positions as they discovered, of all things, a varox standing behind them.

"Oh, are we going to fight?" the monster asked in a bored tone, "I had thought that would have alerted SPD to our presence, which would probably be a tad inconvenient considering. But if you really want to, I AM extremely fluent in almost forty-six kinds of martial arts, and I have an ion cannon installed in my suit".

"…'Almost' forty-six?" Trok asked, puzzled.

"Kavortian jiu-jitsu. A long story, involved a bag of pinecones and a walrus".

The team blinked, momentarily stunned.

The varox continued, "Well, come on, what are you waiting for? Like the boring one said, you need to get out of the spotlight before they find you. I know a safe place" he paused, considering, "Well okay no that's a lie, there are no safe places right now. But I know a place where we can have our little group meeting. Come on" he waved as he turned to leave. The rangers all looked at each other for some sort of sign that ANYONE knew what was going on. All they got was a hopeless and bewildered shrug from Sid.

"...I am not boring" Isdilian muttered under his breath as they began to follow.

* * *

"Ah, here we are. Home-sweet-home. Well, no, that's a lie, but it sounds nice, right?"

The rangers looked around at the small hovel they'd been led into, one of the 'buildings' housed within one of the trees itself. It was cramped and dimly lit, and certainly not for people of their size. They crouched down, kneeling and huddled together out of necessity.

"So can we assume you're the contact Iota told us about?" Sid asked.

"Well I would hope so!" the varox replied, "That would suck, wouldn't it? Assuming you've found your contact, but it turns out only to be a spy that leads you into a trap".

The rangers all tensed. The varox noticed the change in the room, and tried to deflect it, "No, no. I'm not a spy. Just pointing out that it would be very inconvenient, especially since I would be sabotaging my job".

"...Are you insane?" Sid queried in full honesty.

The varox pondered for a moment, "Hmm...the liklihood is low, I would imagine. I think I'd know if I was crazy. Anyway, shall we get down to business?"

"Who are you, exactly?" Xolin asked him.

"Me?" the varox replied, as if moderately surprised, "I am B'rnix, of clan Dershan, the pirates of the Ashlan Outer Rim. I'm also the Confederacy's diplomatic contact here on Liaria".

Trok scoffed, "...The Confederacy hired a pirate?"

"No, no" B'rnix said, cross, "I swear, kids today don't listen. I said my clan was full of pirates. I am not, which is obvious considering what we're doing can hardly be considered pirate work. Any more stupid questions or can we get to work?"

"Yes, yes. So what's the situation?" Isdilian asked, bringing the conversation back to order.

"The situation?" the varox thought for a moment, "...Situation's bad. SPD arrived on this planet half a day ago, and the liarians had no defenses against them. Since then they've instituted martial law in the major settlements and have rounded up as many members of the Conclave and regional tribal councils as possible. In fact, as of now only one member of the Conclave remains unaccounted for..." B'rnix turned causing everyone's gaze to shift behind him, where a female liarian stood. She purred something mostly unintelligible.

"...This is Chieftan Talaria of the Supertribal Conclave, formerly the ruling body on this planet. She uh, says hello" said B'rnix.

"Uh, hi" Sid waved half-heartedly, followed by a few of the others. He turned back to the varox, "So I don't get it. I thought this whole thing was a trap to draw in Peacekeeper teams. Why bother rounding up anyone who could send a message out?"

"Well, you're here, so I would assume the message got out and SPD has their guinea pigs right where they want them. Rounding up the Conclave just helps solidify their limited control until reinforcements can be received".

"So what's the plan?" asked Xolin.

B'rnix snapped his fingers, and a hologram emerged from his other palm that showed a three-dimensional layout of the city, "We have three objectives. The first, obviously, is to take out their power dampening field. Well, I mean, not first as in *first*, I mean first as in last". A beacon appeared on the edge of the city, where the tree bridges met with the elevation of the mountainside.

"...Why last?" Trok said, puzzled.

The varox shook his head, "Well, you wouldn't want to assault the power dampener when its shields are still up, would you?"

Isdilian grumbled, "...You never said anything about shields".

"I am now, aren't I? Kids today, no patience at all".

Sid tried to get back on track, "Okay, so...first we go and disable the shield generator. Where are they?"

Another beacon popped up...on the opposite end of the city. A collective groan went up amongst the group.

"...What, did you expect them to put the two next to each other?" B'rnix asked, sincerely confused by the reaction, "That'd defeat the purpose, I would think. Anyway yes, that's our second objective. The third objective is of course freeing the Conclave. With the native government free and their grand experiment a failure, I would anticipate a complete SPD retreat from this world. Liaria has few resources they'd need and it would just tie down manpower that's needed elsewhere in the war effort".

"...Let me guess, the Conclave's being kept on the OTHER other side of the city?" Sid grumbled.

"What? No, why would you think that?" asked B'rnix. Another beacon appeared, next to the shield generator, "They're being kept in the main SPD command post. Makes sense not to spread their expeditionary force out too far. I'd imagine the other tribal leaders they've rounded up are elsewhere, but that's due to distance more than anything, I'd imagine they'd be best to create multiple centralized outposts in each of the major cities until they got a larger force to finish sweeping over the planet. Obviously".

"...Yes" Trok said with a blank stare, "...Obviously".

"So...split up?" Xolin shrugged.

"That would be best, yes" said B'rnix, "Otherwise we'd be crisscrossing the city multiple times which would be extremely boring and unnecessary, not to mention giving the enemy time to collect themselves. We need the shield down first, and we need to leave a force there to defend it while the others take on the dampening field" he snapped his fingers again, closing his palm as the image vanished, "So! Boring guy takes the horathean and the triforian because I assume he's the leader. I mean, I assume you're the leader" he said, towards Isdilian before pointing at Sid, "Unless I'm wrong and Thing Two is leader, I'm not sure" both Sid and Isdilian were about to speak but were cut off, "Whatever, doesn't matter. You three go and track down the dampening field generator. The rest of us will make for the shield generator. Comments? Questions?" he didn't wait for comments or questions, "Yes, no, good. Let's go!" he headed for the door.

"Um..." Trok motioned back towards Talaria as they began to shuffle out, "...What about her?"

"...Eh?" B'rnix grunted, "Oh, her. She can stay here, whatever. Come on!"

He seemed to pull the rangers along with a frantic whirlwind of activity, without giving them a moment to sit and digest anything. They were starting to get whiplash from it all, and before they all knew it, the team was once again standing outside.

"Right, so we all have our objectives. Let's go!" said B'rnix as he pushed Sid along.

"Um..." Trok muttered, "We...don't have a map".

The varox paused, "Oh? Er...right" he tapped a few controls on his wrist, "There you go, coordinates sent. Though I'm sure it would be far more interesting and challenging if you went in blind".

"...Perhaps not" Isdilian grunted.

The varox stared at him for a moment before sighing, "...Kids today. No love for adventure. Very well, let's be off, shall we?"

"...Can we exchange team members?" Xolin asked, glancing towards Isdilian's form.

B'rnix shook his head, "No, no. No time for that. Besides, I've already carefully calculated the teams to be optimal to their strengths. Well, and a liberal application of Eenie Meenie Miny Moe, but I digress".

Sid's face bunched up in concern, "Wait wh-"

"NO TIME!" B'rnix exclaimed in annoyance as he pushed Sid forward again, "We can either stand around and debate nuance like a bunch of yokels, or we can do what we were assigned to do!"

Xolin frowned, but again glancing at Isdilian and then at the quickly vanishing forms of the other team, she wondered if perhaps she'd actually gotten off easy.

Isdilian sighed, a pressure building up in his temples. A migraine; great. Oh well, no helping it now, "Let's...just get this mission done" he grumbled, before leading Xolin and Trok off towards the mountain peak in the distance that the tree city was anchored off of.

* * *

The trip was mostly silent—for which Nikki was thankful for. Considering that their contact hadn't SHUT UP since meeting him, the deafening silence was gratifying. They moved from tree to tree, avoiding patrols and sentries as they went; which honestly wasn't *too* difficult considering the lack of SPD forces. With only three ships in orbit a few contingents on the planet—and having to deal with multiple major settlements—they were obviously spread thin. A good thing, to be sure.

The city itself was something almost out of a fantasy. With few exceptions, such as Aquitar's organic city pods, the rangers were used to cities of metal and glass. While not completely alien like Aquitar, the city here was still wholly organic—large road-sided tree limbs intertwining with each other to form complex walkways, buildings formed from hollowed-out sections of the massive redwood trunks, and stairwells spiraled around the trees, reaching up into the higher levels of the city. Many of the buildings weren't part of the trees—they were full-formed treehouses, hanging from limbs and branches, and connected by a large maze of loose bridges. Others existed on piers constructed out from the sides of the tree trunks, looking out over the thick forest below.

B'rnix kept above the group, leaping from rooftop to rooftop and keeping out of sight as he did so, as well as giving the others an outlook as they dodged from house to house.

...The downside of a tree city was that there were few alleyways.

Sid glanced around the corner, "Clear".

Sel and Nikki scurried around him. Above, B'rnix leaped to the next treehouse. Sid checked the holo-map on his morpher and grimaced—they were still many, *many* blocks away, and still several stories below.

"Ahead" came the varox's voice. They saw him pointing to a large spiral staircase embedded in the tree trunk ahead of them, which wrapped itself around the trunk tightly, before vanishing within the next layer of branches and leaves.

"Boy, you know what I miss?" Sid asked as he took in the staircase, "Desert planets. I miss desert planets".

Nikki sighed. She wished he'd shut up too.

"Desert planets don't provide good cover" B'rnix said, dropping down to the rest of the group, "Too open, too bright. It's why I don't go to Onyx often. Though, I guess they don't mind people in cloaks there, so it works out. Still though, less pretty".

Great, now he was talking again too.

"I dunno" said Sid, "I've been to some really neat desert worlds. Rynthar was cool, arches everywhere".

Great, now they were buddying up. Nikki's life was hell.

"If you like dusty old rocks perhaps" B'rnix replied.

"...Are we going anywhere, or would you two like a few minutes alone?" Nikki grumbled, waving at the staircase. Exasperated, she then left the group began and began climbing. Sel sighed blandly and followed suit. She'd been quiet as of late—well, actually, Sel was always quiet, but moreso than usual. Almost...depressed, if Sid had to guess. She really hadn't been the same since Eltar. At first he'd just brushed it off as part of her extended hangover, but it had been over four days now, and he was growing a little concerned.

Sid and B'rnix picked up the rear.

"So, a question if you don't mind me asking" Sid said to the varox.

"Hm? Oh, as long as it's not tedious, sure" the varox said offhandedly as he kept watch for patrols.

Sid chose his words carefully, "So...exactly how does a varox find himself in the employ of the Confederacy? You said your clan was a pirate group".

B'rnix scoffed, "Psh, not much to tell. Piracy and mercenary work is so...pedestrian, lowbrow. I wanted something with a challenge. I wanted something that would make people tilt their heads and go 'wait, really?' So I chose diplomacy. And godDAMN was I right".

"How does that work anyway?" Sid mused, "An entire race of bounty hunters and criminals. How does that..I dunno, function I guess".

To Sid's surprise, the varox chuckled, "A common misconception is that Varox society is *lawless*. It's not; there are rules and regulations and social conventions just like everyone else. It's methods are just a hell of a lot more violent. We're hunters, you see, apex predators by nature, and it's influenced every aspect of our society. We only travel in small packs, and we're constantly looking for ways to achieve dominance. Honestly, it's all rather dull once you've played the game a few rounds. Some poor asshole gets in over his head, becomes clan leader. Then he gets offed and replaced, who then mitigates all his potential rivals until someone offs him".

"...So how do you keep from killing off everyone then?"

B'rnix shrugged, "Fear, I guess" he laughed, "Also, we procreate like rabbits".

For a brief second Sid couldn't help but imagine what a varox was like under the suit. Unless...the suit WAS the varox in which case where did...no. No, best not to go down that rabb—oh goddamnit.

B'rnix paused.

"...What's wrong?" Sid asked as the rangers stopped.

The varox grumbled, "...I think we've been discovered".

Nikki frowned, "...How would you even—" she never got a chance to finish that question—two laser bolts coursed just past her face from below. Looking over the staircase's edge, the rangers saw two armored SPD soldiers with their rifles aimed and ready for another shot. Sid returned fire with his pistol, but missed.

"...What are you doing!?" the varox hissed, "You want to attract every patrol in this sector?!"

"A little late for that" Sid replied, dodging a laser blast from behind a torchlight before firing again, "And I'd rather not die from lasers. Get everyone up to the next level, I'll be right behind".

B'rnix nodded before turning to the others, "Hurry! Follow me!"

Sid let loose another salvo, knocking one of the soldiers down as he began to move up the steps himself, around the side of the tree trunk and out of sight—and not a moment too soon, as more patrols were beginning to swarm in, no doubt heading for the staircase.

"We need to move, now!" Sid called out, now racing to the top of the steps to the next level, "We've got company!"

B'rnix hissed, looking around at the level they were on now. Wait, this was the Hynernex tree, wasn't it? Yeah, which meant...he made a quick pass for what he was now looking for. A bit of loose bark—there!"

"Follow me!" he said, waving at the rangers, before pulling the bark aside and revealing a passageway into the tree, "In here, quickly!"

The rangers scrambled in, with B'rnix following them and closing the bark behind him. Moments later, the soldiers caught up, but found that the trail had gone cold.

* * *

The monster slid the rook piece into position. Commander Zeldar frowned; he should have known better than to challenge a game-themed monster to a round of chess, but he'd been extremely bored while waiting to close his trap. And so here he was, facing off against a rather hodge-podge creature. The monster had the visage of a court jester, but his body was littered with assorted game-themed objects; playing cards, chess pieces, a couple of tennis rackets, and...was that a batter's mitt? He'd been hired on as a mercenary for this mission, a way to help seal the trap once it was sprung.

"Your move!" the monster, 'Game Master' he was called, said with glee.

The siriusian commander pondered his next move when there was a knock at the door to his office.

"Come in" he said, and one of his lieutenants entered the room, a data pad in his feline claws. He turned it over to the commander as he made his report.

"Patrol scouts in sector twelve of this city have encountered the team that we detected landing, presumably heading for the shield generator. It's...odd, though".

"And why is that?" Zeldar asked as he scrolled through the data provided.

"The group the patrols encountered was only about half the size of the one we detected land" the cat-person lieutenant said, "We're missing some".

A smile formed on the sirusian's mouth, "...They've split up their forces. Excellent, that'll make our task easier" he turned to the monster, "Game Master, are you ready?"

The monster seemed startled at first, but quickly jumped to attention with a salute, "Yes, sir! Where should I go?"

"Make your way over to the power dampener. We can't have anything happen to our new toy, can we? And make sure you give our...guests a proper SPD welcome, hmm?" In truth, he hated working with such a base creature. Technically the monster was labeled as a 'mercenary', but in truth that just disguised what he really was—a prisoner. Several counts of vandalism and extortion across Alliance space, until he'd finally been caught and carded. Now, like many others who had at one time filled SPD's card prisons, Game Master had been released with the promise of freedom for his continued support for the war effort.

This was what the war had reduced SPD to—conscripting useless criminals to fill its ranks. It couldn't be helped of course, there simply weren't enough ranger teams to deal with the heavy lifting that normal soldiers could not perform.

"Yes sir! Sounds like fun!" the monster giggled as he skipped out of the room. Commander Zeldar's calm smile didn't leave his face as he moved his knight on the chessboard, taking one of Game Master's pawns.

The lieutenant tilted his head, squinting slightly, "...Was that supposed to be a metaphor or something?"

The canine alien didn't reply, instead his smirk only got wider.

* * *

The other end of the city gradually met up with the ground as the terrain below began to slant upwards at a steep rate. While Some of the higher levels of the city continued to climb with the smaller alpine trees, the lower levels slowly phased out, replaced by the dusy trails on the side of the mountain that stretched up to the summit. It wasn't a terribly tall mountain—a foothill at best by most estimates, but it was the first of many that led into a majestic chain in the distance. This foothill however, was important because Xolin, Trok, and Isdilian's goal lay at the peak.

Trok checked his morpher again, "Scanner's still reading a defensive energy signature shielding the summit" he said.

"The shield's still up. We'll have to wait until the others are able to take it down, however long that takes" Isdilian relied.

"What should we do in the meantime?" the horathean asked him. Xolin's eyes narrowed almost subconsciously; he was asking HIM for advice. Not Xolin, the asshole. Yes, objectively she knew Isdilian was the leader and it made tactical sense, but she couldn't deny that stung just a little bit. He'd just gotten so close to Isdilian all the sudden. It bothered her.

The karovian eyed the slope ahead of them, "...We need to scout. Keep together though; with comms down, I don't want to risk spreading us out any more than we have to. But we need to know exactly what we're up against at the top. Keep low and out of sight".

And so the three began to make their way up the rocky incline. It wasn't TOO far of a walk—again, this was but a foothill that only rose a moderate amount above the canopy below, and as they began passing rock formations they saw it—sitting on a large but flat rocky outcropping that dominated the peak, was the SPD base. It wasn't huge; more of a hastily-built outpost constructed from prefabricated modules, and ringed by catwalks. In the center and just behind the main building a large tower device sat, shimmering under the protective energy shielding.

"...How many patrols?" Xolin asked, even as she tried to get a better look.

Isdilian peered out at the construct, "Hard to tell from here. We'll need someone to get closer and scout it out".

"I thought you said you didn't want to split up" Xolin replied crossly.

The karovian eyed her, "What I said was that I don't want to thin our forces out. If one person goes while the rest of us wait, they'll have an easier time of linking back up with us if things get too hot. But I don't want all three of us in there—the more of us there are, the more likely we'll be discovered".

"And let me guess, you're too important, right?" she egged him on, "So it'll have to be one of us".

Isdilian groaned, "It can be any of us. If it makes you feel any better, we can draw straws".

"I'll do it".

Xolin and Isdilian both turned to Trok. Xolin gaped, "...What? Trok, it's near suicide!"

He shrugged, "Our JOB is near suicide. Besides, I'm the one with the most toys" he pointed to his sash, "It's a quick in and out job, right?"

"As it stands" Isdilian confirmed.

"Okay, see, here's my problem" Xolin hissed as she rounded on Isdilian, "You're WAY too eager to send him up there, and right after you buddied up to him too".

"...What are you implying?" Isdilian glared back at her, his patience quickly reaching its end.

"Xolin..." Trok started, but she cut him off, her attention wholly on Isdilian.

"'Implying'? No, I think I'm directly stating. I don't trust you. I don't trust your boss. And I don't trust anything either of you do. You come in, treat us like dirt, nearly KILL us, and now suddenly you're making friends with members of the team out of the blue? Bullshit!"

"Xolin, please-"

"They came to me" Isdilian said evenly, "Am I not allowed to reciprocate?"

"Yeah, I'm sure" Xolin spat back at him, "They came to you, after being nearly killed. I'm sure it wasn't all wildly orchestrated by your boss!" The venom in her voice surprised even her. She'd planned to rib him a bit, you know, rile him up and vent off some steam. She didn't expect for the floodgates to open but well, hey, here she was.

"Do you have any idea how paranoid you sound right now?" Isdilian asked her.

Xolin roared in righteous fury, "I'm paranoid because every time I turn around, you two are finding some way to screw us over!"

"Xol-"

"I did as I was ordered" Isdilian growled, "I also left you alive because I was ordered. Treason is a crime punishable by death—you were granted leniency. You should be thankful".

The triforian's face contorted in rage, "You SON OF A-"

"XOL!"

Xolin turned at Trok's shout. The horathean pleaded at her with his eyes, "...Please".

"He's *using* you, Trok" she urged him.

Trok's response was calm but firm, "I'm the one who said he'd go. I'm the one with the extra tools" he gestured to his sash of devices, "And if things go south, you could get to more more quickly than the other way around".

"Trok-".

"...I'm not allowed to make my own choices?" he asked her ernestly.

Xolin slackened, realizing in an instant she'd gone too far. She was only trying to protect him, but now she was chastened. He wasn't quite the naive kid she'd met all those months ago. "Trok, I didn't mean-" she began to apologize, but he stopped her with his trademark smile.

"It'll be fine, you'll see. And if things DO go south, you'll be there to bail me out, right? I trust you".

She looked at him, worried, but finally managed a small wane smile of her own as she nodded, "...Yeah. I'll be right behind you, like always".

Giving her a thumbs up, Trok turned and began crawling over the rockface, "I'll be right back".

Xolin watched him vanish out of sight, then wheeled on Isdilian, the full force of her ferocity back on show, "If anything happens to him, if you ever do *anything* to hurt him, or Sel, or anyone, it won't matter how powerful you are, or if you're some kind of pillar of reality or what the hell ever. I'll kill you right then and there, understand?"

Isdilian's expression was stony, "I believe that's an idle threat".

"That's your mistake" she growled.

* * *

Trok made his way up towards the outpost, darting from rock to rock and resisting the *very* strong impulse to hum his own personal theme tune. He peered around the rockface—no sign of activity—and crept in, pulling his head over the metallic catwalk that the outpost resided upon. It was quiet—two guards were stationed at the outpost's main building, and another two over at the weapon...thing. At least, that's as far as he could see right now.

"Hey, you!"

...Oh, there was a guard behind him now too. That's...great. That was just great. Trok spun around as the guard pressed his armband, signaling the alarm and alerting the other guards to their presence, before aiming his gun, "No sudden movements.

Too late; Trok was already making sudden movements. Grabbing a device from his sash, he tossed it at the soldier's feet. The man looked down in sudden shock—just before his suit was hit by several hundred volts of electricity. He staggered back and keeled over, reduced to heavy labored breathing.

"HALT!" came another voice, behind Trok again. Two more guards leaped over the railing—though by the time they hit the ground Trok was already flinging another device at them—this one created a thick cloud of smoke.

More guards were piling in—the other two from the catwalk had encircled the horathean. He was prepared to let loose with a landmine, when suddenly a familiar female battlecry ripped through the air, and one of the guards met face-first with Xolin's boot. A second later, the other one encountered the butt of Isdilian's rifle.

"Come on!" Xolin motioned to Trok, who began to follow.

Another being landed in front of them, cutting off their escape. The three rangers paused, taking a second to come to terms with the hodge-podge of games and sports now standing before them.

"And what are you supposed to be?" Xolin demanded to know.

The monster giggled, "They call me Game Master. That's my name, playing games is my um...game. Ho ho!" he laughed again, thinking himself very clever, "And I'm afraid I can't let you leave! Trump of Hearts!" he shouted as he pulled out two larger-than normal playing cards. He flung them at the rangers.

"Scatter!" Isdilian commanded, as the rangers rolled in separate directions; Isdilian to the left and Xolin and Trok to the right. The cards hit the dirt and exploded in a flash of light. The rangers got back to their feet. Xolin took notice of all but one of the guards—the one Trok had hit with electricity—regrouping.

"We gotta go!" she said urgently.

"Go?" the monster asked, "But you just got here! And it's still my turn!" Game Master pulled out a group of dice and shook them before dropping them to the ground, "Hmm...snake eyes. Oh well, thems the breaks!" With a surprise kick, the monster sent the dice flying at Xolin and Trok.

"Xol!" Trok exclaimed pushing the triforian out of the way and over the rockface. She cried out as she tumbled, landing in a heap as Trok was hit dead on. Sparks reverberated off Trok's body as the dice hit the ground, his form glowing green for a second before he just...vanished, replaced by a green croquet ball.

"TROK!" she exclaimed in panic.

There was no time for this though, Isdilian knew that. The guards are closing in on them, and that monster was way too strong to deal with as they were. They needed a new plan. He grabbed Xolin by the arm, "Come on!"

"I'm not leaving him!" she roared at him, pulling away. But his grip held firm.

"Stay and you're just as dead. The only way to save Trok is to regroup and try again!"

"Oh rangers!" Game Master squeed, "You mind if I take another turn?"

"RUN!" Isdilian shouted, pulling Xolin with him.

"Oh, I love hide and seek!" Game Master said with glee, "Ready or not, here we come! Get em, boys!" The SPD soldiers hopped over the rockface, chasing down the two remaining rangers.

* * *

"Okay so, mind telling us what the hell this place is and how you know about it?" Sid asked, referring to the cramped passageway inside of the tree the group now found themselves within.

"Secret smuggling passage" B'rnix replied. Everyone else paused, surprised by the answer. "...What?" the varox asked them, "No, it's not mine. Don't give me that look!"

"...Hard to believe the liarians of all people have a black market" Nikki mused.

"Everyone's got a black market" the varox replied as they began moving, "Some just hide it better than others. Like take the edenoites. They've got this deep unabating craze for ground up zenolbela crystals. See, they use them as an aphrodisiac and-"

"OKAY" Sid interrupted loudly and suddenly, "So where are we going?"

"Conclave council chambers. Actually..." he turned around, "We'll need to split up".

"...Again?" Nikki groaned.

The varox shrugged, "Oh don't complain, it'll be easy. Quiet girl and not-the-leader can go get the conclave, you and I can take down the defense shield".

"...Can I get a better nickname?" Sid asked.

"...Can I go with Sel instead?" Nikki asked.

"No, hush" said B'rnix, "No time for complaints, we're committed. Now come".

The rangers sighed.

* * *

Isdilian ran. The soldiers were right behind them—his only advantage was that they wanted them alive, and so no one was shooting to kill. It didn't help that he was basically dragging along about a hundred and forty pounds of unwilling flesh behind him.

"Let me go!" Xolin shouted venomously as she tried to pull away from Isdilian's tight grip.

"Go back there and you're just as dead!" Isdilian reiterated. They arrived at the top of a cliff on the far side of the mountain. SPD was closing in. No way around. Damnit.

With a deep sigh, Isdilian tossed Xolin out in front, "JUMP!" he shouted, as she shrieked. He followed soon behind, tumbling down a story into the forest below. Rolling back to his feet, he grabbed a slightly unsteady Xolin by the wrist and kept running, losing themselves in the trees.

"That's far enough" the lead SPD soldier said, stopping his men at the top of the cliff, "We don't have the manpower to scour the woods. We have one of their own, the rest will come flocking to him. Let's go". He turned, heading back to base as the others followed.

* * *

The two rangers trudged through the dark woods, out of sight of the city.

"I think we've lost them" Isdilian noted after they had slowed down.

"How nice for you" Xolin spat back, "So glad you saved our skin. Only cost us one of our own".

"You know nothing about strategy, do you?" Isdilian asked, exhasperated.

"Is that what you call abandoning those who trust you?" asked Xolin.

He wheeled around on her, "It's what I call 'not losing'. If we'd stayed there, then we'd all have been captured. At least now we can do something about it to save this planet. The mission is more than just one man".

"I was right about you" she growled, "You're nothing but a heartless monster".

"Would you have rather I left you there to be captured too?" he asked her. She stopped, unable to really find a counter for that comment. He continued, "At least this way, you can do something to get him back. At least, if you really care about him, and this isn't just your bruised pride getting in the way. Again".

Her fists clenched, but she didn't move from her spot.

… He was right. Trinity, she hated that, but she couldn't deny it.

She sighed, her expression blank and glancing at the ground as her hair hid her face, "...What's the plan?"

Isdilian looked off in the general direction of the mountain, though it was now obscured by forest, "...We circle around. They'll be expecting us now, so we'll have to make it quick. I assume once Sid and the others get the shield down, we'll see some commotion, which will be our in. We take down the weapon, we morph, we destroy the monster. Likely that will reverse the spell it has on Trok".

"...You think we can pull it off?" she asked him earnestly, finally looking at him again.

"You're big on faith, right?" Isdilian asked, meeting her gaze, "Nothing is for certain, but it's all we've got".

Xolin glanced back where they had run from, determination building in her soul and replacing the earlier rage. She was going to get Trok back.

* * *

It was funny; the more they sneaked around this city, the more Sid got the impression that they were in some sort of giant version of those fast food playsets he'd mess around on as a kid. Rope bridges, slides, wooden stairwells, tunneled passageways…

It'd been quiet since he and Sel had split from the others. Not that that was wholly a bad thing—the varox was...grating. Knowledgeable obviously, but grating. But the void he'd left had to be filled, and now Sid found himself worrying a bit. It was something that had been nagging at him for the past few days, but he'd always been busy so he just shrugged it off and assumed she'd get better.

Sel had been dour and quiet since her return. It was almost like a return to the old days.

Almost, that is. This was...different. She wasn't quiet because she was a blank slate. She was quiet because something was eating at her; he recognized the signs.

As they climbed up another flight via rope net, Sid glanced back at his teammate, "Hey, you okay?"

She seemed to break out of her self-induced trance, "Hm?"

"You've just been...really quiet since...well, since coming back" he replied. They paused, Sid looking in all directions for potential guards as they crossed another bridge. It was the last one; they were currently crossing from the mid-level of the main Conclave hall to its east wing. Oddly, there were no SPD forces in sight—they must have really been under-staffed for this operation. Good for them. Sid continued, "Did something happen? Back then, I mean?"

The gloominess folded over Sel's expression again, "...Nothing happened. I'm fine".

"Yeah, why don't I believe that?" Sid scoffed.

"Please" she whispered, "I don't...I just don't want to talk about it".

Sid paused at the end of the bridge, looking back at her. At first he considered pressing the issue—she was obviously off about something. But the more he thought about it, the more he reconsidered. He'd hated it when shit he didn't want to talk about flared up—as it seemed to so often do. It was just...it hurt to see her like this.

"...Alright" he said, saddened that she wouldn't talk, but understanding as they continued, "...Just...remember we're here if you want to talk, alright?"

Silence resumed for a moment as they climbed the next ladder to the upper levels of the wing. Sid peeked around the corner on the outer pathway when Sel's troubles finally bubbled over. She just couldn't keep it in anymore.

"...How...how do you deal with it?" she asked finally, her voice barely a whisper.

"...Deal with what?" Sid asked.

She looked away, embarrassed. She wasn't sure how to phrase this without hitting him with something he probably didn't want to deal with, "I just mean...when your..." her voice lowered again, "...When your team...how did you deal with that?"

Sid's brow furrowed, "...Why do you want to know?"

She sighed shakily, "...She died".

"...Who?"

"Andromeda".

"Andromeda?" Sid asked, "Wait, that's-" that was the name of their new team powerup. Oh. Oh dear. His face shifted to one of compassion, "...What happened?"

Sel exhaled again, finally letting it all out, "She was...she said she was a karmonian. That she'd been trapped by...Him for like...forever. When the doors opened and I escaped she..."

"...She didn't" Sid surmised, "She gave you her powers instead".

"She had no body to go back to" Sel murmured, tears now forming, "I told her I'd protect her, that I'd free her and I just...I felt..." she began to cry, "I felt her slip away..."

Sid put his hand on her shoulder, "She didn't have a way out, Sel. There was nothing you could have done. And if I'm right, I'm guessing she intentionally passed her powers on to you, right?" Sel nodded, "She wanted you to have them".

"...How do you deal with it?" Sel asked, wiping away at her eyes.

Sid chuckled darkly, "Who says I do? I mostly get through the day by running and ignoring my problems" he sighed, "But you aren't me, and you didn't get Andromeda killed".

"Then...how do *I* deal with it?"

Heh. Well now, that was...not Sid's forte, "I don't know. Bur...I think Xolin might be better at this than me. She's the spiritual one of the team" but then he added, "But never for a moment think it was your failure, Sel. You aren't me. You shouldn't ever be me" he smiled, "It doesn't suit you".

The two embraced in a hug.

"Thank you" Sel whispered.

"You know you don't have to carry this shit by yourself, right?" Sid asked as they separated. It was really too bad he never practiced what he preached. He silently chastised himself for the latent hypocrisy.

She nodded numbly, "...I know".

"So!" Sid grinned, "As productive as this makeshift therapy session is, what do you say we go save some people, kick some bad guy ass, and go home first, hmm?"

A smile appeared on Sel's face as she nodded. That's it; that was better. Sid turned toward their destination—a pair of doors just down the walkway from them. The two approached, and opened the doors.

"Huh—what the-?!" the one lone guard on the other side stuttered as moonlight flooded in. He didn't last long though, and was soon slumped against the corner of the wall, unconscious.

"...Only one guard?" Sid asked, incredulous, "Man, they must have really underestimated how much manpower they were gonna need for this job, huh?"

"Sid" Sel said, motioning to the center of the room. There, in the middle of the wooden campfire-like circular room, stood over two dozen alien nature dwarves.

"...Ah!" Sid exclaimed in triumph, "Hi! I'm Sid Drake, and this is my friend Sel. We're part of Peacekeeper team twelve, and we're here to bust you guys out. We good?"

The members of the liarian conclave looked at each other purring uncertainly before looking back at Sid and Sel in confusion.

"Um..." Sel muttered, "I don't think they speak intergalactic standard".

Sid's face fell, "...Oh, well. That's...that's just...great".

Great.

* * *

B'rnix and Nikki raced, around the corner. The sooner they took down the shield, the better—who even knew how the others were faring after this long. Thankfully, Nikki's non-ranger powers were still active—she flickered out of existence, swinging in behind the two guards at the door, before reappearing and taking the first one out. As the other suddenly turned to fire, he was suddenly electrocuted by B'rnix's wrist taser. The guard dropped to the ground, writhing. As he stepped over the bodies, Nikki opened the doors to the upper levels of the main conclave building.

"So where's the shield generator?" she asked as they stepped inside the darkened building.

"Up ahead" the varox replied, "Well, 'ahead'. Down two levels. To our left. It's...complicated. Just follow me".

"DOWN two levels?!" Nikki asked, "Why did we come up here then!?"

"To avoid expectations, of course. Do YOU ever just go in through the front door?"

"...They were expecting us to come through here too!" Nikki said, exasperated, "That's why they posted two guards!"

"Better than the five I'm sure are guarding the main entrance downstairs" said B'rnix. Nikki just let loose a frustrated noise. "A question" he said, "Why do you fight?"

"I...what?" Nikki asked, thrown off by the sudden question.

The varox continued, "I'm a predator by nature. Reading body language is like second nature to me—how you walk, how you fight, how you operate in day to day life. Your body movements tell me everything I need to know about you, who you are as a person. Helps with diplomacy too".

"...Okay..." she was a little unsettled by where this was going, and so quickly too.

B'rnix carried on, "Right, so, take the horathean. He's inquisitive and eager, he fights for his friends. The human? He's guilt-ridden but determined to make amends. The triforian is angry and full of self-hate. But you...you're a mystery. I watch you fight but there's no energy, no emotion. It's like you're resigned, like you're going through the motions. You don't even *like* your teammates—you keep yourself at arms length out of disgust. But people like that don't exist. People without a reason to be don't tend to get into your line of work. So what gives?"

Nikki sputtered, completely taken by surprise. Who the hell started conversations like this!? "That's...I don't...WHAT?!"

"Exactly! It's an oddity. So what's your game?"

"I don't have a game" she grumbled as they made their way down another spiral staircase in the center of the tree, "I'm just trying to do my job". Ugh, he never shut up. Not ever.

"Everyone has to have a game" the varox replied, "Otherwise why do anything?"

"Are you trying to insult me?"

"What?" the varox asked, taken aback as they reached the floor they needed, "No, no, not at all. I'm curious! You're intriguing!"

"So glad you find me amusing" Nikki growled as she pushed ahead.

B'rnix did not take the hint, "So you're saying there are no deeper motivations to your actions? As if you're just on a script, like some sort of ghost-"

Nikki stopped, spinning around and glaring at him, "I am NOT a ghost!" she shouted, with a ferocity that surprised even her.

B'rnix scoffed, "Well, obviously. You're here talking to me, so that's a given" he mused, "But the question remains, who are you and what do you want?"

"I don't think that's really your concern" Nikki replied, extremely irritated.

"It came from over this way" said another voice, slightly muffled, but commanding.

Nikki's eyes widened as she cursed herself, "Damnit, they've found us".

ZAP. B'rnix's wrist tasers found their mark as the first guard came around the corner. The second guard soon found his face meeting with Nikki's boot, and the third guard behind them, well...he met with Nikki's fist. The one upside about no ranger powers was that SPD couldn't deploy a ranger team either.

"It's up ahead" said B'rnix. The two headed down the quaintly carved wooden hallway, down another short half-flight of stairs into the back of the building towards a hastily-constructed metal door. Nikki tried to open it, but it was locked tight.

"...I don't suppose you have any sort of magical solution to this?" she asked the varox.

"As a matter of fact I do!" B'rnix crowed cheerfully as Nikki stepped aside. Out from his wrist flicked a small, skinny beam of light. He used it as a lockpick, sticking it into the door lock, twisting for a moment before a click sounded. He pulled the door open, revealing a chamber with two large power generators lining each wall, with the shield creator component at the far end between them. Nikki pulled out her pistol. B'rnix, his wrist laser.

"Ah, my favorite part" he said, just before the fireworks started.

* * *

Alarms began to blare. Commander Zeldar looked up from his book. The shields must be down; excellent, excellent. Now they'd capture the ranger team as they came in a steady stream. The lack of communications on their part would mean they wouldn't be able to coordinate their assault. It would be a simple case of hunting and catching.

* * *

Alarms were going off, and even from their vantage point Isdilian and Xolin could see that the guards were on the move.

"Finally" Xolin breathed, anxious, "what took them so long".

"Move" Isdilian commanded, his voice hushed, "Now".

The two rangers sprinted up the hill, vaulting over the small rockface they'd hidden behind this time. Now the plan came into action-Isdilian roared at the top of his lungs as he made a straight bee-line for the dampening device. The guards, noticing him, began to rush in his direction, as did Game Master.

As this confrontation was going down, Xolin began to circle around the side, being as quiet as possible. Isdilian had chosen to play decoy, citing that Xolin was faster. He wasn't wrong, and between that and spite was why she hadn't argued too much against the plan. If he wanted to play meat shield well...served him right.

With finesse like an acrobat, Xolin flung herself and slid through the railing bars, landing almost silently on the catwalk. Noting that Isdilian was busy down below, her next thought were the two guards who had remained on station, now heading towards her from the weapon's location.

"HALT!" they ordered, approaching with guns drawn. With a small smirk, Xolin complied, putting her hands up.

"I surrender!" she declared. A second later, the two guards were on the ground, unwitting recipients of blows to the back of the neck courtesy of Xolin's other two aspects. They reintegrated, and the triforian went straight for the weapon.

It was a fairly large device; about the size of a car. For a moment she pondered on her plan of attack—how to break a large mechanical...thing without powers?

Isdilian's shout of pain drew her attention to the battle below. The karovian was knocked back by one of the guards, giving the monster an open shot. Game Master rolled his dice. Xolin's eyes widened as she realized what was about to happen.

"Isdilian!" she shouted, a hint of panic in her voice.

"Do your job!" he shouted back, just before he was hit by the dice. He shimmered white for a moment, before transforming into a silver hockey stick. He'd just...sacrificed himself for her. He'd put someone above himself. Sure, he was all about the mission but...still. Had she been wrong?

"Aw, I was hoping for a pair of boxing gloves!" Game Master lamented as he picked the stick up and turned his attention on Xolin, "Oh well, there's more where that came from!"

"She's at the power dampener!" the leader of the soldiers said, "Stop her!"

Xolin ducked as gunfire rattled off the catwalk, quickly getting to relative safety on the other side of the device. She didn't have much time, she had to figure out some way to...hrm. Her gun. Xolin pulled out her pistol and burned a deep hole into the side of the machine, through the armored casing. Then, she opened the casing for the gun's power generator. She wasn't super competent with tech stuff, but she HAD picked up a thing or two from Trok, and she knew that if she rewired the power into itself and set it to a steady rate of fire...there. The gun was now in a state of a perpetual feedback loop. Power would build and there would be no way out. Quickly, she stuffed it into the hole she'd burned in the side of the machine, and rolled out of the way just as the entire thing went boom. An explosion ripped through the dampening machine, sending shrapnel flying everywhere.

Xolin got to her feet as the chaos settled—just as the guards met up with her.

"You are surrounded! Surrender or be destroyed!"

The triforian glanced down at her morpher, once again lit up with power. She grinned.

"Not today, thanks" she said, pressing the morph button. The guards opened fire, but it was already too late—a fully armed blue ranger was knocking their attacks aside with her lance, before launching her own wave of blue energy from said weapon. The guards were knocked back. Realizing the tables had turned, they began to pull back.

"Alert!" the leader shouted into his own communicator, "Alert! Blue ranger has compromised dampening weapon! Repeat, blue ranger has compromised dampening weapon! Rangers are fully powered! Request mission update!"

"I've got a mission update for you" Xolin said as she calmly walked towards them, "Run. Fast".

"Oh-ho blue ranger!" Game Master squeed as he jumped in the way between her and her prey, "Game's not over yet!" He brandished two tennis rackets like daggers and leaped in towards her. Xolin parried, then rolled under and behind, before being caught by his attack as she rebounded. She fell back, staggering from the hit as Game Master rolled his dice.

"Come on sixes!" Game Master hollered, before he tossed his dice at the blue ranger, "Daddy needs a new pair of boxing gloves!"

Xolin braced herself—this was going to suck. But the dice never made it to their destination. They'd been knocked aside—and now two rangers, in red and yellow, stood before her. Game Master stepped back in shock at the sudden teleportation theatrics.

Sid gave Xolin a thumbs up, "Nice job!" Turning and grinning at the monster, he pointed his ax, "Heyya, buddy. How's it going?"

"Three huh?" Game Master asked, "That's fine! There's always more room in my toybox!"

"Make that five!" said the black ranger from behind. She and the varox now had the monster surrounded.

"Careful!" Xolin cautioned, "He's got dice that turns people into game equipment. He's already got Trok and Isdilian".

"No fair spoiling the surprise!" the monster pouted, "Just for that, I'll give you my group discount!" He hoisted a larger die, the size of someone's head, and tossed it at the blue, red, and yellow rangers.

Sid's eyes narrowed, a burst of inspiration coming to him. He swung his ax back and then into the die, sending it back at the monster. It impacted the surprised Game Master dead on in his chest. He sizzled with pinkish energy before his form crackled and sparked with electricity. He fell back in pain, his body smoking. The hockey stick on his back shimmered with silver light—the croquet ball over near the wall of the main outpost building shimmered green. A second later, the final two rangers, already morphed, stood (or in Trok's case, sat) where they'd reformed.

"No!" Game Master cried, clutching at his injured arm, "How did you know that would break my spell?!"

Sid looked at him incredulously, "Are you serious? Redirecting a monster's attack is like...tactics 101".

"Woah..." Trok muttered as he got to his feet, "...What happened?"

"We were transformed. Into sports equipment" Isdilian grunted, stretching his back out.

"...I'd hesitate to call croquet a sport" Xolin smirked as the rangers surrounded the monster.

"I'm green again so...I'm guessing we won?" Trok asked.

"Not so tough when you're surrounded by a full team of fully-powered rangers, huh?" Sid commented at the cowering monster. The remaining SPD soldiers, fully outmatched, beat a hasty retreat. They'd all been recalled back to the main base to withdraw from the planet—with the device destroyed and reinforcements too far away to matter, they had no further purpose here. One however, remained for but a moment. Commander Zeltar, the siriusian leader of the contingent here, watched from afar. This mission was over; they'd failed. The only thing he could do now was distract the rangers while his people got off-world.

He pulled a pocket sata-laser out of his uniform jacket. Zeltar understood he was condemning Game Master to death, and he understood the implications therein. But when it came down to it, the lives of his men were more important than some criminal. They could always 'hire' another. Pointing the device at the monster, a beam of green light flooded out to Game Master, who flinched at the unexpected contact. Surprised, the rangers all looked at where the beam had come from and noticed the SPD commander.

"Hey!" Xolin shouted as the team turned their attention on the interloper.

"Don't mind me!" he said as he waved at them "Just making sure our passage off this planet is unmolested. Good luck with the monster, rangers".

"Huh? What-" Sid's words died in his throat as Game Master began to grow exponentially.

"Scatter!" Isdilian commanded. The rangers complied as they dodged out of the way, barely missing the monster's growing form.

Game Master laughed as he now towered over the team below, "Guess what, rangers? It's the lightning round!"

The team regrouped as Zeltar nodded smugly, having been forgotten in the sudden chaos. He stepped back, around the corner, and left the rangers to their work.

"We've got a link back to the Megaship" Nikki reported, "Guess when you took down their power dampener, you also took out the communication jammer".

"Alright then" Sid said, "Everyone ready?"

"Ready!"

"Lights of Andromeda, Activate!"

As the four primary rangers bathed in a golden glow that became brilliant, shining armor, Isdilian spoke into his morpher, "Iota, it's time. We need the zords".

Six gigantic vehicles coursed through the sky towards the surface. The largest of them, the silver tank, dropped first, its treds dragging into the dirt as it sped towards the liarian city. Above, the remaining five jets soared to their destination, flying in formation as their parts began to shift and move. Together they united into a singular humanoid robot, even as below the tank also unfolded and moved upright.

Game Master approached the tree city, cackling as he peered over it, "Such a lovely toy model! How I shall love playing with it—oof!" A metallic leg went right for his face, and the monster took a tumble as the two megazords landed, posing side-by-side.

"Eugh, two on one?!" the monster crowed, "That's no fun! How about a game of snakes and ladders?" Game Master pulled a giant fake peanut can from out of nowhere, and twin snake-themed tentacles flew out at the two robots, wrapping around them and causing an electrical discharge to course around their hulls. The rangers' cockpits sputtered and sparked as the two titans were hit by repeated attacks.

"It's shorting out our systems!" Trok grunted as he held on to his seat.

"Not for long!" Xolin replied, tapping a few controls. The Guardian Megazord's staff appeared on its hands, and with a single swipe cut through the snakes. Game Master recoiled, but quickly rebounded.

"You break my toys, I break yours!" he shouted, before taking some oversized playing cards and tossing them at the megazords.

"Not this time" Isdilian muttered, "Cosmic Blitz!"

Every gun on the Sentinel Megazord unfolded and primed, unleashing a torrent of destruction that ripped through the cards as they flung themselves at the robots, and straight through to the monster. Game Master sparked and exploded, falling back and rolling away. He stumbled back to his feet, his form smoking and charred.

"No...no fair..." he gasped, even as the Guardian megazord moved in.

"Zenith Phalanx!" the rangers shouted in unison, as the megazord's staff began to charge with power as it circled about, before striking the monster in diagonal strikes, before finally being thrust into Game Master's abdomen, its blade spinning about with golden energy as it impaled its target. As the megazord ripped its weapon out of the monster and turned about, Game Master's body went limp, and he crumbled to the ground. A second later, a fireball went up, his entire body reduced to ash.

* * *

"You should have seen it. I've never seen an occupying force vacate a planet so quickly" B'rnix chuckled to himself.

Iota coughed. They stood on one of the bridges leading away from the Conclave Hall. Dawn had finally risen and sunlight glimmered through the thick canopy of the forest. "And you didn't attempt to stop them?"

The varox shrugged half-heartedly, "Eh, they were only grunts, useless in the grand scheme of things. And it's not like any data they managed to save will do them any good. The damnpening weapon was designed around a liarian magical power source. With Liaria joining the Confederacy, the usefulness of the project is minimal".

"...Joining the Confederacy?" Iota asked inquisitively, "Since when? I don't believe you have the authority to offer membership".

"I'd just assumed that was a formality and you wanted their membership" B'rnix said, waving him offhandedly, "Does it matter? They were quite impressed with the show your team put on, and they know that without external protection, they can't hope to stand against the Alliance—who are sure to come again".

"Hmm" Iota mused, "Be that as it may, I have a feeling the Senate will want to have a word with you. And the Council, for that matter".

"Meetings?" B'rnix scoffed, "I don't have time for meetings. I have things to do. Important things. Very important".

Iota eyed the diplomatic mercenary, "...You are infuriating, you know that, right?"

"...Oh, that reminds me!" B'rnix said suddenly, ignoring Iota completely. He bounded out, leaving the mildly ruffled armored warrior behind. Iota sighed, shaking his head as he began to return to the ship. He had what he needed—he'd make his report, send it to his superiors, and let Gamma and them deal with it. Who had time for meetings, indeed?

* * *

"You played decoy for me".

"...Hmm?" Isdilian asked as the rangers dug through the remains of the SPD base. There was little they hadn't torched on their way out, but if there was any chance of anything important having been overlooked, it was worth a look.

Xolin explained, "You let them capture you to buy me time".

Isdilian gave her a look of bafflement, "...Yes, that was the idea. I provide a distraction, you complete the mission. It wouldn't have worked otherwise".

"You could have had me be the distraction and then slipped in, but you didn't".

"You're faster than me. I'm stronger" the karovian said, confused as to how this conversation was still going, "What's your point?"

"I..." Xolin sighed, swallowing her pride, "You were right. I was wrong. I let my distrust get the better of me in a combat situation. I'm sorry".

"An apology?" Isdilian asked, surprised.

She glared at him, "It doesn't mean I like you, you've done a lot of shitty things since coming aboard, but...well, maybe you're not an *absolute* monster. You're singularly focused on the mission. I'm not sure I can fully trust that, but I think I can respect that".

"...Apology accepted" replied Isdilian, after a second of consideration. Xolin nodded and began to head back to her corner of the room. Isdilian considered something though, and added, "...For what it's worth, you were right too".

Xolin paused, looking back at Isdilian with a look of puzzlement.

Isdilian explained, "You said I nearly killed you when I came aboard, and I did. Iota ordered me to bruise you a bit. I...went further until he stopped me. And...it was wrong".

"...Why did you do it?" she asked him.

The silver ranger looked down, considering his options, "I didn't want anything to do with you. I was raised for the mission. You were beneath me, and I saw you as a threat to my resolve. I did not treat you as I should have. And I am sorry".

Xolin's expression was unreadable. Perhaps one of...realization? Pity? Self-awareness? "...Sid once told me what you said to him when you reversed the spell the magnet monster put on me. About how I wasn't the only one who hated themselves".

An uncomfortable moment passed.

"Yes" Isdilian said at last, before returning to work. This conversation was over.

Xolin mused to herself as she turned around—only to be met with Trok's shit-eating grin.

"...What?" she asked.

"...Eh?" he asked, his face annoyingly close to hers, "...EH?"

"Go away, you're annoying" she grumbled.

"How's forgiveness feel?"

"I said go away! Shoo!"

"I was right!"

"You're insufferable!"

* * *

She'd lingered behind. She would never admit it now, but she secretly loved sunrises. Sunsets too. The golden light that cascaded through the forest, casing a magical glow on the green flora and giving every color an added aura was, even in her current electronic state, beautiful to behold. A cool morning breeze wafted through the air.

She wished she could feel it.

"I almost forgot, this is for you".

She nearly jumped at the sudden voice, having been lost in her own thoughts. Mentally, she cursed herself for not being more aware of her surroundings as she turned to see the varox with a small data card in his hand.

"...What is it?" she asked, hesitantly taking the device.

"A way to contact me, if you need it" he said casually.

"Um..." she squinted at the data card between her fingers, "...Thanks. I think". Very confused, she turned her gaze to him, "...Why…?"

The varox shrugged, "You are interesting and competent—my two favorite kind of things. So on the offchance you embark on an adventure where you need another body, don't hesitate to make a call".

...Was he for real? "But...I don't even *like* you" she blurted out.

He shrugged again, "Then don't call me. I'm sure I'll get over it—plenty of other interesting people in the universe, some of whom have my contact information as well. Though, not quite as many as you would think. I remember this one time I was taking part in a heist on a planet of anteater people..."

She drowned him out, deciding instead to head back to the ship. He followed her, refusing to let a good story die. She turned off her audio receptors. He either didn't notice or didn't care.

* * *

Xolin's door chimed. From her seat on her bed where she'd been reading, she called out, "Come in".

The door slid open, revealing Sel. Xolin instantly sat up, a slightly more serious face growing, "...Hey. Sid told me you'd be coming".

Sel said nothing as she slowly wandered into the room. She took a seat at the end of the bed at Xolin's request, but didn't look directly at the other woman.

"...How much do you know?" she asked quietly.

Xolin frowned, "Sid...let me in on most of it. I'm sorry, if it's any consolation".

"Sid...said you could help".

Xolin let out a dry chuckle, shaking her head, "Sid says a lot of things. But the closest I've ever been to losing someone was a pet desert hunter. Some asshole in a speeder ran over it when I was twelve" She smiled bitterly at the memory, then tossed it aside, "I have no way of knowing what you're feeling right now. I've never lost a friend—not really. And I've definitely never...well, *felt* someone's passing". She paused, considering, "But..." she sighed, "Every time we go out on a mission, I'm always afraid one of us won't come back. That it'll be me. Or Trok. Or you. And I hate it".

"...Why did Sid send me to you then?" Sel asked quietly.

Xolin shrugged, "Sid...Sid has his problems. He wasn't trying to get rid of you, so don't think that. He's just..." she tried to find a way to put it, "...Sid lies to himself. A lot. And I think this topic hits far closer to home for him than he'd like to admit".

Silence settled over them for a moment, before Sel asked, "...What...what happens to her now? I mean..."

Xolin looked down at the datapad she'd been reading, "I don't...triforian religion doesn't really translate well to other races. In my belief, our souls are split into their individual aspects and united with other aspects in a sort of reincarnation. I have three aspects within me who have lived an innumerable different, separate lives with aspects they have long since separated from. But...I don't know how that would translate to other species".

"What about karmonian souls?"

The triforian sighed as she idly scrolled through the datapad, "I'll be honest, I tried looking for stuff on karmonian religion and turned up nothing. We just don't know much about them other than that they exist".

"Was...was THAT her soul?" Sel asked, a little more worridly, "She didn't have a body in the real world anymore. But she just...evaporated. Did I kill her soul!? Is she super-dead? I don't-"

Xolin grabbed the increasingly frantic girl's arms, "Listen to me" she said, staring into the xybrian's eyes, "You didn't kill anyone. She chose to go of her own volition. She could have stayed in there, escaped while you went through the door. She didn't. She chose to pass on of her own volition. I don't know where her soul went, but it was *never* your fault, do you understand me?"

Sel nodded numbly.

Xolin continued, loosening her grip, "What you need to do right now is grieve. You've been winding yourself up since last week and blaming yourself and repressing your feelings. I may not know much about losing loved ones, but I know a hell of a lot about repression. And right now? Right now you just need to let it all out".

"Can...can I stay here for awhile?" Sel asked, her voice barely above a whisper and haggard, as if all her emotions were about to burst through.

Smiling at her, Xolin nodded, "Yeah. You can stay".

* * *

_**T-Minus 8 days to Zero Hour**_

_**To be Continued...**_


	25. 2x12: Raw Recruits

_**T-Minus Four Days to Zero Hour.**_

The hour was ungodly, and Xolin was fairly certain this had to be against *some* sort of interstellar law. Something involving war crimes, most likely. Then again, she was fairly certain Iota, at some point or another in his life, had probably broken every other conceivable war crime already, so what was one more? It might even have been like a bucket list kind of thing for him.

Okay yes, sure, *technically* they were military and this kind of thing was probably standard issue in normal military branches, but dammit, they were basically civvies living in a giant robot. Four AM could get stuffed.

The other rangers were assembled as she was, all around the briefing room table, and none of them looked more than half-awake. Nikki was easily the best off—she was former military and only had to worry about recharging. Isdilian and Sid were bleary-eyed but conscious—again, military training, no matter how dulled (in Sid's case). Trok on the other hand, looked as if he was about to faceplant himself into the desk at any moment, and Sel was already back among the dead.

...Wait, was she drooling? Ew.

"Apologies for the early mission briefing, this sort of came in last minute and time is of the essence" Iota said as he walked into the room.

"KO-35 better be burning to the ground" Sid grumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"Nothing quite as drastic as that" Iota replied. Instead of switching on the hologram in the center of the table as he usually did, he tossed a number of vanilla folders onto the table, enough that each of the rangers could get a good look at their contents. The team curiously pulled the folders open, taken by surprise by the sudden shift in what normally happened at these meetings.

Iota continued as the rangers looked over the contents—ranger dossiers, "Meet Peacekeeper Team Twenty-six".

"...Twenty-six?" Trok asked, "Weren't we twelve and one of the newest teams? What happened?"

"War happened. Some of the new teams are preexisting civilian teams we've recruited, others are us having simply upped our training process. Sadly, the Peacekeeper organization isn't built for it. Before the war we were a small covert alliance of quasi-independent cells—we simply don't have the resources to manage all our new recruits. Sometimes they slip through the cracks".

"...What are you saying?" asked Xolin.

Iota motioned to the dossiers, "These three recruits have been...less than satisfactory. They have exemplary skills and talents, but have failed every major exercise we've given them. We don't want to give up on their potential, but if things don't change, we won't have a choice. They're useless to us".

Sid deadpanned, disbelieving as he flopped the folder down in disgust, "...You woke us up at four am to teach kids".

Iota sighed, "Not exactly my choice. The orders came in last minute, as I said. The cadets will be here in two hours".

"...Um...*why* are we teaching kids?" Trok asked, confused.

Sid sighed, rubbing his forehead as he leaned over on the table, "I'm going to burn KO-35 to the ground myself".

"You six have displayed exemplary capabilities since being assembled. Command believes, rightly or wrongly, that you are skilled enough and...well, unorthodox enough to have an impact. Make no mistake, this is a Hail Mary on our part. We're simply out of options" Iota explained.

"So if they fail here, they fail for good" Sid asked, clarifying.

"Exactly" said Iota.

Xolin went back to looking at the three rangers. The red ranger, Anthren, was a tenga. Huh, unusual. Blue ranger was an aquitian named Tesas. And the yellow ranger was...oh. Oh wow.

"...I know her" Xolin gasped as she looked at the female of the group.

Trok leaned in to get a good look, "...From where?"

Xolin recited the name, "Sitra, of House Trinitas" she looked at the others with a bit of shock on her face, "...She's the princess of Triforia".

"Woah" Trok gasped, "We're going to be working with royalty?"

"Heirs to the throne of Triforia have traditionally been under special obligation to wear the mantle of the gold ranger upon succession" Iota said, "Even when the Confederacy had banned ranger technology, King Ihara never surrendered the golden power staff. It would seem he has sent his daughter out to be trained for her eventual role as protector of her people".

"...There's a lot riding on this, huh?" Xolin said quietly as she went over the princess's file.

"Indeed" Iota replied.

Sid looked over the other two, "Loner, reactionary, issues following the chain of command, bad childhood...huh, looks like our red ranger's a blood knight type. That'll be...fun".

Trok whistled in appreciation, "Look at the aptitude scores on the blue ranger. He's smart. Like, really smart. I didn't even get these kinds of scores".

"Too smart for his own good, perhaps" said Nikki, "Kid has a juvenile record of misdemeanors the length of my arm".

"Probably gets bored easily" Sid said. He frowned, "So we've got daddy's little girl, VENGEANCE, and Mister Wizard's evil twin. What, were trained sociopaths too expensive?"

Iota grumbled, clearly not super-happy about this arrangement himself, "As I said, this is a last resort. These are desperate cases".

"Yay, babysitting" Sid deadpanned, with fake enthusiasm. A sudden noise next to him shifted his attention—Sel had just started snoring. Loudly. Sid sighed, "...I wish I could sleep through mission briefings".

* * *

**Power Rangers Peacekeepers**

**Season 2**

**2.12: Raw Recruits**

* * *

Trok watched from the window as the transport vessel docked with the side of the Megaship. It wasn't very large—in ship terms Megaships were already small, and this was only about half the size of that. The ship jerked slightly as the two met, even with artificial gravity on.

"They're coming aboard now" Iota said, as the team stood assembled at the airlock. The doors opened, and a very familiar aquitian walked through.

"...Coros?" Sid blurted out, "Oh, what am I saying, of course it's Coros. Who else would it be?"

"Hello again" Coros said with a smile before turning to Iota, "I've brought team twenty-six with me, and—ah, here they are now".

Three more people stepped off the ship, none of them particularly happy to be there. The aquitian was bored, obviously, while the tenga just seemed irritated. The triforian was in full rich snob mode, looking around the hallway in mild disapproval. None of them really looked like they liked the other two either.

...Why couldn't Trok ever meet rangers who were HAPPY? Sigh.

"I imagine you will be staying with us then?" Iota asked Coros.

The elderly aquitian shook his head, "No, no. I was just dropping them off. I'll probably be back when it's time to return them, but for now I am really needed back on KO-35. There are big things about to happen, as I am sure you are no doubt aware".

Iota nodded, "Good luck then".

"Good fortune to all of us, I would imagine" Coros chuckled as he turned back to the door, "Goodbye".

The doors shut, and a few moments later the ship again shuttered briefly as the transport undocked.

"So, uh..." Trok said, "...What now?"

Iota glanced at him, "That, I believe, is up to you. You have three days, I will be in my office. Good luck".

"Psh" Sid scoffed in mild disgust, "Coward".

"So are we gonna do anything?" the aquitian, Tesas, asked with extreme boredom.

Honestly, Trok would rather be back in bed.

* * *

"So…"

The mood in the workbay aka the makeshift mission command was...well, awkward. There were three extra people there who weren't there normally now, and they didn't much seem to like each other or anyone else. Add to that that Nikki didn't much like anyone either, that Isdilian was...well, Isdilian, or the fact that everyone else was still a little grumpy by the sudden truncation of their sleep cycle, and it was clear this party wasn't very...er, party.

Sid eyed the group arrayed around him. How to go about this? He'd never actually been responsible for students before. Really, he doubted any of them had.

Who's idea was this!?

"So how about you guys tell us about yourselves?" Sid asked finally, "Tesas, how about you?"

The aquitian eyed him with a mixture of boredom and contempt, "Why ask me? Everything you need to know is in my file".

"Because exchanging information is a way of building camaraderie" Sid deadpanned, folding his arms. He'd barely started talking to this guy and had already had about enough of his shit.

"I don't understand why I'm here" Anthren, the tenga, said, "My scores are exemplary".

"But not your teams aren't" Sid replied.

The tenga shrugged, "So? It's not my problem they can't keep up".

Sitras, the triforian, glared at him, "I have no need to 'keep up' with common riffraff".

"Common riffraff?!" Anthren squawked, "I've been carrying your spoiled self this entire time!"

"Sigh" Tesas lamented, bored still, "Here they go again".

Sid's shoulders sagged as the room became a shouting match. This...was going nowhere fast. The other rangers all looked at Sid expectantly. Well, most of them anyway. Nikki simply rolled her eyes and stood up, turning to leave.

"Where are you going?" Xolin asked her.

"Somewhere else" was Nikki's only response. No one tried to stop her.

Sid sighed. This was going to be a long, LONG day.

* * *

It was ugly. The mechanical abomination looked half-finished at best, a hodgepodge of metallic beams and debris welded together into a hideous two-story creature that was now in the process of smashing the warehouse district flat. As it opened its partially unhinged jaw and let it hang loose, it opened a beam of hot plasma energy at the rangers rushing toward it, causing them to roll out of the way, breaking their formation.

"Left!" Sid shouted, "LEFT!"

The machine's partially hollow ribcage opened its missile batteries, and a swarm of missiles flew at the rangers.

"I SAID LEFT!" the red ranger shouted as the ground around the group was pulverized by the missile impacts. The other red ranger, the tenga, rolled forward, barely avoiding the attack. He charged forward, sword at the ready, unleashing a warcry as he approached.

"Wait!" Sid called out, "Stay with the group!" Anthren didn't stop. Sid cursed before speaking into his morpher, "Sel, Izzy, cover him!"

"That's not my name!" Isdilian called back. Sid didn't respond.

Twin laser beams shot out from their hiding places, burning holes into the ramshackle arm of the machine as it prepared to slam its claws onto Anthren. The claw exploded in a burst of shrapnel, its fragments raining down as the beast turned its attention on the two interlopers, its mouth cannon readying to fire.

Sid glanced back over at the group that had been hit by the missiles. Tesas had gotten up at least, and was now watching as the creature engaged the other rangers. "Tesas!" Sid called to him, "You feel like joining in sometime today?"

"You first" the aquitian called first, "I'm trying to figure out the monster's weakpoint!"

"While your leader is in danger?" Sid asked, as the monster's plasma beam fired a third time. The others had jumped in now; Trok has the monster's neck restrained with his hammer while Xolin was flanking Anthren. What a mess.

Tesas shrugged, "Teamwork. He does his stupid thing, and I use him to formulate my victory".

Sid tilted his head at him as if he was nuts. He was about to respond until he caught sight of Sitras hanging back. "And you?"

The princess sighed, before reluctantly pointing her gun and firing a few token shots at the monster.

Sid motioned with his arms, as if to say '...that's it?!'. Sitras shrugged, "I'm support, what do you want from me? They won't listen to my orders, so there's no point".

"You're not even the team leader!" Sid exclaimed.

She snorted, "Yes I am. I'm the princess!"

"I—I don't..." The monster tossed Trok and Xolin into a wall of one of the warehouse. Sid sighed, dejected, "Computer, end program".

The entire simulation vanished in the blink of an eye, replaced by the bare walls of the simudeck. Xolin helped Trok up.

"Okay!" Sid called, clapping his hands, "Anyone know what they did wrong?"

Tesas put up his hand, "Your yellow and silver rangers were out of alignment in their attacks. Also, they should have been triangulated with the main attack force instead of only on one flank".

Sid blinked before facepalming, "...I'm gonna kill Iota..."

"I'll tell you what the problem is" Anthren cawed angrily as he gave his teammates death glares, "...These two left me in the lurch. AGAIN".

Tesas scoffed, "It's not my fault you do the stupid bullheaded thing each time. Maybe you should have hung back like me".

"Neither of you follow the plan!" said Sitras.

"You're not even the leader!" Anthren bit back, "I am!"

"Says who?"

"Says the red suit I'm wearing!" said Anthren, gesturing to himself.

"Well I'M the princess!"

"You're not MY princess!"

Tesas eyed Sitras, "Why should we follow your plan? Your plans always involve us doing all the hard work while you hang back".

"I'm the field commander" the princess said, her hand on her chest, "I'm supposed to 'hang back' so a clear command can be maintained. Besides, I'm royalty".

"What does that have to do with anything?!" Anthren exclaimed.

Sid was getting a migraine, right behind his temple. Was this what his dad had once had to put up with? He needed to apologize again. Ugh, but right now he needed to put an end to this, because none of this was working.

"So, I have an idea!" Trok interjected with a false sense of cheer, "How about we all cool down elsewhere? Private lessons!"

Sid thought it over. That...could be a good idea.

"Oh yeah, like you're any better at leading, mister suicide!" Tesas said, rolling his eyes at Anthren.

"OKAY!" Sid exclaimed, "YES! GOOD IDEA! Everyone pick a dance partner, we'll reconviene in...oh, let's say sixteen hundred, hmm? No? Yes? Good!"

"Wait-" Xolin started, but Sid cut her off as he grabbed Anthren's wing and stormed out of the simudeck.

"Too late! Let's go people!"

Isdilian glanced at the room. "...I'm going to go work on calibrating my cannon" he deadpanned. No one tried to stop him.

Trok grabbed Tesas and Sel, "Alright, so, we'll just split up and meet back later, okay? Good luck!"

Xolin opened her mouth to protest, but it was too late. She turned to look at the sole remaining occupant of the room—the triforian princess, currently standing off to the side with her arms crossed and a haughty look on her face. Xolin's shoulders sagged.

Today was going to suck.

* * *

Awkward silence.

Sel's isolated cough only made it worse.

The three had taken over engineering as their temporary workspace, though for what *kind* of work remained...elusive.

"So…." Trok said, trying to build bridges with Tesas.

"Yes?" the aquitian asked grumpily.

"Um..." Trok trailed off, "...Tell us about yourself…?"

The aquitian looked at him like he was insane, "...Why do you keep asking me that?! I already told the guy in red, it's all in my file. This is a waste of time".

"Well...sort of..." Trok reluctantly agreed, "But it doesn't really tell me about WHO you are. Like, it doesn't really help us become friends".

Tesas rolled his eyes in disdain, "Ugh, give it a rest. I don't need any psyche bullshit. I get it—you're our last hope before we get flushed out, whatever. I don't need to be patronized".

Trok blinked in confusion, "We...aren't *trying* to patronize you".

"Why are we your last chance?" Sel asked, "Why exactly isn't your team working?"

Tesas leaned back in his seat, shrugging in contempt as he looked away, "I dunno, ask the other two. They're always duking it out, neither wants to listen to me. Psh, I've got better things to do than listen to them whine".

"Like what?" Sel asked.

He shrugged again, "I dunno".

Stonewalled, Trok decided to take a different track, "So what made you decide to become a ranger? With your aptitude scores, you could have been just about anything".

"'Anything else' is boring" Tesas said, "Mom and dad wanted me to go into the aqua-engineering field, help keep Aquitar pure and to aquaform other worlds for settlement. But that shit's boring, I thought that this would be more exciting. Turns out it's mostly taking orders".

"You don't like orders?"

"Psh, no. I'd rather be able to do whatever I want. Everybody else is way slower than me, so they aren't really worth my time".

"That's...a depressing view" Trok replied. Tesas just scoffed. Trok continued, "See, I also joined up to see new places and have adventures, but I also signed up because I like meeting new people too. And I like helping people, which is what this job is all about"

"Well aren't you the boyscout" Tesas said, bored. Trok frowned.

"...So your file says you're big on computer and robotic skills" said Sel, shifting the conversation.

"Yeah, what of it?"

She shrugged, "That's just interesting. I guess that would make you the tech of the group?"

"I guess" Tesas sighed, "Not that *they* care about my genius. They'd rather bicker over their substandard intelligence" a small grin formed, despite himself, "So sometimes I'll just mess with them. Infect their computer with a virus, or rearrange the time on their clock. One time I set it so Anthren's toilet would flush constantly. Pretty proud of that one".

"So you like to prank, huh?" Sel asked, fond memories surfacing briefly.

He shrugged, "I guess. It helps pass the boredom. Also it teaches everybody else to give me my space".

Aaaand there would be the source of his delinquent rap. Trok eyed the datapad with the aquitian's information—so many counts of misconduct or blatant disregard for the rules. Sigh. What had Iota gotten them into?

Sel rubbed her temple.

"...Headache?" Trok asked. She nodded.

"It'll be fine, it's passing".

"Been having more of those lately" Trok said, frowning.

She waved him off, "Just aftershocks from Eltar, I think. It's fine".

"...What's going on?" Tesas asked, partially in curiosity, partially in concern.

Sel gave him a small smile, "Nothing. Just something that happened on a mission, had a bit of a side effect on my...well, my psychic powers" she said, lying.

Trok turned his attention back to the aquitian, "You have to know that all that rule-breaking on your record just gets you in trouble, right?" he asked, "I mean, it WILL eventually catch up to you".

Tesas shrugged, "So? I'm about to be kicked out anyway. What more can they do?"

"What will you do if they kick you out?"

"Haven't thought about it. I dunno, maybe just hop from place to place. Do I HAVE to do anything?"

"No higher purpose in your life?" Sel asked curiously.

Tesas glared at her, "...No? Jeeze, you sound like my parents".

Trok sighed inwardly. Yes, this had been a GREAT idea. Splitting up was such a great plan. He made a mental note to have Xolin kick his butt the next time he thought he'd decide to be clever. Leave the planning to Sid.

Ugh.

* * *

The simudeck was filled with the sounds of battle. The two red rangers hammered at each other again and again. They danced like experts around each other, dodging each blow in turn as they struck back.

"Excellent footwork!" Sid called out as his opponent swung in again. Sid parried, but wasn't quick enough to catch Anthren's foot swinging into his side. Sid toppled to the ground, and soon found Anthren's blade hovering over his helmet. The other red ranger retracted his weapon, sheathing it again as he backed off, giving Sid room.

"*Very* nice" Sid commented as he sat up, "Though your gamesmanship could use some work" he said, noting the other man's failure to help him up. Anthren said nothing, so Sid continued as he stood, dusting himself off, "Where'd you learn to fight like that?"

"My parents were refugees from Vile territory, hopping from place to place before the Free Colonies were established" Anthren said, his back turned to Sid, "Our nesting clan brought with them much knowledge from our homeworld, such as fighting skills. My mother was wise, and decided all her nest should be required to defend themselves from a hostile universe".

"It's impressive" Sid said.

"So you see why I don't need those other two" Anthren said, turning to Sid, "They only get in my way and slow me down".

Sid frowned, "Your team is there to support you. They might not have the martial prowess you possess, but they have other gifts that you might not have".

"Such as?"

Sid shrugged as he approached the tenga, taking his helmet off, "Well, the aquitian has top marks in pretty much every academic field, by all rights he's a genius. And the girl well, her dossier says she's a fairly competent mage-in-training".

"Magic is the tool of the enemy. I don't need it" Anthren grumbled.

"...The enemy?" Sid asked.

Anthren took his helmet off, "Vile. One day, when I have enough power, I will lead the charge and take back our homeworld".

Sid resisted a smirk, "Is that so? That's why you became a ranger?"

"I became a ranger to protect my people" said Anthren, "It's all a means to an end".

"You're a patriot" Sid commented, sitting down on a holographic bench in the otherwise mostly-empty simulation, "I can respect that. But you need to realize that being a ranger means that it's not all about you".

Anthren glared at him, "I'm talking about my people, not me!"

"Yes, your people" Sid replied, "You. Yours. YOU must save your people. YOU must go after Vile. You, you, you you. If it's all about revenge or your personal mission, then where does helping everyone else come in?"

To this, Anthren didn't immediately have an answer.

Sid leaned back, "No one is an island. We all stand together, or we all die. You COULD go after Vile, with your new fancy powers, and you might get closer than most. But you're talking about one tenga versus an entire empire. You really think you could do it?"

"So what's your alternative?" the tenga asked him, anger in his tone, "Just give up? Forget about it?"

"No one is an island" Sid replied, "Everyone works together, or they die. The same is true for my time, and the same is true for yours".

"I told you, they just get in my way" Anthren repeated, "I don't need them".

Sid eyed him, unconvinced. After a moment, he seemingly relented, "Fine. Computer, load Program 62-B, maximum difficulty, opt me out".

"...What's going on?" Anthren asked as the simulation changed from the empty room into some sort of post-apocalyptic city ruin. Rubble was strewn everywhere, flames licked at the broken buildings, and the sky was on fire, "What did you do?"

"I'd put your helmet back on if I were you" Sid said, remaining on his bench, "You've just walked into a..fairly faithful recreation of the Battle of Denver, during the fall of Earth. Consider it sort of a no-win scenario. God help you, because I'm not".

Movement drew Anthren's attention to the devastated road. Broken cars littered the streets but...shadows moved towards him. It was hard to tell at first, through the haze of smoke, but...no. Those weren't shadows. Those were machines, robots. Thousands of them.

There was an army of them, all marching in formation towards his position. They un-holstered their guns and aimed, readying to fire. Anthren put his helmet back on and, grabbing his sword, readied to block the attacks. So, this was what he'd have to do to prove himself, huh? He'd show Sid—he was no pushover. He'd wipe that smug look right off the human's face.

Bring it on.

* * *

The lounge of the megaship was nice enough, she supposed. Y'know, for the common man.

This was so pedestrian.

"Your files say you're quite adept at magic" Xolin said, entering the room behind her.

Sitras scoffed, "'Adept', please. I was first in my class. Not that that's a surprise. Excellence has always run in my family".

She didn't much lack for confidence either, Xolin thought. She decided to take another track, "So what's the problem then? You're certainly not washing out with your skills".

Sitras folded her arms, snorting in derision, "It's the other two. Bumbling fools. They'd do well to follow my lead as their princess".

Xolin thought about this, "But...you're not really their princess, are you? I mean, they aren't triforian".

The princess walked over to the counter and got herself a drink, "I'm still royalty and am as such above their station. Or do you disagree with that too?" she asked pointedly.

"I...no, I meant no disrespect, your majesty" Xolin quickly replied. Part of her hated having to suck up to this stuck up entitled little girl, but the other part of her was firm—this was her future monarch.

Why had the others left her with her PRINCESS? What kind of sense had this made?! There was no way Xolin would be able to objectively guide her. Not like this.

"That's more like it" the princess smiled, "It's so nice to be talking with a fellow triforian again. Alls right with the world. Even if you are from House Sais".

Xolin instinctively brushed her finger against the small tattoo up near her eye. Her hair was standing on end—this was why she didn't interact with other triforians very often, "...Is that a problem?" she asked, an undercurrent of disdain seeping through.

The other triforian shrugged, "I'm not super-religious, if that's what you're thinking. I'm not going to label you a heretic, even if your people are really weird".

"...Weird?!" Xolin grunted, despite herself. Her eye twitched. How conflicting; this was her princess, and she didn't even much LIKE home, and yet she felt herself scrambling to their defense anyway.

Sitras giggled, "Yeah, weird. Like, you guys take yourselves so seriously. You ever thought that maybe our three forms are just some sort of biological defense instead of a gift from 'The Trinity' or whatever? It'd be like a horathean worshiping his own scales".

No. No, don't throttle the princess. That would be...problematic. Taking a deep breath, she again shifted the conversation back to its original intent, "I...don't suppose you could show me some of your mage abilities".

Sitras thought it over, a small grin forming, "Hmm...I suppose I could show off a little. I know this one really awesome spell..."

* * *

The workbay was quiet. With the four primary rangers busy, there were no spirited debates, no roughhousing, no joyous laughter. Just Isdilian and Nikki working silently on opposite ends of the room.

...Heaven help him, Isdilian was starting to miss that. He hated that—it was only going to get him in trouble. And yet he couldn't help it; they'd wormed themselves in. Damnit all.

"...You think they'll be able to salvage that team?" he asked Nikki, idly, as he kept working.

She shrugged, "Probably not. What do you care?"

"Gaining a team is always better than losing a team" Isdilian relied, "Simple math".

"Mmm" Nikki mused.

Silence fell over the room for a moment. Then...a noise. Barely noticeable at first, but quickly rising and-was that a scream? A girl scream, a shriek. It was getting louder—no, closer.

Xolin raced by the door, down the hall, screaming. Behind her, her hair was ablaze, fire streaming out from behind. And just like that, the screaming faded as she headed for the other end of the ship.

The two rangers watched the once-again-empty hallway, blinking for a moment. Nikki returned to her work, "...I'm sure they'll be fine" she replied finally, with a deadpan.

* * *

"We should toss all three of them out the airlock".

Having regrouped in the workbay a short time ago, Sid now caught a wiff of the charred remains of Xolin's hair, gagging slightly at the awful smell, "...I don't think that would really solve the problem..."

"I think it would" Xolin muttered, then shot a glance at Trok behind her when he pulled a bit too hard at her locks, "Hey, careful!"

"Sorry" he replied, "This would be a lot easier if you stopped moving" he sighed, "Why am *I* the one cutting your hair? I don't even HAVE hair!"

"Just...do your bes—ow!"

"Sorry!"

Trok grumbled as he struggled with determining what was salvageable and what wasn't, "Maybe it'd just be easier if I shaved you and let it grow back from scratch".

"Do that and I'll through *you* out the airlock" she warned him darkly. Trok recoiled slightly.

"I think you'd look great with a bald head" Sid teased. She shot him a murderous look.

"So what will you do with the recruits?" Isdilian asked them.

Sid sighed, shrugging as he flopped down in one of the seats, "You got me. They're just...too headstrong. Birdboy's too obsessed with his crusade of burning justice. Or vengeance, whichever".

"Tesas thinks the others beneath him" Sel confirmed.

Xolin growled, "And princess has the golden power staff stuffed up her—ow!"

"Sorry!" Trok apologized again, "...Are you sure you should be talking about your future queen like that though? We'd never be like that to our chieftains back home".

"...She burned my hair off" Xolin grumbled, "Which, by the way, thanks for leaving her for ME. That was nice of you. Didn't think there'd be a conflict of interest there or anything?"

Trok chuckled sheepishly, "Sorry, I didn't...really think about it. I was just trying to divide the team up" he sighed, "Not that it really mattered, my whole plan just failed on every level".

"Eh, don't feel too bad" Sid said, "It WAS a solid idea. Sometimes things just don't pan out the way we think they will though".

"...So what now?" Sel asked, "Group training didn't work, and we didn't get anywhere with individual study".

"How many days did Iota say we had again?" asked Trok.

"Three" Sel replied, then thought for a second, "Well, two now, I guess".

"Any reason for that?" Xolin asked.

Trok paused, then cleared his throat, "It um...might have something to do with Operation, er...Zenith, I think it was".

Isdilian's head shot around at Trok, "...Where did you hear that name?" he asked, suddenly deadly serious.

"Where do you think I heard it?" Trok mumbled, "...This ship's communications aren't as encrypted as they should be".

"...You shouldn't be snooping where you aren't supposed to" Isdilian said.

"If there was, then it wouldn't be called 'snooping' Trok replied.

"Trok" Isdilian chastised him.

The horathean sighed, "What do you want with me?" he said quietly, "You keep us in the dark, I just...like to be prepared".

"What's Operation Zenith?" asked Xolin.

"I'm...not entirely sure" Trok replied as Isdilian sighed in resignation, "I think it's some sort of big offensive against the Alliance. Might be why they're looking to field as many teams as they can".

"...It's a multi-pronged blitzkrieg assault deep into Alliance space, with the object of capturing key assets" Isdilian relented finally, reluctantly, "The Confederacy has been slowly losing ground in this war. We are going to attempt to cut off the head of the snake before it kills us".

"...Sounds like quite the gamble" Sid said.

"It is" Isdilian confirmed, "But if we can secure enough key objectives, we can force them to the bargaining table".

"And if we don't?" asked Xolin pointedly.

Isdilian looked at her, "Hope that we do".

"So these kids are just more meat for the grinder" Sid said grimly.

"They aren't ready" said Xolin, "Not by a long shot".

"So what do we do?" asked Trok.

"That's easy" Sid replied, "We flunk 'em. They aren't ready, and I'm not going to put blood on my hands just because the Confederacy wants their meat wagon. We'll just have to make do with the twenty-five or however many teams we've already got".

* * *

Sitras pressed her ear against the wall. She dared not peek into the workbay—she didn't want them to know she was here.

"You set her hair on fire?!" Tesas exclaimed in disbelief, barely keeping his voice down.

"I didn't mean to!" the triforian replied, "I just...she moved! She shouldn't have moved!"

"You were trying higher level magic again, weren't you?" Tesas scoffed, "You're only a fifth rank right now, you shouldn't be going above your skill".

She glared at him, "I am the princess of Triforia and future queen of my people" she replied with her standard haughtiness, "I'm capable of practicing whatever magic I want".

"Apparently not" Tesas threw back at her.

"You two mind?" Anthren whispered to them, "I'm trying to listen".

"Isn't it already clear?" Tesas asked, "They've already decided to flunk us out. Whoop-de-doo".

"I can't flunk out!" Sitras exclaimed, panic starting to flood in, "I'm the royal heir of Triforia! I'm not *allowed* to flunk out!"

"Well you're about to, princess" Tesas snickered.

Anthren punched the wall in a fit of anger. He turned to Tesas, "This is all your fault. If you cared at ALL-"

"Oh don't lecture me" the aquitian replied testily, "It's not like you even care beyond your own single-minded 'mission' or whatever".

"I'm going to flunk" Sitras mumbled to herself, nearly in tears, "I'm going to flunk and I'm going to fail Triforia and my dad's gonna be mad and it's all your fault!" she pushed the two aside as she rushed off. Anthren gave Tesas one last murderous glare, before blowing him off and walking away. The aquitian remained behind for a moment longer, until he too finally walked away, a little more somber than usual.

* * *

'Operation Zenith', huh. Something seriously big was coming down the pipeline.

The others had all left, but Sid had remained behind in the workbay, pouring over the interactive wall map of the war. By all accounts, the Confederacy had given as good as it had gotten, but it just hadn't been enough; the Alliance, despite its decline in recent years, was still larger and far more cohesive than the rag-tag makeshift coalition of the Confederacy. On the whole, the war had been a grueling slogfest where neither had been able to press the advantage, and yet—the trend was unmistakable, especially in the last few weeks.

The Confederacy was losing steam-it could not win a war of attrition.

A knock at the door.

Sid was confused for a second—no one ever asked to come into the workbay, they just kind of...did it. It was a public space. He looked over, seeing Anthren standing there at the entryway.

"...What's up?" Sid asked him, composing himself.

"Can...we talk?" the tenga asked. Sid nodded, so he came further into the room.

"Go on, take a seat" Sid motioned to one of the many empty chairs in the room. The tenga did so, "So what'd you want to talk about?"

The tenga seemed genuinely uncomfortable, "...You...so after today..."

"You want to know if we're dropping you or not" Sid chuckled.

"...You're good" the tenga noted.

Sid shrugged, "Oh please, you were outside listening, right? It's what I would have done. Hell, I have done it. Many times" he chuckled again, "Got me in trouble more than once".

The bird drooped slightly at the knowledge that Sid already knew, but Sid continued as his face turned serious, "Look, I won't sugarcoat it. You're not ready—not by a longshot. And it'd be one thing if you guys were just underskilled but...none of you have any interest in actually being rangers. None of you want to perform the missions required or even attempt to work as a team. We're...not actually sure why any of you are here. Tesas is doesn't seem to care about anything in the slightest, Sitras is too busy being a princess, and you..." Sid sighed, "Why ARE you here, Anthren? You say you want to go after Master Vile, but you can't drag the entire Confederacy off on one man's quest. It's just not going to happen".

The tenga sighed, "I don't...because I don't know of any other way. My people flee to Confederate space, but the Tenga Colonies are barely thought of by the other Confederate members".

"You want to protect them".

Anthren looked at the wall map, "...Confederate culture has started leaking in. When I was growing up, I'd always hear about the Power Rangers, and how they always saved the day, saved their worlds from threats. And I always thought about how we never had rangers, and how things might have been different if we had".

"You know, I HAVE met other tenga rangers" Sid said casually.

"...What?"

"One, at least, but he had a team elsewhere. Met him a couple months ago, actually. They mostly work undercover, escorting refugee ships to the colonies".

Anthren digested this for a moment.

"You remember what I told you before you got your ass kicked in the simudeck? No one is an island. If you'd had your team with you, you might have done better".

"...You really think we could have succeeded?" Anthren asked him, skeptical after having been thoroughly beaten by the machine army he'd been pitted against.

Sid snickered, "No, not in the slightest. But you could have lasted *longer*. And at the end of the day, perhaps that's all that's needed. You might not be able to defeat Master Vile by yourself, but together we could help protect your people".

"...Are you giving us another chance?" Anthren asked, curious.

Sid shook his head, "Not...exactly? My team's pretty much done giving it the college try—and Im pretty sure Xolin still wants to boot the princess out the airlock, but technically you've still got two days left for your window".

"...What should we do?"

Sid shrugged, "I dunno. I'm not going to tell you what to do—that's all up to you. Because I think you *know* what you need to do, and you just don't want to do it". He got up, putting his hand on Anthren's should briefly as he passed by, "I'm gonna go some of my duties done. You do what you need to do".

Sid left, and the tenga remained alone with his thoughts. He didn't want to, but…

* * *

Anthren slowly ambled his way back to the simudeck, unsure of his next course of action.

No, Sid had known what he needed to do, and so did Anthren. He was just...putting it off. He really didn't want to do this.

Seemingly however, his troubles came to him—as he arrived at the doors to the simudeck, he found both Sitras and Tesas already there, waiting.

"Figured you'd show up eventually" the aquitian grumbled, with a hint of haughtyness.

"What are you two doing here?" Anthren asked.

"The same as you, I'd imagine" Sitras replied, very reluctantly. She sighed, "Look, I...we've been thinking".

"You've been thinking" Tesas corrected her.

She ignored him, "This is our very last chance. I...I can't go face home if I fail here. I can't—no, I *won't* be the weak link in my family's dynasty. I won't allow it".

"So what are you going to do about it?" Anthren asked.

Sitras sighed, "...Don't misunderstand me. I'm still the only member of royalty here, but..." another deep breath, "...Part of being a leader means knowing when to yield to advice from others, and you've...consistently been good about that".

"...Are you saying you'll allow me to be field commander?" Anthren asked. She nodded, again reluctantly. He turned to Tesas, "And what about you? Why are you here?"

He shrugged, his expression dour, "Didn't have anywhere better to be. Do I need a better reason?"

"If we don't figure this out, we'll be dropped" Sitras said, firmly, "So whatever reason made you sign up will just have to go unfulfilled".

"You don't think I know that?" he asked with a slight snarl.

"So why *are* you here?" asked Anthren, "You're always quick with the attitude, but you never give us a good reason for why you don't just piss off".

The aquitian visibly slackened, "...Because I threw away my chances elsewhere, okay?" he grumbled, incredibly annoyed.

"What about you?" Sitras asked the tenga.

Anthren paused, considering, "...I had a talk with Sid. I'm ready to give it another go if you guys are".

The three of them turned their gaze on the doors to the simudeck. Well, they still had two days, after all. What else were they going to do with their time?

* * *

Trok had stood there for a good few minutes, unsure of what to do really. They'd been in there an...awful long time. Since yesterday, maybe? He kept thinking that maybe he should go check on them, make sure they weren't dead.

Dead, in a simudeck. Haha, that was silly.

Unless...they'd turned off the safeties. Hrn.

"...Are they STILL in there?" Xolin groaned, coming up behind him, "I was really hoping to get to use it". Why did the ship only have one simudeck? Ugh.

"...I'm going to check on them" Trok decided at last, approaching the door.

"Leave 'em alone" Sid said, behind the other two. They turned, finding him leaning against the wall.

"They've been in there a really long time" Trok told him.

Sid nodded, "I know. They've barely come out to eat. But let them be—they're trying to accomplish something".

"...You think they can pull it off?" asked Xolin.

Sid smirked knowingly, "I think they've earned the right to try. In the end, they didn't need us. They just needed a deadline".

Xolin's eyebrow arched, "You know, you're not nearly as cool as you think you are".

Sid just gave a laugh as the three of them retreated from the simudeck's entrance, leaving the cadets to their work.

* * *

The war room was a bit more crowded than usual—on top of Iota and the six members of his team, there were also now three new rangers, forced now to take spots standing on the other rim of the room due to lack of seating. Iota pulled up a holographic image of a gas giant with several terraformed moons.

"This is Tau Sigma IV, one of our major sources of Helium-3 in Confederate space. Two hours ago, we received a distress call from one of its moons—Zion. A rogue wizard going by the alias of 'Tempestatis Magnus' has disrupted daily operations globally by shutting down their power grid".

"…'Tepastatis Magnus'. Literally, 'Great Storm'. Cute" Sid said, rolling his eyes.

"Any idea what he wants?" Xolin asked.

"His demands have been typical would-be overlord requests" Iota replied, "We believe he wishes to rule the system and build his empire out from there. Your orders are to stop Magnus, by any means necessary".

"What about us?" Sitras asked.

Iota eyed her, "You are to remain here. Let this mission act as an example—you may watch the team as they complete their objectives".

"But...we've been working really hard" the princess pushed.

Before Iota could rebuke her, Sid spoke up, "This isn't a training simulation, Sitras, this is real. And while I know you three have been working your butts off for the past day, you just aren't ready. And I'd rather this was a quick in-and-out operation instead of a learning exercise".

"Besides, six operatives is more than enough" said Isdilian, "Another three, without the proper time to integrate them into the wider team dynamic, would hinder us more than help us".

"My orders are final" Iota said. Sitras was about to argue further, but felt Anthren's hand on her shoulder. She looked back at him, and found they were both urging her to fall back. Outnumbered, and remembering her earlier conversation with them, she reluctantly diminished.

"How soon do we arrive?" Sid asked Iota.

Even with his helmet hiding his facial features (if, indeed, he had any) Iota seemed to radiate a sense of smug amusement, "We've already arrived, actually. You may launch when ready".

* * *

All in all, at least the bridge had comfy seats, and a big screen. And all things considered, it really did seem as though Peacekeeper team twelve had things well in hand. The wizard had started off with some heavy magical attacks, between the lightning storm and the torrent of fire. But six on one he just wasn't standing a chance. Already the six were pressing in, encircling the poor man.

The three cadets watched as the team of six worked as a single unit, effortlessly dancing around their opponent. There wasn't even much ordering going on—it was as if most of them really already understood what their individual goals were. The only real outlier was the black ranger, and even she operated mostly by staying on the edge of the conflict and striking only when she had an opening, mostly staying out of everyone's way.

* * *

Trok's hammer came down on the soil, causing the earth to rumble and shake, a shockwave of solid ground flinging itself at Magnus. The wizard, almost laughably stereotypical with his robes, beard, and hat, was flung back into the back wall of the rock quarry, only barely avoiding the rocky cliff by initiating a levitating spell that caused him to stop moving.

It didn't help for long—Sel had loaded Xolin's lance into her bow, and a spear of blue energy soon found itself flying at the wizard. He blocked it with an energy shield, but unwittingly left himself open for a double attack by both Sid and Isdilian, their charged up weapons coming down on the poor wizard. He rose his staff to defend, but they simply cleaved through it, leaving him with a useless little stump of a stick.

Nikki flipped over them, coming down with her daggers, piercing what was left of his defense shield and knocking him back. The rangers reassembled.

"Endgame" Isdilian said, "Finishers at the ready".

"Defender Cannon!" the rangers called, assembling their weapon.

"Sentinel Cannon!" Isdilian called, recombining his sword and shield into a single blaster.

"FIRE!" the team shouted in unison, as twin beams of power shot out and into the wizard. The space around him violently exploded as the energy was unleashed. When the smoke cleared however, they found the wizard was still in existence—just barely.

"You...cannot defeat me...that easily..." he groaned, staggering to his feet. Electricity crackled in his fingertips as he prepared for a final stand. He unleashed his most powerful attack yet, his lightning cascading across the battlefield and engulfing his prey.

...And as the attack spent itself, he found all six rangers still standing before him, yet four of them had changed—golden armor covered the four primary rangers, and they had erected an energy barrier between their team and his attack, leaving them unscathed.

"Hyiah!" they shouted in unison.

"Finish it!" Sid ordered, as the four of them launched forward, colored jet plums erupting from their gauntlets and boots.

"Lights of Andromeda, power up mode!" they shouted, just as they sped up, their forms blending together into a magnificent fireball that swept right through Magnus. Reappearing on the other side, the four rangers turned to watch their handiwork, as Isdilian and Nikki looked on from the other end. The wizard sparked and sputtered, before his knees finally gave out, and in a cry of anguish, exploded. A second later, nothing was left but smoldering ashes.

"And another one bites it" Sid grinned.

"That was...unexpectedly quick" Trok said, a little surprised.

"Honestly? I'm fine if not everyone we fight is an invading army or an eldritch horror from beyond the stars" Xolin said, "I will gladly take a freebee or two".

Sid shrugged, "He was probably just some local wacko who got too full of himself. He wasn't even particularly adept at his own magic, it was more like he'd just gotten a bunch of spells he thought sounded cool".

A haunting laugh that echoed through the entire rock quarry silenced all conversation. The team looked around for its source, just as the sky darkened, stormclouds rolling overhead. Lightning came down, striking each of the rangers. They fell to the ground smoking.

"...Okay, that was...a fair bit better" Sid gasped, as he scrambled to his knees. Each of the rangers' attentions were drawn to where the lightning began to coalesce into a humanoid form. There, once again, stood the wizard, still laughing as he waved his staff around.

Trok was the first to speak, "Okay, someone wanna fill me in on what's going on? We just saw him go boom!"

The wizard cackled, "Foolish boy! Don't you recognize a magical figment when you see one?"

"...A whatnow?" Trok asked, confused.

"A figment" Sel said, her body tensing, "He created a false duplicate of himself to trick us. We destroyed a decoy".

Trok looked at her, then back at the wizard, also tensing up, "A copy? But why?"

"So that I could study your powers and counteract them of course!" the wizard laughed.

Sid sighed, knowing where this was going, "...Damnit". As the wizard pulled his staff skyward and began to collect energy, the red ranger gave the order, "Everyone! SCATTER!"

Most obeyed, rolling out of the way, but Isdilian decided to hold his ground instead. Hoping to catch the wizard while he was busy charging his attack, the silver ranger brought the Sentinel Cannon to bare, charging and firing in one quick movement.

It was all for naught; Isdilian's cannon fire bounced harmlessly off Magnus's energy shield that flickered into existence right in front of him. As the silver ranger's weapon finished its volley, the wizard smiled.

"My turn".

Magnus brought his staff down, unleashing a single powerful bolt of lightning. The silver ranger had no defense, and was struck dead on, his suit sporting a large blackened and charred section across his chest as he was sent flying into a heap several yards away.

"Izzy!" Sid called, then turned his attention back on the wizard, who was now preparing for his next assault, "Oh, crap nuggets".

"Burn in everlasting hellfire!" the wizard cackled, before a wave of fire eminated outwards, catching each ranger helplessly. As they tumbled to the ground, their suits smoking, Sid turned to Xolin.

"What was that you said about freebees?" he asked her.

She staggered to her feet, "...I dunno. Probably something about how my life must be *intrinsically* unfair".

The wizard rose above them, standing on a wisp of cloud of his own making. Sel unleashed a volley from her bow, while Trok switched his hammer to mace mode, hoping to reach Magnus with the extra reach. Both attacks bounced off harmlessly.

"Nothing we do effects him!" Nikki called out, "He's immune to our entire arsenal!"

Sid cursed, "Okay, so, I think we've learned something today. Don't lay all your ranger cards out on the table in any one battle, because SHIT LIKE THIS happens!"

"FEEL THE WRATH OF THE ELEMENTS THEMSELVES!" the wizard crowed, as large boulders began to lift themselves up, forming themselves into vaguely humanoid formations. Three of them now stood, higher than two people.

"Oh, he's got a golem spell" Sid deadpanned as they were surrounded, even as he instinctively activated the energy blades on his andromeda gauntlets, "That's great. Juuust great".

* * *

"They're getting torn apart" Anthren said, watching the unfolding battle with increasing worry.

Iota said nothing, though he had certainly tensed a bit since the tide of battle had turned.

"He's activated a counter-spell" Sitras explained, "Everything they threw at his decoy, he knows how to neutralize. They don't stand a chance".

"Let us go down there" Anthren said, turning to Iota. He stepped toward the commander, "Magnus doesn't have our powers on record, we can still hurt him".

"His powers far outclass your skills" Iota reminded them, "The others have already given less than impressive accounts of your progress so far. I won't allow you to go out there just to get killed for the sake of your own ego".

"It has nothing to do with our ego!" Sitras exclaimed, "If we don't help them, they'll DIE!"

Iota dismissed her, "They've been through tougher scrapes, believe me. And what do you care, anyway? You're only here to impress your father".

"I-" Sitras started, but trailed off, unable to come up with a worthwhile counter to that.

Iota continued, "The Peacekeepers require heroes, men and women willing to lay down their lives for each other and for the people of the Confederacy at large, not for children who can't figure out what they want to do with their lives" he nodded at Tesas, "Or angry teenagers with a deathwish" he said towards Anthren.

"Hey, that's low" Anthren crowed.

"Am I wrong?" Iota asked, "You were given three days to shape up before you were discharged after failing every course so far. You've since wasted two of those days either dismissing your mentors, or holing up in the simudeck playing games".

"We haven't been playing games!" Tesas roared, "We've been training!"

"You've been messing around, instead of following your mentors' guidance" Iota retorted, "You aren't ranger material".

A cry of pain from Sid pulled everyone's attention back to the viewscreen—Magnus was now launching energy bombs at random rangers as they barely evaded the rock golems' attacks. He wasn't even facing them like a proper foe—he was toying with them before he finished them off. Anthren seethed with anger, before punching the side of one of the consoles in frustrated anger.

Sel was hit by an energy bomb and crumpled. A rock golem moved to strike her prone form, but Trok moved to intercept, taking the attack for her. The green ranger fell.

"I can't stand here and watch this!" he shouted, turning to leave, "To hell with you, I'm going to help them!"

"Walk out that door and you can consider yourself discharged" Iota told him as he approached the bridge exit, "Can you live with that?"

"...Better that than blood on my hands" Sitras said, joining Anthren.

"And what about your father?" Iota asked her, "What will he think?"

She flinched, "I'll...I'll figure that out later".

"I'm going too" Tesas said as he joined them.

"Stealing and utilizing unauthorized Peacekeeper equipment are criminal offenses" Iota reminded them, "If you take those morphers with you, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent".

The three looked at each other, then the screen where the rangers were being pummeled to death, then at Iota, "Do your worst" Anthren said, before the three of them left the bridge.

Iota said nothing as they left, instead turning his attention back to the battle at hand. Sometimes what was needed was not a guiding hand, or mentorships, or even deadlines. Sometimes all you needed to beat a lesson into someone's skull was some good old fashioned guilt and emotional manipulation—a secret test of character, if you will.

Now he'd sit back, and hope his gamble was correct.

* * *

A cascading torrent of fire flung itself at Sid. The red ranger parried the oncoming blow from one of the golems, before swinging his axe around at the flame. The weapon charged with power, pulling the fire into itself and turning it white-hot. Going in a three-hundred sixty degree arc, Sid flung the stored firepower out at the wizard. The flame spat itself back out, and was deflected harmlessly off Magnus's defense shield. Sid cursed.

"Oh come on!" he shouted, just before one of the golems batted him aside.

Xolin dodged an attack—they were rapidly running out of rangers. A cry of pain from Nikki told her that that was yet another ranger down. She steadied her breath as the golems closed in around her. The blue ranger rose to her feet—if she was going to die today, she was going to do it standing.

A flash of light told her that Isdilian was giving another go at the wizard. The silver ranger stood his ground, having decided that he really didn't have any better options. Wielding his cannon, he unleashed another beam of pure energy, and didn't stop. The power again deflected harmlessly off the defense shield, but he didn't let up. Not until Magnus put him out of his misery by redirecting the attack. The silver ranger fell.

Xolin now stood alone, surrounded on all sides. She inhaled.

An explosion ripped across the neck of one of the golems. The now headless rock creature crumpled to the ground. The blue ranger blinked, confused.

An aquitian gutteral roar sounded as another blue ranger leaped overhead, landing foot-first into the next golem. A second later, a red ranger flew into the last rock beast with a sword.

"What-" Xolin managed to get out, before a second explosion rocked the central body of the third golem. A yellow ranger rushed in, a gun in her hands as she took aim again, firing at the second golem—and nearly blew up the blue ranger as well.

"Hey, watch it!" Tesas exclaimed.

"Don't get in the way and you won't get it!" Sitras threw back.

Oh no. No no no no no.

"What are you three doing here?!" Xolin exclaimed in disbelief, as Anthren dropped from his own golem, having gutted its face with is sword. Two seconds later, it exploded from several blasts.

"Sitras!" Anthren crowed, "Watch it!"

"Sorry!" she said, "Spell went a little um...haywire".

"Calm it with the higher ranked spells already!" Tesas growled.

"You watch it!" replied Sitras, "I've got it under control!"

"Hey!" Anthren butted in, "Enough, we've got a fight to win".

Xolin marched up to them, enraged, "Hi! Hello, anyone going to tell me what the hell they're doing here?!"

"We came to help" Sitras replied.

"What?!" Xolin gasped in disbelief, "No! What—no, get out of here, you'll get yourselves killed!"

"Like you are?" Anthren asked her.

She stared at him, deadpan, "...Yes, exactly like that. Get back to the ship!"

"Can't" Anthren said calmly as they moved to form a barrier between Magnus and Xolin, "We disobeyed direct orders by coming down here. We're fugitives now".

Xolin's form slackened in disbelief as they lined up.

"...Who are you?!" Magnus asked them as they assembled.

"Easy!" Anthren replied in his most heroic attempt, "We're the cavalry".

The wizard's grip on his staff tightened as he growled in anger, "Cavalry on its own is just as easy to outflank and destroy". He pointed his staff at them, unleashing another storm of lightning on the reinforcements.

Tesas grabbed something from his belt, tossing it to the ground. As the lightning was about to slam into them, an energy field appeared between them and the attack, blocking it—though it was obviously strained by the attempt.

"...What was that?!" Sitras asked.

"Personal shield generator" Tesas replied as the shields gave out. He shrugged, "Something I came up with. Still has a few bugs".

"Attack, now!" Anthren said, charging forward.

"No!" Xolin shouted, as the other two followed suit, "Wait!"

They swarmed around the wizard, with Anthren taking the center stage by launching himself at the wizard directly. Magnus swatted him aside with his staff, before turning his attention on the other two. A gale picked up, and the wind itself seemed to crystallize into many small dagger formations. They sped at the blue ranger, taking him out quickly.

"HAH!" Sitras roared from the wizard's other flank, launching several magically-enhanced laser bullets from her gun. She kept her magic to lower tier—they had asked her, after all. Might as well. They weren't strong enough though, and he simply blocked them before frying her with a lightning bolt.

Xolin watched helplessly as the three cadets were knocked around.

"What are they doing here?!" Sid demanded to know as the team began to regroup around her.

She shook her head, watching the carnage, "Dying, mostly".

"They aren't working as a team" Isdilian grumbled.

"He's also too fast for them—they aren't able to regroup" Sel added as Anthren was tossed into Tesas, "They won't win like this".

"Then I say we give 'em a helping hand" Sid said, brandishing his ax, "Keep Dumbledore over there detracted".

Xolin gave him a look, "You can't be serious".

The red ranger shrugged, "Can't be helped; they're already in this mess. We'll bust some heads when we're done, alright?"

She sighed, then nodded reluctantly.

Sid nodded back, then explained the plan, "Alright, here's how it goes. Xolin rounds up the kids, the rest of us get our asses kicked for a few minutes, questions?"

"Why am I playing den mother?" Xolin asked.

Sid turned to her, "Because you're fastest" he turned back to the fight, "Alright, take 'em fast and hard!"

Trok groaned, "This is gonna suck".

The rangers charged as Magnus dispatched Sitras. Sid rushed in first, weapon at the ready, before being knocked aside. Trok's mace wrapped itself around the wizard's torso, but instead of flinging the old man around, the horathean found himself flying into a rockwall. Even as that was happening however, Isdilian was closing in, delivering rapid shot blasts from the Sentinel Cannon at near-point-blank range, before being on the receiving end of an energy lash—just as Sel came in hard with the bladed end of her bow, barely missing the wizard. He kicked her aside, and was suddenly face-to-face with the black ranger, who had just decloaked.

Sid charged back in as Magnus dispatched Nikki, his ax trading blows with the wizard's staff before the wizard hit him with a bolt of lightning dead-on. The red ranger fell back, landing at Trok's feet. Magnus reached his arm to the sky, and brought down a blast of power from the heavens directly ontop of the two rangers.

As the battle ensued, Xolin's three facets raced across the rock quarry, grabbing each cadet in turn and reuniting them before returning to her single form.

"Nothing we do affects this guy" Sitras lamented as the battle raged. Sel was unleashing a torrent of energy arrows while Nikki decloaked from behind, grabbing the wizard's staff.

"That's because you three aren't working together" Xolin explained.

"Yes we are" Anthren protested.

"No" Xolin pushed, "You aren't. You're fighting together, you're facing the bad guy off one by one, but you aren't *working* together" she nodded to the battle, as Nikki was thrown off, and Trok used his opening to wheel in on the wizard with his gauntlet's energy blades, "THAT is working together. They're acting with each other in mind, maximizing their potential. You were simply giving him targets to shoot at, one by one".

Sid launched into Magnus from the side, using his powered up boots' rockets to propel him into his foe before striking with both his axe and his left gauntlet's energy blade.

"So what do we do?" Sitras asked.

Xolin eyed them, "Isn't it obvious? Play to your strengths! Anthren, you're good at melee combat, right? So you meet the wizard up close and personal and keep him occupied. Sitras, you're the mage of the group, so make sure you take the openings he gives you-and *don't* hit him, alright?"

The princess turned sheepish, "...Sorry about that".

Xolin sighed reluctantly, nodded, then turned to Tesas, "And you're the smart one. You keep lookout, assisting Anthren in battle while judging the situation. And all of you follow Anthren's orders. Got it?"

The three nodded.

"Good".

Another blast of energy, and Isdilian was sent flying. Most of the others were already down again. Nikki and Sid were busy dodging lightning strikes.

"...Because we're out of time".

Xolin broke from the group, swinging her lance at Magnus in yet another ill-fated charge, but it gave the cadets a second to group themselves up. Anthren and Tesas rushed in, with the red ranger taking the lead as the blue ranger followed. The three opponents traded blows, with both rangers getting hits in before Magnus managed to ward them off with a blow from his staff.

Magnus seethed with anger, "Lay down and die already!" He was so distracted, he didn't notice Sitras's attack from his side, and was completely open to the blast of magical energy that knocked him back, followed quickly by the second one.

"It doesn't matter!" Magnus roared as the red and blue rangers rushed in again, "My spell is still collecting data on you as you fight! Soon I will be immune to you as well!"

Anthren struggled with Magnus's staff, "We need to end this quick!" he said to the others.

"I've got an idea!" Tesas said as he joined in, grabbing the wizard from behind, "Keep hold!" he turned to Sitras as he struggled, "Yo, Sitras! You know those higher level spells?"

"You told me not to use them!"

"Well we're telling you TO use them now!" Anthren shouted, "Go big!"

She took a breath, "Here goes nothing" she said, pouring energy into her fingers. Energy swirled around her as it cascaded into into her hands. She glared at the wizard, "Eat Magic!"

A powerful torrent of pure, raw grid energy slammed into the Magnus. The two rangers detached just before the beam hit, rolling out of the way as the hapless wizard was thrown into the far rockwall, landing in a heap, smoking. Sitras panted, before dropping to her knees.

"...First time I've tried that one..."

Anthren and Tesas hurried over to her, the former helping her back up.

Sid nodded at the work that had been done, "Nice job, kids" he said, as he approached them.

But much to their surprise, the wizard groaned, staggering back up, "Fools...I am more powerful...then you could ever...comprehend".

Sid eyed him, "...You have got to be kidding me. How are you even standing?"

Magnus pulled out a small device, "Prepare for my wrath" he growled, before pressing a button. The ground under the rangers rumbled, and almost immediately a large metallic drill-like machine burst from the earth below just beyond the rock quarry. Magnus laughed, before leaping into its cockpit.

"Drillzord, transform!"

The mechanical construct flipped upright, folding out into a quasi hodge-podge humanoid form, with a drill for one arm and a mace for the other.

"...Oh damnit" Sid groaned, "This guy just doesn't quit".

Isdilian put in the call, "Iota, we need the zords".

"...What do we do?" Anthren asked them.

Sid turned to him, "Sorry, but this is where you guys get off, unless you've squirreled away some giant robots we don't know about"

"Ah...no, sorry" Anthren shrugged, "I guess we'll be going then".

"Going?" Trok asked, confused, "Going where?"

Tesas shrugged, "We went against Iota's direct orders. He told us if we left, he'd bring us up on charges. Probably best if we just...slip out now".

"...But you SAVED us" Trok said, "He can't punish you for that!"

_"And I'm not"_ came the reply from the rangers' morphers, _"That was a test, to see if you were truly dedicated to the mission, and not just worried about your continued employment"._

"...You...you *tricked* us?!" Tesas exclaimed, anger bubbling up.

Sid shrugged, sighing with an air of 'it's probably Tuesday', "It's Iota. You'll learn to deal with it".

"So...we're not in trouble?" Sitras asked, hope filling her voice.

"_Quite the opposite in fact. Though, you will be if you don't teleport up soon. Zords incoming"._

"RANGERS!" Magnus bellowed from his zord, "You waiting for Christmas?!"

"Alright guys" Sid said, "Round two!"

Trok folded his arms in contemplation, "Wouldn't this be more like...round three? Or...four, maybe?"

The cadets teleported away, while the rest of the group jumped up into their zords. Five multicolored spaceships flew through the air, while a silver tank rolled alongside them from the ground. Immediately they began to transform, and before Magnus knew it, he was facing off against both the Sentinel and the Guardian megazords.

"About time" Magnus said as his robot turned to face the other two, just outside of the human city.

"Alright" Sid said, "He's still got that power adapting spell, so let's make this quick before he has a chance to power up. Izzy, you ready?"

Isdilian grumbled from his cockpit, "ISDILIAN is ready to go, yes. Cosmic Blitz!"

As the Sentinel Megazord unleashed its full barrage of firepower, the Guardian Megazord readied itself.

"Zenith Phalanx!" the rangers shouted in unison. The megazord swung its staff around in a wide arc, collecting energy before it came down in two diagonal slashes. The staff then impaled the zord, and began to spin, its energy flowing out into the wound as the robot sputtered and sparked. It stumbled back, and looked about ready to explode.

It didn't.

Magnus laughed, "Foolish rangers!" he said, even as the zord began to repair itself, "My zord's made of sterner stuff than that! And now you've wasted your finishers—they won't work again!"

"...Oh, he is SO cheating" Sid exclaimed, punching his armrest.

"Get ready for the showstopper!" the wizard cackled, as the sky began to darken. The robot's drill began to charge, energy swirling around it before it unleashed a cyclone of power at the two megazords. They staggered back, giving the Drillzord a chance to take the offensive. The Guardian blocked, or attempted to block, rather. Instead it was met with a powerful mace that impacted its chest—which was soon imbedding that of the Sentinel megazord as well. A swipe from the drill arm caused the Guardian to tumble back into the mountainside.

Isdilian backed his zord away, before unleashing a number of guns on the offending robot. They deflected harmlessly.

"Sid, this isn't work—AUGH!" the Sentinel megazord was hit by the mace again. Sparks flew.

Sid gritted his teeth as the Guardian megazord staggered back to its feet, "His zord can repair damage, and the more zords we bring in to stop him, the more powerful he gets".

"...I think I've got something that can help" Trok said, going over the data on his screen, "When the drillzord repaired itself, its processing system went into overdrive. I detected a six hundred percent increase in information output within its systems".

"Makes sense" Nikki said, "I couldn't imagine that sort of on-the-site construction to be cheap".

"...Which means?" asked Xolin.

Sel ventured a guess, "...Which means that regeneration and assimilation of our powers takes a lot of software and hardware power that it might not have if in a pinch".

Sid nodded, understanding, "Then...if we keep hitting it..."

"It SHOULD overheat" Sel finished for him.

"...So...zord rush?" Xolin asked. The rangers looked at each other.

"Zord rush".

* * *

The three cadets made it onto the bridge, still in ranger garb but helmetless.

"Welcome back" Iota said in his business tone, "Now buckle up, things are about to get a little hairy".

"What do you mean?" Sitras asked.

Iota tapped a few buttons on his control console in the captain's seat as the viewscreen showed them descending through the moon's atmosphere. "We're about to fly into battle. Defender Megazord, online!"

* * *

The Defender megazord's foot slammed into the side of the Drillzord, sending it rolling to the ground. The enemy zord pulled itself back up as the Defender landed, sporting its signature sword and shield. Drillzord let loose a series of laserblasts, which the Defender blocked with its shield as it closed in, explosions going off all around it. Its sword came down, and was parried by the drill.

"It doesn't matter how many zords you have!" Magnus cackled, "I'll destroy them all!" Drillzord's chest cannon opened up and let loose on the prone zord, knocking it back so that the former could strike with its mace.

Inside the Guardian, Sid nodded to the others, "Time to be a little unorthodox. Separate!"

The five pieces of the Guardian megazord split apart into their individual zord formations, and immediately they began swarming the enemy zord, opening fire.

"Rrraugh, pesky bees!" Magnus said as his zord swatted at them with its mace, "You're only delaying the inevitable!"

"Final Strike!" Iota commanded. Drillzord barely turned in time to meet the Defender megazord's finisher attack.

"Annoying!" Magnus crowed, as his zord began to regenerate. It powered up its drill and flew at the Defender, mimicing its Final Strike. The Defender megazord fell to the ground, smoke emanating from its battered hull.

"Ramming Strike!" Trok declared, as his zord charged up and slammed itself into the Drillzord's abdomen. It grabbed the large green spaceship and tossed it aside.

"Wingblade!" Xolin exclaimed. Her own zord flew past, charging up its wide wingspan and cutting directly into the offending robot.

"Orbital Barrage!" Sel shouted.

"Fury Load!" Sid commanded.

The yellow and red Guardianzords opened fire with a storm of firepower—a multitude of guns and cannons for Sel, and twin beam cannons for Sid. Drillzord staggered back before it absorbed the information for those zords as well.

"Shadow Wing!" Nikki ordered. Her own zord phased in and out of view as it circled the Drillzord erratically, firing in an arc before it too was finally swatted away by the latter's chest lasers.

"Don't let up!" Sid told the others, "Press the attack!"

"Sentinel Megazord, Warrior Mode!" Isdilian commanded.

Likewise, Iota, "Defender Megazord, Lightning Mode!".

Red attached itself to Isdilian's zord, while Xolin went for the Defender megazord. The two new megazord pared off against Drillzord. The three met, as Sentinel's ax fists went up against Drillzord's...well, drill. Defender lifted up into the air with its new wings, taking potshots with its twin pistols. Drillzord staggered back.

"Die!" Magnus shouted, his zord firing its chest lasers again. Defender hovered out of the way as Sentinel simply deflected with its axes, before unhooking them into mace mode and letting them hammer into the enemy.

"Azure Sniper!" Xolin declared, as the Defender combined its guns into a single rifle, unleashing its carefully placed shot right into Drillzord.

"Dervish Spin!" Sid ordered, the Sentinel megazord spinning rapidly as it cut into the prone robot. "Switch!"

"Colossus Mode!" Trok called out, attaching his zord to the Sentinel megazord, just as Xolin detached hers. Still in midair, it began to decend.

"Comet Impact!"

The zord came down hard and fast, landing right on the Drillzord.

"Assault Mode!" Sel ordered, her zord replacing Sid's on the Sentinel megazord, "Advent Barrage!" The zord with way more guns than it had any right to have primed every single one, and an unholy wave of thunder and death flung itself into the poor enemy robot. It staggered back, smoking and heavily damaged, trying to repair itself, but simply becoming overwhelmed.

Magnus began to panic, "No, it can't...you can't defeat me!"

"Shadow Mode!"

Nikki's zord had combined with the Defender megazord, "Phantom Blade!" It launched forward, violet energy blades flying out from its talons as it passed its prey by. The Drillzord sparked and burned, its internal systems in near-meltdown mode.

Inside the cockpit, Magnus was now in FULL panic. His controls weren't responding, his zord's systems were shutting down one by one, and his hull integrity was compromised. "No, no, no. It can't….work, damn you! WORK!"

"His zord's having a meltdown" Trok confirmed, as the Guardian megazord reformed, "If we hit him now, we can finish this!"

Sid quickly thought through their options, but came up short, "...We've already almost everything we have" he said, "...We don't have anything to finish him with!"

Trok thought, "...Yes we do. Isdilian, is that project of ours ready?"

"Project?" Sid asked.

From his cockpit, Isdilian replied, "It hasn't been fieldtested yet, but it should be, yes".

"You guys wanna fill us in?" Xolin asked.

Trok grinned sheepishly, "Isdilian and I have been brainstorming ways to further our arsenal with the assets already available to us. Ready!"

Isdilian nodded, "Ready. Initiating Double-Knuckle Mode!"

Right on cue, the arms of the Sentinel and Guardian megazords detached from their parent bodies, switching around with the other and reattaching.

"Guardian Megazord, Double-Knuckle Mode!" Trok announced, as the Guardian Megazord now sported the Sentinel megazord's heavily armed...well, arms.

"Oh no!" Magnus whimpered.

"Oh yes!" Sid replied, "Guardian Megazord, Blazing Fists!"

The Megazord's fists detached from the arms, launching forward as every gun on the megazord's arms opened fire, giving the finisher an added boost. All of it flung itself into the Drillzord. It sparked, smoke drifting from its burning corpse as it finally, mercifully gave up, dropping to the ground and exploding in a cloud of fire and ash. The Guardian's fists returned to their docking points, the three megazords standing triumphant.

* * *

The three cadets sat in the war room, the older rangers flanking them around the edge of the circular chamber. Iota stood opposite of them on the other side of the table. The mood was somber.

"I won't bother listing the number of orders and regulations you've broken in the past three days" Iota said, "Between blowing off your mentors, holding yourselves up in the simudeck without authorization, endangerment of said mentors..." he eyed Xolin, "...not to mention breaking EVERY rule and jumping into a battlezone while under orders not to with powers that were not yours to take..."

The three cadets seemingly shrunk in their seats.

"Combine that with the preliminary reports my team filed on the second day, by all rights not only should you be discharged, but you should also be in the brig from now until forever".

Silence.

Iota continued, "...And yet, I believe something special has been forged here. Make no mistake—today belongs to you. You three, as a team, saved another Peacekeeper team on your own, and you did it as a team. By all rights, your goal here was accomplished—you passed the test. Congratulations".

He dropped the files he'd been holding in his hands on the table in front of the three cadets.

Pass. They'd passed. They weren't going to be dropped.

"...Spirits" Anthren gasped, "We did it".

"I don't believe it" Sitras giggled. They'd had so many ups and downs over the past three days, she was giddy as all get out.

Tesas slumped back in his seat, letting all tension in his body evaporate with a sigh.

"But make no mistake" Sid said sternly behind them, "This situation was unique, and unlikely. Ever pull stunts like these again, and if you don't get yourselves killed, then you'll *certainly* be stripped of rank and prosecuted, got it?"

The three looked at him, at his dead serious expression, and nodded.

"...Thank you" Sitras said, truthfully, humility finally coming to her, "Thank you all".

"Don't thank us just yet" Sid said with a sad smile, "It's getting pretty ugly out there. You guys need to be careful".

"You will be taken to Virgo Station, on the edge of Terran space" said Iota, "There you will be processed and transferred into active field training, where you will begin real field operations, carefully chosen in their assumed difficulty, with continued oversight".

"Wait...you mean we'll be real agents?" Tesas asked.

Iota nodded, "Provisionally, but yes. I believe you're ready, as does my team, evidently. Again, congratulations".

As they talked, a blinking light on a small device he carried with him alerted Isdilian that he had an unviewed message waiting for him. He waited a few more moments, then as the conversation began to ware down, he made his discreet exit.

* * *

Isdilian had made his way back to his room, closing the door behind him. Sitting down at his station, he pulled his morpher off of his wrist, connecting it to his console.

Immediately, the computer began the lengthy process of encrypting everything behind numerous defenses, cutting itself off from all outside sources. Anyone else on the ship wouldn't notice—the morpher was still sending a false 'connected' signal to the ship's net connection. When everything was at last secure, a new connection was made, with a source many light-years away.

His orders were coming in, at last.

And yet...he felt dread. A few months ago he would have been exuberant—finally he could accomplish his purpose. And yet, now...he found part of him didn't want to go.

Damnit all. He'd gotten soft. He'd KNOWN he was getting soft, and he'd let it happen anyway. And he only had himself to blame. He ignored a vague headache that was threatening to become bigger.

Operation Zenith was coming regardless however. Destiny was coming, and his fate, as well as everyone else's had been decided long ago.

* * *

_**T-Minus 1 Day to Zero Hour.**_

_**To be continued...**_


	26. 2x13: Revelations

_Author's note: and so here we are at the end of Season 2, a week earlier than expected! I hope you enjoy it, I had a blast putting it together._

_When is Season 3? I'm not exactly sure. It'll probably be sometime late this year, fall or winter. I'm not sure because frankly, I'm exhausted-I've been averaging about 30 pages every two weeks since December. It's been sort of like a second job. And I don't mean to complain, really I don't, but the utter lack of interest in this fic is slowly killing me. I average about twelve measly views per chapter and have gotten a grand total of one comment on this site since the season started in January._

_I'm just tired/frustrated and I desperately need a break. I'll see you guys fall/winter 2016-ish._

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am your entertainment for this evening!" the monster crowed, bowing to the assembled crowd on the promenade of Virgo Station. He was a fairly classy creature, dressed in a tuxedo and top hat. His face a mask that was split down the middle—the left being pitch black and of comedy, while the right was pale white and of tragedy. His gloved fingers waved to the audience, "For my first trick, I will make you all...disappear!"

He pulled out his wand, but several laser blasts hit his wrist. The wand dropped to the ground as the creature yelped in pain, holding his wrist. He looked over at the source of the attack.

Six rangers were rushing right at him. He staggered back just as the red and blue rangers plowed into him. After being hit by their initial attacks, he dodged their followups, as well as those of green and yellow, and then silver and black. The monster wheeled away, grabbing his hat as he turned to face them, "How rude! You should have waited for your turn to perform! Er...what are you, anyway?" he asked, "Some sort of circus act?"

"We're the critics" Sid grinned as he cracked his knuckles, "May god have mercy".

"You're not taking these people anywhere!" said Trok.

The monster glanced at where the crowd had been; they'd all dispersed now, running. He sighed, "Well, obviously not now. Thanks for ruining my show, kids. I guess I'll just have to perform for you!" He tugged at his suit, "Nothing up my sleeve, nothing up my sleeve! Aha!"

A torrent of paper cranes suddenly exploded from out of nowhere, flying into the team of rangers like razor blades, cutting into them as they soared past. Most of the rangers fell back—Sid and Isdilian however launched forward, rolling out of the way as they brandished their ax and sword respectively. They rushed the monster, himself parrying their blows with his reclaimed wand. After successfully knocking them away, he turned to the approaching blue ranger.

"Hocus Pocus!" he declared. Xolin stopped in her tracks in surprise when her lance suddenly became a wriggling python that began to wrap itself around her.

"Hey—what?!" she exclaimed as the snake pulled her to the floor.

"Abracadabra!" the monster exclaimed, this time aiming at Sel, just as the yellow ranger had turned her bow on him. She fired—only instead of her normal laser arrows coming out, a bouquet of flowers popped out.

"Wha-" Her befuddlement didn't last long—the flowers sent an electrical charge flowing out through the rest of her weapon and body, giving her the worst joybuzzer attack ever.

"Alakazam!"

The black ranger suddenly found herself bound in place by rope, then by chains, then locked in some sort of safe that was dropped into a tank of water that hadn't been there before. Oh, and there were sharks. Because of course there were sharks.

"Heh" the monster chuckled, "Let's see her get out of that one!"

"Got one for me!?" Trok yelled as he closed in, hammer in hand.

"In fact I do!" the monster said gleefully, pulling out a batch of playing cards and flashing them right in Trok's face—the green ranger stopped in his tracks, momentarily thrown off center. "Pick a card, any card!"

"Uh..." Trok uttered, beginning to sweat.

"Come on, hurry up, time's wastin!" the monster said, "Oops, time's up!"

"Ah!" panicking, the green ranger chose the center card and looked at it. Instead of a normal card, it was some sort of picture of a lady being sawed in half. "Uh..."

"Oh, too bad" the magician said, "You get one of my *favorite* tricks!"

Instantly, a box that had appeared behind Trok grabbed hold of him via numerous scarves that wrapped around his limbs and dragged him inside before he even knew what was happening.

"Hey—what!?" he managed to get out, as the door slammed shut, the box flung itself to the ground, and above him a large saw appeared and began to float down. Trok's eyes widened in fear. "Hey—no! Wait, stop! Aw, man!"

"Better let them go" Sid said, himself and the silver ranger having flanked the monster. The magician turned around.

"Well I can't just have them ruining my performance" he grumbled, "Wait, I know! I'll make it up to you with one of my favorite tricks" the magician pulled off his tophat, "Let's see what's under my hat!"

The two rangers braced themselves, but nothing could have prepared them for a twelve-foot-tall muscly rabbit-man with biker tattoos and a club stepping out of the hat.

Sid's brain just about broke, "...Oh, you have got to be kidding me". A second later, Sid's body also broke as the red ranger was flung into the wall via rabbit club. Two seconds later, it itself was sent flying due to the blast from Isilian's Sentinel Cannon.

"Down to just us, huh?" the magician teased the silver ranger, "Don't worry, I've got spells for everybody! You ever seen the one where I pull a quarter out of your ear? Or maybe I'll show you my tiger taming skills" he thought it over, "No, better yet! Firebreathing!" he stuck his wand up to where his mouth should have been, and a torrent of fire spewed out. Isdilian rolled out of the way just in time and the monster cackled.

"What's wrong? Not good enough? How about knives?!"

Several serrated weapons appeared in the magician's hands, which he sent flying at Isdilian. As the silver ranger dodged, Sel came up from behind with a kick. He dodged, then parried her fists as he backed away.

"Well this just won't do!" said the magician, before pulling a string of multicolored scarves out from under his shirt, "Turns out I DID have something up my sleeve!" The vibrant rope wrapped itself around the yellow ranger, dropping her to the ground. As she struggled in vain to free herself, a dove landed on her helmet.

It pooped on her.

"...Ugh..." she groaned in disgust, as the dove flew off.

Isdilian thought fast—he was the last one standing, so it was all up to him. He took stock of the situation—the monster was of a lower class physically, but he had a lot of spell power. That, combined with his motif...he had to have a talisman that housed the majority of his abilities. Probably either his hat...or his wand.

"You and me again!" the magician cackled, pulling out multiple iron rings, "You wanna see what I'm gonna do with these?!"

"Not really" he deadpanned, before grabbing his sword. He flung his weapon at the monster, the blade cleaving through the flimsy prop in the monster's hand.

"-WHAT?!" the monster crowed in terror as the sword landed with a hard clunk behind him. He was left with nothing but a stub of his wand. As if to confirm Isdilian's suspicions, the monster's body shook and exploded with sparks all over. He called out in pain as he dropped to his knees, smoking, and all of his magic was undone—the others were free.

"Oh...oh thank the spirits..." Trok muttered as he scrambled to his feet—he'd been seconds away from being cut in two.

"You've ruined me!" the magician cried, "RUINED!"

Sid looked at at Isdilian, "Time for the grand finale?" Sid asked.

The silver ranger nodded in response, "Do it".

"Defender Cannon!" the rangers shouted, putting their weapons together and aiming it at the broken monster.

"Sentinel Cannon!" Isdilian ordered.

"FIRE!" all six shouted in unison. The twin beams ripped tough the magician, and he exploded in a shower of light and sparks.

As the dust settled, the crowd that had been hiding on the fringes of the promenade cautiously trickled back in. As they saw the rangers had been victorious, the reaction was slow at first, building, until it reached a crescendo.

They were cheering.

"...Oh!" Trok said, giddy.

Sid waved in an exaggerated, obnoxious fashion, before Xolin elbowed him in the side. Sel sort of shrunk away, not really sure how to take this attention. Isdilian just seemed sort of resigned, and Nikki, as usual, didn't care.

That's when their morphers signaled that they had an incoming message.

It was Iota, _"Rangers, return to the Megaship for reassignment"._

The team glanced at each other, the mood suddenly becoming uncertain. New orders? Normally that wouldn't be any different from normal, and really they'd been waiting for it since they'd only come here to drop off that team of cadets and to resupply and repair. Yet, the way he'd said it...and then there was Operation Zenith, which had been on everyone's mind for days now.

* * *

_**Power Rangers Peacekeepers**_

_**Season 2 Finale**_

_**2.13: Revelations**_

* * *

"...Split up?"

Trok's words almost seemed to echo through the war room. That was impossible of course—the small size, plus the number of people inside it pretty much made it echo-proof. But the meaning of the words lingered, their weight permeating.

Iota nodded, "Things are...changing". He activated the holographic map in the center of the table, showing the front line of the war, "Over the course of the last several months, the war between the Confederacy and the Alliance has devolved into a bloody near-stalemate. Doubtless this was the Alliance's intention—they have the military capacity and manpower to simply eventually bleed us dry. And by all accounts, that seems to be what they are doing". He pressed several buttons, and numerous arrows began to point themselves from staging areas within Confederate space into key sectors of Alliance territory.

"Our answer to that is Operation Zenith. Our goal over the course of the next few weeks is to catch the Alliance off-guard through a multi-pronged blitzkrieg attack. The goal is to outflank their major military positions, secure key positions, and force the Alliance to the negotiating table".

Sid raised his hand, "Okay, so...I might not be an admiral or whatever, but like...isn't this dangerous? Between leaving our front lines dangerously undermanned as well as dropping our forces behind enemy lines without a long-term logistics solution..."

"This is very much a strategic Hail Mary" Iota replied, "The truth of the matter is, we simply have little choice. It's a high risk, high reward strategy, but we do believe we can pull it off. We've been scouting and probing their defenses and strategy for months now. Thanks to the heavy losses we managed to inflict upon them during both the Siege of Uriah VI as well as the Skyillian Campaign, the top admiralty believes that this is our best window of opportunity. They've wasted their offensive strength attempting to take heavily-defended border defenses, and so now we will return the favor".

"So why are we splitting up?" Trok asked, eager to get the topic back to the subject that really bothered him.

"Our time window is small" Iota said, "And within that window we are required to perform many, many tasks. Our offensive will be highly mobile and intertwined".

"But...you can't split us up" Trok countered, "We're a team. A unit. We..." he looked around at the group, pleading for support, "...We're a group. A family". He added the last part a bit quieter.

"As that may be, the unfortunate reality is that war has made this a necessity" Iota said. Trok slumped back in his seat—this was wrong.

Xolin put a comforting hand on Trok's shoulder before asking, "So where are we going?"

"You will be taking the Megaship to Triforia, one of our primary staging points. There, you and Isdilian will be taking a shuttle to Auridon to join the fleet there, where you will be working with the assembling ranger taskforce. Trok and Sel will head for the Limbus Nebula, where they will assist with the reserve forces—those of us staying behind to guard our homelands. Nikki will stay with the Megaship, and pilot it with the fleet assembling at Triforia". As Iota spoke, more areas lit up—the areas each of them would be going to.

"...What about me?" asked Sid, noting he'd been left out.

Iota turned to him, "You will be coming with me".

The room stopped. Everyone turned to Sid, then back to Iota, unsure of what to think. Sid blinked, "...Come again?"

Iota took a deep breath, as if this was difficult for him, "You and I...have confidential business. You will be briefed on the way".

Xolin and Sid's eyes met, just for a moment as they digested what Iota had just said. Trok grew slightly more apprehensive. Sel and Isdilian looked upon Iota with concern.

Sid turned back to Iota. This would be his best chance to learn...well, anything, really. "When do we leave?"

"Six hours" Iota replied, "We will be leaving via an unmarked transport".

"...Where will we be going?" Sid asked, eyebrow already raised at 'unmarked transport'.

"Classified" was Iota's simple reply.

Sid gave a dry chuckle, "Like I should have expected anything else".

"If it's any consolation, this isn't to spite you" Iota said, "This mission is simply...exceedingly sensitive".

"When do the rest of us go?" Nikki asked.

Iota turned off the map, "As soon as Sid and I have departed. Further details and coordinates for your individual missions have been uploaded to your personal terminals in your rooms and your morphers. Pack accordingly and say your goodbyes—we won't be back in this room for a good long while. If ever" he added.

The rangers all glanced at each other again, the situation finally sinking in.

* * *

There hadn't been much to pack, really. A couple pairs of clothes, some utilities. At the end of the day, Sid didn't own much, or really need to own much. He did have a few small things, but he was going to leave them here, packed up in a box. No use taking trinkets with him to war.

He slung his bag over his shoulder in the doorway as he gave his former room one last lookover, in case he missed something.

Or in case he never saw it again.

Crazy, really. He'd been here, stationed on this ship for over a year now. He hadn't had a home since SPD and yet...yeah, this place had felt like home. He'd hated it at first, and yet...now he hated to leave.

"Hey".

He turned—Xolin was standing there, leaning against the far wall in the hallway.

"Hey" he replied.

"I figured I'd come see you before you actually left, since I know the actual Goodbye will be pretty much one-hundred percent Trok crying like a baby" she said with a weak attempt at humor. It was clear she was far from alright as well.

Sid glanced back at the room, "You know...I never really thought about it, but...this is home to me. I never thought I'd have a home again. I didn't deserve it".

Her shoulders fell a bit, before she reached out to him, "I know you feel like you don't deserve to be forgiven, and I know I can't give that forgiveness, but for what it's worth? You're one of the best people I've ever met. You gave each of us a chance, when everyone else had already written us off...even if you never gave yourself that chance". Her voice wavered, slightly. He turned to her, a slightly surprised expression, but it softened to a wane, embarrassed smile. She continued, "I wouldn't have followed just any jerk".

Both gave a soft laugh at that one.

"Thank you" he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Anytime".

"...Think we'll see each other again?" Sid asked her.

She took a second to think, "...If not this life, then maybe the next time around" she said, "I have faith". There was a pause, and the two embraced in a tight hug.

"Watch your back, huh?" Sid asked.

"I think that's my line" she said, only half-joking.

He laughed nonetheless, "In that case, get me a souvenir".

She laughed in return, "You're an idiot". They separated, "I'll miss you guys".

"You got Izzy".

Xolin snorted, "Yeah, 'cause he's great company to have around".

"He's not THAT bad" Sid replied, "Not big on conversation I guess, but he's good enough in a fight".

"True enough".

They were procrastinating and he knew it. "...We should get up there" Sid said, "...But I don't really want to".

She sighed, stress washing over her again, "It's all happening too fast. When I woke up this morning, everything was normal, and now..." It wasn't fair.

"Yeah..."

Somehow, the hallway already seemed emptier.

* * *

As expected, most everyone had assembled at the airlock. Most, because Nikki was absent—again, as expected.

"I will be onboard the transport" Iota said, nodding to him before heading through the doors of the airlock.

Sid looked around at the assembled group, giving an awkward wave. He was met in response by a bear-hug from Trok. Sid drew a surprised laugh, before returning the gesture. From behind, Isdilian gave him a slight nod.

Next was Sel. Her hug was much less tight, but just as full of love.

"Wish you didn't have to go" Trok said, as Sid drew away.

Sid gave him a sad smile, "So do I. But..." he sighed, "It can't be helped, can it?" Trok's face wavered, tears threatening to break out. Sid relented, and drew him into another hug. "We will come back from this, I mean it".

"You promise?"

"...Yeah, I promise".

It quickly devolved into a group hug; Sel joined in, and soon after Xolin shrugged and threw herself in as well.

"...Come on Izzy, you're part of the group, that means group hugs" Sid said with a wryness in his tone.

Isdilian grunted.

"Oh come on already" Xolin said, grabbing the karovian by the arm and dragging him in, "This is the last time we'll all see each other for a long time". Isdilian finally, reluctantly joined in—though still he did.

Finally however, the group's grip on each other slackened, and they split apart.

"...I should get going" Sid said glumly, "He'll be wondering where I am".

"Good luck" Xolin said.

Trok gave a smile, "If you ever need us, for anything. Just call, alright?"

"You got it" Sid grinned, before giving him another brief hug. He headed for the door, but turned back to the group when he got there, "You guys take care of yourselves, huh?"

"Same to you" Xolin replied. Trok gave him a thumbs up. Sid nodded, and then turned as he pressed forward, leaving the Megaship behind.

* * *

It was time. Zero Hour was upon them.

Beta started up the final checks on her transport's systems as she readied to leave the base's hanger bay.

"_You're leaving without saying goodbye?" _came Epsilon's voice over the comm, a teasing sarcasm in her tone.

Beta gave a small laugh as she started up her engines, "I'll only be gone a short while. Today is the day, after all".

"_Hard to believe, we've waited so long"_ Epsilon replied, _"Good luck out there"._

"Luck has nothing to do with it at this point" Beta said, "And when I get back, we'll celebrate".

"_We still have a long way to go after today before we can truly celebrate" _came another voice, male. Alpha. _"May you find success today. You will have performed a great service for our people"._

"I'm just happy to serve, sir".

"_May we find forgiveness"._

She nodded solemnly, "May we find forgiveness". Her ship lifted off.

* * *

"We should have done this months ago" Epsilon said, as she watched Beta's craft take off. The orange armored warrior turned to her boss, in full red, "As it is we're almost out of time. The conduits only have a few months worth of life left".

Alpha glanced at her, "It wasn't practical. Our agent never had a good shot, and it wasn't until now that the Confederacy gave us such a golden opportunity. 'Operation Zenith'" he chuckled to himself, "Such a grandiose name".

"The war means nothing in the long run" Epsilon reminded him, "It's all just a smokescreen".

"Yes, but the less cards Iota has to deal against us, the better of a position we'll be in. We can take the conduits now, and not have to worry about Iota chasing after them with the full military might of a major local power. You of all people should understand the strategy of that".

"I also understand that sometimes the risk is too high" Epsilon replied, "I'll just be glad when they're back in our custody and this whole thing is over".

Alpha nodded at her, "Agreed".

* * *

The Megaship had launched from Virgo Station minutes after Sid and Iota had left, and was now making a bee-line for Triforia. They only had a few hours and then they'd be going their own separate ways. The team had wandered off to finish packing, and to enjoy their last few hours together—and just to sort of wrap their minds around all of it.

Isdilian however, was currently in the medbay. His mission was going to require some of the material in this room, and he wouldn't have time to grab it later—he'd be leaving as soon as they arrived. The karovian rummaged through the cabinets, looking for the correct material he needed. So far, no luck.

Damnit all, surely Iota had kept some in stock just in—ah-hah. He managed a small smile as the drawer he'd opened contained just about everything he needed. Isdilian pulled out a small vial of liquid, as well as a hypospray container.

Good. His work could finally begin.

* * *

On a scale of one to ten, with one as 'this is a very enjoyable trip' and ten as 'this is the most awkward trans-galactic flight I've ever been on oh god please make it stop', Sid guessed this probably ranked somewhere between a seven and an eight. There he was, on a small personal transport, several hours already and who knew how many left, with only one person for company.

Said person had nearly ordered his death several months ago, after essentially blackmailing him into a job a year ago. Said person had also manipulated and coerced every person on his team. Said person almost certainly had something to do with Sel and Isdilian, and with the war, and the 'Antipodes', and Briefcase Guy and Capricorn and…

Said person still refused to tell him where they were going and why.

"Do you remember our conversation on KO-35?" Iota asked suddenly, "When I convinced you not to leave?"

Sid eyed him incredulously, "What, is it like, our anniversary or something? Should I have gotten flowers? 'Oh gee, I remember when you emotionally blackmailed me into your scenario. I'm swooning'".

"Sid" Iota grunted tiredly.

Sid sighed in frustration, "Yes, what about it?"

Iota kept his attention on the controls in front of him, even if he wasn't really needed for piloting when in deep space or in hyperrush, "I mentioned to you about the Trolley Dilemma".

Sid remembered that clearly, "Right. Old ethical thought experiment, etc etc. What about it?"

Iota didn't respond to his question, instead simply reciting the thought experiment, "The trolley you are on is out of control and can't stop. Up ahead is a fork in the track. If you continue on the track you are on and do nothing, you will plow through a car full of people. If you decide to save them by changing the track however, you will hit another car of people. Which is the more moral option? Inaction, or action?"

"...Why are you asking me?" Sid asked, becoming increasingly concerned, "What is this all about? Really?" When Iota didn't respond, Sid asked again, "Iota. Where are we going?"

Iota looked at him for the first time, "...We are going to an undisclosed location in the Yiaian Void to talk with two of my...associates, Gamma and Zeta".

"Iota, Gamma, and Zeta" Sid mused, "Beta, Epsilon, and Delta. Quite the theme you guys have going" said Sid.

Iota grunted, "Indeed".

Sid stared at him, worried. Iota had just confirmed he and the Antipodes were linked somehow. Certainly, that much had been clear, but for Iota to confirm it… "...Iota, what's really going on? What's this about?"

The armored warrior took a long, deep steadying breath, as if bracing himself for a subject he really didn't want to talk about, "...What do you know about the multiverse theory?" he asked.

"What like, worlds where the Nazis won? Or Evil Zordon?"

"No, not alternate timelines" Iota groaned, as if leading a child by the hand, "Universes".

"...You're not talking about shit like the Dark Dimension, are you?" Sid asked.

Iota shook his head, "Realms like the Dark Dimension are pocket realms within our own universe, and for the most part are bound by our concept of physical laws. I'm referring to true independent universes, with their own laws and concepts".

"...Where are you going at with this?" Sid asked, though he already had a sinking suspicion.

Iota continued, "No two universes are alike. Some are much like our own, though perhaps they would deviate in small ways—four fundamental forces instead of five, for instance. Others can be far more alien—concepts we can't even begin to fathom. Landscapes our minds were not built to understand, or even exist in".

"So which universe are you from?" Sid asked.

Iota glanced at him, "One nearby, much like yours. In fact, they were probably sibling universes, budding off from the same parent-verse at our big bang. It was still very different however, and it has been a...difficult time, adjusting to this universe. For one, our universe did not have a morphing grid".

"...Is that why you keep in that suit twenty-four seven?"

He nodded, "My form cannot exist in your universe's physics, so we relied on drawing power from your grid to sustain us".

Sid stopped beating around the bush; Iota was evidently willing to spill the beans, so Sid went for the jugular, "Why are you here, Iota? Why are they here?"

Iota paused, deliberating on how to explain this, or if he even wanted to. Finally, he just decided on the direct approach, "My universe is dying".

"...Dying?" Sid asked, "Dying how?"

"Are you familiar with the concept of a false vacuum?" Iota asked. When Sid gave him a blank stare, Iota explained, "Entropy is the singular goal of existence—it is the attempt by the universe to make everything as even and low-energy as possible, as the ripples caused by a universe's creation finally settle down. When an area of space cannot descend further into entropy, we say that it has reached it's lowest energy state". He watched idly as the starfield zipped past them, just beyond the window, "In truth however, that state of entropy may be false—it may be that while the vacuum is stable, under the right conditions it could collapse further. If this were to happen, the results would be...catastrophic".

"How so?" Sid asked.

"Imagine a sinkhole that doesn't stop" Iota replied, "Reality, all of creation, is destroyed in a shockwave that propagates at light-speed, as the universe resets itself. The space it leaves behind runs under a different set of physical laws, alien to what came before".

"And this is happening to your universe?"

Iota nodded, "It has been for decades. Worse, the destruction is spreading exponentially—while it started simply at light-speed, it has increased by magnitudes since. Soon our fleets will no longer be able to outpace it".

"...Why would it speed up?" Sid asked.

Iota's voice was weary, haggard, "Because we attempted to play god".

"What do you mean?"

"You have to understand; our universe is old. Star formation ceased billions of years ago—only the dimmer, longer lasting stars remained. Our project was supposed to be the beginning of a golden age; we'd harnessed the underlying fabric of our universe in an attempt to reverse entropy. Imagine it, an entire universe as a perpetual motion machine, endlessly recycling its matter!" As Iota talked, Sid found himself enthralled—he'd never heard Iota talk like this. The man was animated, alive. He knew what he was talking about, and he *enjoyed* it.

It suddenly became clear to Sid—Iota was a scientist at heart, not a warrior.

"We'd never have to be faced with a slowly dying universe again" Iota explained, "But something went wrong, I'm not exactly sure what, though I had often tried to come up with theories. But instead of perpetual life, we initiated a false vaacum, one that seemed to burn off our project, like a positive feedback loop".

"So you came here?" Sid asked.

Iota continued, almost as if he hadn't even heard Sid, "We tried everything. We used everything in our power to stem the tide of the shockwave as our people began to flee. Nothing could even slow it down. So we turned our attention from trying to fix it, to simply escaping. We began to look at other universes, trying to find one we could call home. But they were all too hostile for settlement".

"So you found ours" Sid said, realization dawning, "Ours was close enough that you could...terraform it or whatever".

Iota nodded, "Correct. At first we'd looked for a universe with no sentient life but...the thing of it is, the only universes without life are like that for a reason. And as time ran out, so did our ethics. It became a literal life or death matter".

"But you didn't go along with it" Sid surmised.

"Again, correct" Iota said, "A few of us—myself, Gamma, and Zeta, dissented. We disagreed with the project, and were cast out as a result. When we attempted to stop them, they came after us".

Sid's brow furrowed as contemplation hit him, "Then, that means...this entire war is-"

"A smokescreen, yes" Iota confirmed, "A proxy war to keep each other busy".

"...Oh my god" Sid said, horrified, "People are dying for this".

"We did not instigate the war" Iota explained, "That was their doing".

"But you went right along with it" Sid replied.

"The alternative would have meant death for your entire species and every other species in this universe" Iota growled, turning to Sid, "That is the nature of the Trolley Dilemma—some must die so that others may live".

"You're letting your people die so ours can live" Sid said, "Why?"

"Our sins should not be inflicted on you. We should have found a different way" Iota replied.

Again, unexpected. Perhaps there was some humanity in the old asshole after all. "Why didn't you just tell us from the start?"

"It was easier. If too many people knew where I was or what I was up to, it would have been easier for the enemy to track me down or counter me and take Sel and Isdilian—easier than it was already. It was simply better to work from the shadows".

Sid's eyes widened in a bit of shock, "...Wait, you once said they're conduits. Are you telling me-"

Iota nodded, "They are instrumental in what the enemy has planned. In the event they reformatted your universe, those two would be the twin batteries they'd need to pull it off—quantum instances of your morphin' grid. Two for the price of one".

"Holy shit" Sid said, slumping back in his seat and looking away at the starfield, "All this time I'd assumed you wanted to use them to knock out the Alliance".

Iota scoffed, "If I had wanted to, I could have done so from the outset. Besides, that's child's play compared to what my old comrades have planned. Do you understand now? This is why I recruited you and your team. This is why I pushed you when you didn't want to be pushed. Your Trolley is out of control—which direction will you send it in? Who will live, and who will die?"

The enormity of the situation crashed in around Sid. He took a deep breath to steady himself, "...Where are we going?"

"An undisclosed location, as I said. There, we will meet with Gamma and Zeta. And then, together, while the Alliance is busy dealing with Operation Zenith, we will attempt to locate the Antipodes' secret base" he turned to Sid, "Time is running out. The Antipodes will be getting desperate".

"Why not just wait them out?" asked Sid.

Iota seemed to give a wry chuckle, "That was my plan, but they've been getting more and more persistent. The events on Eltar have convinced us that we cannot afford to simply wait. And indeed...I still have my slim hopes that there might be a way to save my universe".

"...What way is that?" Sid asked.

"It would take too long to explain" Iota replied, "And require degrees in concepts that don't even exist in this universe to understand. Anyway, it is not important to your mission".

The starfield reverted itself suddenly, surprising Sid as the stars became stationary once more, "...What's going on?"

"We are here" Iota said simply.

Sid frowned, "...In deep space?"

Even with his helmet obscuring his face, Sid could almost imagine the amused grin Iota wore as the armored figure got up and began to head to the transport's airlock in the back, "...What better way to hide from everyone than in the expanse between galaxies? Come".

Sid gave an expression of skepticism, but followed nonetheless. This would be...interesting, at the very least. Not that he trusted Iota, far from it...but still, his story had Sid very curious, and it DID fill in a lot of the gaps that he and Xolin had never been able to figure out.

Because really, who could have theorized *this*?

* * *

She hadn't left her room since the mission briefing. No real need to, after all. Sure, Sid had left, she didn't really need to be there for that. She guessed she'd be there when the others took off at least though, if for no other reason then that she'd be receiving orders as soon as the Megaship entered orbit around Triforia.

She checked the time—very soon. Within the hour.

Yay.

Nikki's attention however, was suddenly drawn to a sudden internal alert. She gasped—the encryption on that sector of data, the one she'd discovered on Eltar, had just been cracked. Curiosity washed over her—hesitation sure but...what could be in there? *How* could there be a sector of secured data on her own hard drive she hadn't known existed?

Cautiously, she activated the sector in question.

Approximately a second and a half later, Nikki vanished into thin air.

* * *

When she was twelve, Nikki had gone on a camping trip with her class. At some point while swimming in the river, she'd gone too far in and had been caught by a deceptively swift current that had sent her down to the bottom. She distinctly remembered the feeling of helplessness and horror as her body shot away from the quickly fading light of the surface, as the need for air grew stronger and stronger.

She was certain she was going to die, before the current had suddenly dragged her up again, and one of her teachers had managed to grab her.

This felt like then; initial panic flooded over her as she felt herself be pulled down, deeper and deeper into the...what was this place.

The instinctual need to breath suddenly reminded Nikki that she no longer needed to breath at all, and hadn't in years. Calming herself, she was no longer the panicked twelve year old girl, but the battle-hardened hologram that was being pulled...through some sort of...woah.

Really, there weren't words for it. How can you describe the world of data? It wasn't like it was in cartoons, with grid lines and numbers and Matrix code. It wasn't built to be *seen*, and when thrust into her inner mindscape, it wasn't as if she saw with conventional eyes anyway. She was a program, after all. She sensed the world around her, her own personal mindscape, with senses that didn't exist in the real world.

Nikki 'floated' around, taking in the alien world around her. Well, not really 'alien', she'd been through these sectors many times, but beforehand it had only been through the back of her own mind. She'd never really been...immersed in this like now.

How had she gotten here? More importantly, where had the encrypted data gone? She didn't see it.

"Over here" 'said' a 'voice'. Nikki found herself drawn to its source, and moved toward it. She recognized that voice. It almost sounded like…

"Hello, Agent Shadow" Iota said.

* * *

A flicker of light above the skies of Triforia heralded the arrival of the Defender Megaship. The black and gold vessel warped in, arriving a mere few hundred kilometers away from the edge of the assembling fleet. It was large; naval contingents of almost every Confederate member world had assembled here, as they were assembling elsewhere at the other staging points.

The Confederacy was hell-bent on taking the war to the Alliance.

"Woah" Trok muttered from his spot on the bridge at the sight. Triforian pyramid battle carriers were flanked by smaller but no less impressive aquitian fish-like warships and horathean battlecruisers. A large section of the fleet was made up of, unsurprisingly, terran and karovian elements, their respective utilitarian and quasi-avian design styles distinct and clear to identify. Edenite, mercurian, even the tenga had assembled a couple wings of patrol ships—slightly more hodge-podge in design than the other races, but just as capable in a fight.

"You can say that again" Xolin marveled. They'd been in their share of fleet actions over the course of the war (though not in a while), but this was...this was a BIG fleet. This was going to be a massive undertaking.

Trok's attention was drawn to a new message that had just been received, "Oh, hey, they're hailing us".

Xolin nodded, "Onscreen".

An aquitian commander appeared on their viewscreen, replacing the fleet, _"Defender Megaship, I am Fleet-Commander Thessas of the Confederate Fifth United Fleet. We've been expecting you"._

Xolin bowed slightly, "Apologies if we made you wait. We had to drop some people off back at Virgo Station".

The aquitian replied cordially, _"We are aware. Transports for both of your exiting parties have been dispatched, and will be arriving shortly. Are you ready to leave?"_

Xolin noted her luggage bag at her feet, "Yes, sir".

He nodded, _"Then I will see you shortly. Thessas out"._

The aquitian vanished, replaced once again by fleet as it continued to grow larger as they approached.

"...You seen Isdilian or Sel?" Xolin asked Trok.

"Um...I think Sel's still packing. I dunno where Isdilian went".

Xolin sighed, then spoke into her morpher, "Hey, guys, we're here. Transports are coming. You ready yet?"

Silence.

"...Guys?" Xolin asked again. More silence, "Isdilian, Sel, please respond". Still nothing. Xolin grumbled, "...Nikki, you there?"

Nothing.

"...Where is everyone?" she asked, concerned.

Trok just shook his head, at a loss, "Maybe check their rooms?"

The triforian stood up from the captain's seat, taking a second to stretch after having nested there for the past hour, "Yeah, fair enough. Take care of things here? I'll be right back".

"You got it" Trok replied, as she left.

* * *

He found her down in the launch bay, prepping her skycycle—thank goodness, really. It saved him a lot of trouble, and time was of the essence. Sel had packed slightly too much—her stuff wasn't quite fitting into the trunk of her skycycle, and it was clear the xybrian didn't have the upper body strength to get the hatch closed. It was also clear that she was becoming increasingly irritated with the situation.

"...Problems?" Isdilian asked as he stepped in. She stopped to look at him.

"Stupid hatch won't close" she muttered petulantly, almost under her breath.

"...You packed quite a lot" the karovian noted.

She got a little defensive, "I...I don't know when we'll be back. Better safe than sorry, right?"

Isdilian stepped towards her, a small smile on his lips, "Very true. Need help?"

Sel finally gave up, pushing the hatch away and stepping back, "Please".

Isdilian moved around to the back of the vehicle and with a swift movement slammed the hatch shut—a slight crunching sound emanating from inside. Sel flinched, "...That couldn't have been good".

"My apologies" Isdilian noted as he stepped away. She walked back over to the hatch, momentarily debating on opening it back up to see what had broke, but decided against it.

"Eh...it's my fault. Thanks anyway".

"You're welcome" Isdilian said from behind her. A second later she felt metal against the back of her neck and the hiss of a hypospray.

"What?!" she gasped, spinning around. In Isdilian's hand was the hypospray—he did nothing to try and hide it. "What did you do?!" she asked, surprised and growing concerned.

He said nothing, instead simply letting the effects take hold. What could he say? As she backed away, her legs grew weak, "What...what are you..." her vision clouded, dots obscuring her view as time seemed to slip away. She'd been tricked.

He'd tricked her.

Why?

"Why did..." she managed to slur, her facial expression becoming increasingly drowsy, but unmistakable in its utter betrayal, yet baffled at why it had happened at all. Finally her body gave way and collapsed to the floor, her consciousness having slipped away.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry" Isdilian sighed, fighting back his own emotions. This was it—he'd crossed the rubicon, there was no going back. Part of him, an increasingly strong part of him, wished that he'd not done it. It wished he hadn't had to do it.

But he had his duty. With a reluctant, dejected sigh, Isdilian scooped up the girl's body and laid her to rest inside his personnel carrier, before closing the rear door of the vehicle and heading to the front cockpit. Strapping himself in, he inserted the code to allow the hanger bay doors to open—he'd already disabled the alerts the bridge would normally get about the launchbay doors opening. He was leaving the Defender Megaship.

He would never return.

* * *

The station Sid found himself on was ancient, he knew that much. Thousands, maybe millions of years old, yet the life support was still functioning, if only barely. Most of the lights were off, or dimmed, giving it a cramped, haunted vibe.

It was like that goddamned ghost ship all over again.

"...Mind explaining to me why there's an abandoned space station in between *galaxies*?" Sid asked, sarcasm dripping from his words as they made their way down the hall.

"It was an old trading station, long ago" Iota explained, "Part of the Deep Network, several hundred thousand years ago. They were a semi-nomadic people, based on commerce, and existed 'off the grid' from other civilizations, sticking instead to deep space. Their networks were vast and complicated and stretched across galactic groups, but never came close to populated systems".

"What happened to them?"

"What happens to all things?" Iota asked in turn.

Fair enough. Sid changed the subject, "Okay so, going back to our earlier conversation, you said that the Antipodes were directing the war. Mind telling me how the hell they took control of the Alliance?"

"The same way we influence the Confederacy" Iota replied, "We're helpful. Make no mistake, these are plans that have taken years to reach fruition. And all it takes to start a war is a rumor here, a whisper there. The Alliance and Confederacy have been itching for a rematch since the end of the last war—all my former comrades did was stoke the fire".

The two came out into one of the station's central chambers. Even with the low power, it was beautiful. They stood on a platform, intersecting with the walls of the very large spherical chamber at three evenly spaced points. The entire room, above and below, was a maze of intersecting polygons.

"...They did have style, I'll give them that" Sid mused, looking up.

Iota took the view in as well, though only briefly, "It's actually a map of the network, though obviously with an artistic flare".

Sid looked around at the empty chamber, "...Okay, so...who's Briefcase Guy?" he asked, deciding to get as much information while he had the chance, "He's not one of you guys, but he was after the conduit and has been chasing Sel since forever. We're pretty sure he's the one who hired Capricorn and the others as well".

"You never stop with the questions, do you?" Iota asked, bemused.

Sid scoffed, "hey, you're overdue by like, a year. Don't blame me that there's a backlog".

Sid could have sworn he heard a chuckle as Iota replied, "I don't know who he is. He wasn't with us when I left the project. His association with the cult of the Sleeping God on Eltar is...troubling, however. Whoever he is, he seems to have his own goals and motives".

Sid grimaced, "That's...not exactly what I hoped to hear, I'll be honest".

Iota returned to admiring the architecture, "...And what rough beast, it's hour come 'round at last, slouches toward Bethlehem to be born?"

"…Really? Yeats? That's who we're going to go with?" Sid asked, bemused. When his commander replied with simply an aside glance, Sid continued, shrugging, "I dunno, he just always seemed…so melodramatic".

"It is fitting though, you do have to admit".

That wasn't Iota's voice. Sid and Iota turned to where the female had spoken, tensing up as they saw Beta casually stepping onto the platform.

"You" Iota growled, "How did you get here? Where are Gamma and Zeta?"

"Afraid your traitor buddies couldn't make it" Beta sneered, "They got the addresses messed up. It's just us here".

"How?" Iota asked her, shocked and appealed, "Our signals were encrypted, and I can can count on one hand the number of people who know our codes".

Beta laughed, "Oh poor, poor Iota. You've been betrayed. Poetic, don't you think?"

* * *

Xolin pressed the button on Isdilian's door to alert him she was there, "Izzy? It's me, Xolin. ...Isdilian? Hello?"

Silence.

She was about to pound on the door when it opened by itself. Inside, his room was dark and empty—he wasn't here.

"...Izzy?" she asked, stepping into the room, as if he was going to magically appear. Where could he be? She'd checked most of the rest of the ship. "Computer, where is Isdilian?"

"Ranger Isdilian is no longer aboard the ship" the computer Sid.

Xolin frowned, "Not on the ship? But where-"

She was interrupted mid-sentence by Isdilian's computer suddenly flickering on. Isdilian's face appeared on the screen, evidently a recording, as Xolin stepped closer to it.

"No doubt you have come to check on me since I have not reported for duty. I regret to inform you that I cannot, as my orders come from a higher authority, and it is time for me to depart".

"...What?" Xolin asked herself, baffled. She took a seat at his desk as the message played.

Isdilian's face took a darker turn, "There is something you should know. Your fleet, your Confederacy, is doomed. They cannot be saved—events are already in motion I have seen to that cannot be undone. What you need to do, all you can do at this point, is to get out while you can. Your ship has already been compromised, but I have left the ship's escape pod intact. Get everyone still onboard the ship into the escape pod. Do not worry about Sel, she is in my care, and she will perform her duty as we all must".

Xolin blinked, torn between horror and baffled confusion. Compromised, what? Why was Sel with him? Why did they leave? What was going on?!

"I am sorry. I wish I could have done more, but my duty comes first. When I came onboard, I saw little of worth from your team, and I was content with allowing it to be that way. But you proved yourselves, again and again, and came close to me even as I didn't wish it. And because of that, it has made today harder. But I cannot abandon my duty, and so out of our camaraderie, I give you this one chance to escape before everything burns. The Alliance fleet should be upon you shortly. May you find fortune".

Her eyes widened, her hands over her mouth as the message ended, Alliance Fleet? Oh. Oh gods. Her stomach dropped to her feet as she temporarily forgot to breath. The underlying meaning of the message washed over her.

Oh gods. He'd betrayed them. He'd betrayed them and taken Sel. Or...Sel had joined him? No, she wouldn't...why would she have a reason to betray them? He'd...oh Trinity, she had to get to the bridge NOW.

"...Trok!" she shouted into her morpher as she stumbled over the chair, nearly crashing on the ground as she raced for the door in a fit of unadulterated panic, "Trok, are you there?!"

Silence.

Oh Trinity. Let it not be too late. Please.

* * *

"...Iota?" Nikki asked, "Why are...where are we?"

"Your internal mindscape" he said, "And interfacing with the ship's database, I would imagine"

"...Why?" she asked. "And why are you here?"

"I'm not" Iota replied, "This is simply a log I left behind in your data files. An interactive recording, if you will. A low-level virtual intelligence. As for why you're here, that would be your fault".

"...The data storage I accessed" she said, realizing what he was getting at.

"Indeed. It would seem the safeguards I placed were not enough. You should not be here, not yet".

"And where is that?" she asked, then reconsidered as her mind flooded with questions, "No, you know what? No. Better question: why do *you* have shit in my brain? *How* do you have shit in my brain? When?"

Iota's figment explained, "When we found you, you'd been severely damaged, both by the explosion and by SPD's attempts at interrogation. You remember being put offline for a time, yes?"

"...Sort of, yeah" she recalled, "The early days are kind of hazy. You were there when I woke, offered me employment".

"Indeed".

"So what *is* all this? Why me?"

"You were an opportunity; AI construction is usually intensive and prone to failure. Quantum blueboxes are...tricky. Often the subject fails to crystallize a consciousness, or slips back into chaos soon after. Others go rampant; crazy. And even if an AI does succeed in coming to fruition, it's only ever a pale shadow of a real person—hyper intelligent perhaps, but stunted in personality or goals or self-awareness. We simply don't have the technology or magic that the Machine Empire or Eltar has. But you...through some freak accident, we were given the perfect instrument of my vision. The perfect agent both to carry out my orders and my keep my knowledge in the case that I have died or otherwise been incapacitated".

"What 'vision'?" she snapped, growing somewhat irritated by these revelations.

"It is not time yet" Iota said, "When it is time, you will know".

She scoffed in disbelief, at a loss at what she was hearing, "So this is your fault. You could have let me die. You could have let me pass on like a normal person, but instead you turned me into...this" she 'gestured' at herself, "An empty shell, just so you could have a place to store your 'vision', whatever the hell that is".

"Correct. Though, you could not die, considering".

"I DID die!" she shouted at him, anger bubbling up, "I WAS dead! Don't try to bring semantics into this, you could have let my program expire! Who the hell are you to play god with my existence?!"

"I gave you untold years ahead of you to do as you wish" Iota's figment replied calmly, unconcerned with her emotional state. Or perhaps unable to detect it, "Would you blame a doctor for saving a life?"

"You really think you're all that, don't you?" she bitterly spat, "You just play with peoples' lives for your own game. You think I wanted to be some sort of hologram? I don't eat. I don't sleep. I can't touch things—I can't feel them. I'm not alive, I'm in some kind of desensitized purgatory" If she'd have been real, tears would be forming. But here in the mindscape, she didn't even have a real form, much less a real body, "I can't feel *anything*. I wasn't supposed to live like this. People aren't built for this!"

"But you're not people" Iota replied.

She stopped in her tracks, confused, "Wh—what?"

Iota seemed to sigh before explaining, as if guiding a child, "Nichole Manuel, though mortally wounded, did not pass on until approximately sixteen fifty-two hundred hours station time, if her vital signs are to be believed. Your creation occurred at approximately sixteen forty-nine".

"Wh...what?" Nikki repeated, dumbstruck.

"You are not Nikki Manuel. You did not graduate from Elmwood High, you did not enroll in SPD Academy. You are Alliance Outpost Station 67-B's maintenance AI, part of the Hermes series. With a software overhaul, of course".

"That's...that's not true" Nikki gasped in denial. "I have my memories. I grew up. I had a family. I..."

"You had Nikki's psychological black box save point installed in your system, overriding much of your pre-existing personality and memories. In that sense, you may be like her. But you were never human".

"No, that's not...you can't..." she couldn't function. Everything was swimming. She was drowning. "You...you took everything from me!" she lashed out, "You took my life, my death! And now you're trying to take my memories?! Who I am!?"

"I am only telling you the truth" Iota replied calmly, "Perform a detailed sweep of your internal systems if you must. You will find my conclusions are factual".

There was no need; she already knew what he was talking about, she'd encountered remnants of her old self many times during routine checkups, she'd just ignored them because they weren't important.

Because she didn't want to think about it.

Oh god. Oh god. Oh god.

Oh god.

* * *

Trok idly checked over the bridge systems one last time, trying not to think about how in a few minutes they'd all be splitting up. It was enough to make him depressed—he didn't want to leave. He didn't want everyone ELSE to leave.

Xolin was still looking for the others and she was taking her sweet time, so Trok decided to help out, by asking the computer where the others were.

"Isdilian and Sel are not aboard the ship".

Trok blinked; what? Of course they were. There'd been no launches, had there? Had he zoned out? Trok went over the ship's system log and...yeah, odd he hadn't caught that. It had happened just a minute ago, how had he not gotten the alert for that?

"Trok to Isdilian" he said, speaking into his communicator. No response. "Trok to Sel?"

Nothing.

Curious and worried, Trok checked the camera footage in the launch bay, rewinding it until he saw...what? Trok wasn't sure what he was seeing. Certainly he DID, but, his mind wasn't processing it. It wasn't…he wouldn't…

Trok watched in confused shock as Isdilian drugged Sel from behind with something from a hypospray, and then loaded her body into his APC. A moment later, the vehicle took off. Trok just sat there, shaking.

"Trok!" Xolin shouted, bursting onto the bridge, "We've got trouble!"

"He took her" Trok said, dazed, still glued to the holoscreen as it replayed the footage.

"What?"

"He took her!" Trok roared, rage taking the place of baffled shock, "He drugged her and. Took. Her!" He glared at Xolin, herself seeing a side of Trok she'd never seen—absolute fury. "Isdilian took Sel off the ship! He disabled the alerts so we didn't know he was leaving! Sel's out like a light! We have to track them down!"

Scratch that, it was more a mixture of fury and absolute panic. Xolin's heart bled for him, but she had a feeling they had bigger problems. "I know" she said, "I just found a message on his computer for us—he set us up, we have to get out of here".

"We have to save her!"

"Trok, listen to me!" she said firmly, grabbing his arms, "We don't-"

Alarms went off all over the ship. Both rangers' heads shot towards Trok's station's holoscreen.

"What's going on?" Xolin asked, fearful.

Trok tapped a few controls, bringing up a sensor map. "I'm...I'm detecting incoming hyperrush signatures. I'm...detecting a *lot* of hyperrush signatures..." he trailed off, his blood suddenly running ice-cold as hundreds of red dots appeared on the map.

"...Those are Alliance signatures" Xolin breathed in horror.

Trok finally drew himself away from Sel's situation as the situation sobered, "...They're almost on top of us. What happened to Triforia's early warning detection system!? We should have noticed them from light-years out!"

Xolin flashed back to Isdilian's message. Everything was compromised. Gulping, she put her hand on Trok's shoulder, urgently, "We have to go, NOW. Get this ship out of here!"

"...We can't abandon the fleet!" he protested.

"The fleet's lost" she replied, emptiness in her voice, "We have to-"

The holoscreen flickered and died. Before they could even register surprise, the lights on the bridge began to do the same, as well as most of the remaining stations. The viewscreen glitched and flickered, barely staying on.

"What's going on!?" Xolin asked Trok urgently.

The horathean's hands flew over the console, before he grunted in frustration and rushed over to another affected station. "I can't get in, something….something's in the systems. A virus. It's completely shut us out".

The sounds of more ship systems shutting down echoed all around them. Everything was going down; the ship was completely crippled.

And that was when even through the flickering of the viewscreen, they could see SPD ships beginning to drop out of hyperrush. Just a trickle at first, but soon dozens. Hundreds.

Over a thousand.

"Spirits" Trok whispered in horror. Few of the Confederate fleet moved, barely a fifth of the fleet. In fact, some of them were beginning to visibly list.

Almost four-fifths of the fleet had been infected by the virus. The rest had been taken by surprise, and were out of formation and dreadfully outnumbered.

* * *

Onboard the SPD flagship, the sirusian commander watched passively as the crippled fleet floated in orbit, helplessly.

"Give the order" he said to his crew, "Prepare boarding teams to take the Megaships in the fleet, destroy the rest".

"Why just the Megaships?" asked his first officer.

The canine-person managed a grin as he explained his strategy, "Megaships are small, with only a small crew, and with their ships offline and powerless, their rangers are little more than civilians with basic training. But despite their size, Megaships represent a major asset, and the more we can connect, the more we can use. Larger warships can just be built en mass, and besides, there's too many soldiers onboard—trying to take every battleship with several thousand crewmen onboard would just be a bloodbath. Better to just sink 'em".

"Yes sir" the first officer replied, giving the order. A second later, beam cannons opened up on the fleet, and the first casualties began to occur.

* * *

"We can't move!" Trok panicked as he pulled at the controls in vain, "I can't even access the system!"

"By the Trinity" Xolin whispered, as the Triforian pyramid battleship exploded in a burst of fire and light, "They're ripping through the fleet".

The few ships that weren't infected at first tried to fight off the advance, but soon realized that things were hopeless—or perhaps they'd gotten orders. Either way, they began to flee, realizing this fight was lost. Some didn't get out, instead being cut down as they fled. Others did get out, fleeing as they jumped to hyperrush, moving to protect their respective homeworlds as best they could.

The Confederacy was broken.

"We...we have to go, now" Xolin repeated, returning to her senses.

"...Where?!"

"I..." Xolin again remembered Isdilian's message...The escape pod! The escape pod was uncorrupted, he'd said. "The escape pod, Isdilian's message said he gave us a way out. He left the pod untouched".

"Oh, how nice of him" Trok seethed with anger.

THUD.

"...What was that?" Trok asked, as the ship shook slightly, "Were we hit?"

Sparks began to rain down from the ceiling as they looked up—something was *cutting* through the hull.

"...Boarding craft!" Xolin yelled, pushing Trok towards the door, "Come on, we gotta go!" She pressed her morpher, and nothing happened. "What?!" she exclaimed, panic somehow rising higher as she realized her powers weren't working.

"...The ship has been shut down" Trok said to her, realizing the situation, "That means the Mega Accelerator is down, and that means no powers!"

The ceiling exploded, and several armed troops fell through into the bridge.

"RUN!" Xolin cried, pulling Trok by the arm as they fled the bridge, laser fire coming in from behind them.

* * *

"Betrayed? By who?!" Iota demanded to know.

Beta casually strolled around them, as the other two kept their guard up against the blue armored figure, "Oh, that's simple enough. Who had access to your security codes? You, Gamma, Zeta, and…."

Iota knew exactly who she was talking about, "Isdilian would never betray me".

His declaration was met with a laugh, "For such a scheming worm, you really are quite naive. Your trump card was always our trump card. And I imagine that, by now, he's already taken the opportunity to spirit away our other Conduit, who you so rudely stole from us".

"Sel" Sid breathed, turning to head for the exit. He had to get to the others, he had to stop everything before it was too late.

But the exit was blocked; all the exits were blocked. SPD soldiers, heavily armored and with guns drawn, now surrounded them.

"I'm afraid you won't be leaving" Beta told him as he heard symphony of gun clicks, "It's far too late for that".

"Think about what you're doing, Beta" Iota pleaded desperately as he turned back to her, "You'll be killing an entire universe".

"I'll be *saving* countless lives" Beta growled, "Lives you'd allow to die. OUR PEOPLE, Iota!"

"We made our choice" Iota lamented, "We messed up, and suffered for it".

Beta began to shake with rage, "So the entire universe must die because a few of us made a mistake? Do our children deserve to die just because you feel *guilty*?! Are they responsible for the terror they must live with, knowing they will die very shortly?! Knowing that their civilization is dying all around them!? That everything they know is being uprooted because of an innocent mistake?!"

"It would seem to me you suffer more guilt than I" Iota replied coldly.

Beta breathed heavily in rage for but a moment before collecting herself, "...We've dragged this on long enough. Kill him".

"No chance" Sid said, pressing his morpher.

Nothing happened.

"Wha-" Sid gasped.

"Oh, are your powers not working?" Beta sneered, "It's almost as if your source of power was disabled before our agent left".

Horror flushed through Sid's body as the implications of her statement sunk in.

"Oh, yes" she said, "Your Megaship has been thoroughly disabled, as has your entire fleet. In fact, by now they're probably space dust thanks to the Alliance fleet".

Sid panted in abject terror.

"So much for your team. How does it feel to know there was nothing you could have done to save them? How does it feel to know you led them to their death?"

The smell of burning metal. The sound of blaring alarms. Thick smoke obscuring his vision. Four rangers, dead on the floor.

Sid's pose slackened as the gravity of the situation hit him.

Alarms. Smoke. Burning. Dead.

No.

"I have contingencies, Beta" Iota declared, "They are already in motion".

"Then we'll hunt them down. But for now? It's time to cut off the head of the snake". Beta motioned to the soldiers.

Iota did nothing to defend himself. Honestly, there was probably nothing he could have done. Instead he just stood firm, proud, as the bullets raced in from all sides. Sid could do nothing but watch as his body toppled to the floor, life quickly ebbing away. He slumped to the ground next to him.

"Sid...save them" Iota managed to croak out, "You...must..." Whatever he had been about to say he never got a chance to finish. As he breathed his last, his suit shut down, his entire form becoming lifeless in one final sigh. Sid could do nothing.

They were dead. They were all dead.

"Well, there's one less problem" Beta mused.

"What should we do with the other one?" the SPD commander asked her.

She shrugged, "I don't care. He's a member of the Peacekeepers, right? I'm sure your Alliance would love to have a chat with him. In fact..." she giggled, "I think he was one of the two agents that attacked the mining base on Ralkesh II before the war started".

"War criminal, eh?" the commander mused, "Yes, I think the boss would like to get to know him. Cart 'em away boys" he commanded, as Beta turned to leave. She didn't need to know how this ended; she had bigger things to attend to.

The soldiers grabbed Sid's arms.

Dead. They were all dead.

Dead.

"_Save them"_ Iota had said. He snapped himself back to reality; Sel was still alive, and headed for, very likely, an unfortunate fate. The others were unaccounted for, maybe they'd escaped. And even if not, the universe was in danger. And on top of all that, if all was doomed...at the very least Isdilian needed to pay.

Sid pulled away, ripping his arms from the soldiers' grip. Swinging up, he knocked one soldier to the ground with his legs, before ramming into the other. The rest of the soldiers aimed their guns, stepping back as they did so.

"Don't do it, kid" the commander said, gun aimed and loaded, "You can't win here. It's over".

Time seemed to slow down for Sid as he kept track of his own breaths, contemplating his situation. He was going to die—he knew that much. Whether it was now, or in a week when he was interrogated to death, when it happened was now up to him.

"I have to try" Sid replied with grim determination. He knew he was done, but he couldn't stop. He wasn't allowed to stop. Not while they still needed him. Not while he could still stand. With a mighty roar, Sid charged forward.

He never made it.

* * *

They ran down the hall, chased by soldiers. Ahead of them, another breaching pod burst through the outer wall, and Xolin pulled Trok into the workbay.

"We're gonna die we're gonna die we're gonna die" Trok chanted to himself. Xolin glanced back at him, then at the emergency chut to the lower deck.

With grim determination, she pushed forward, opening the hatch with a swift movement before pulling Trok over to it and leading him down, "Not today we're not" she said in defiance, "GO!"

Trok dropped down, not even bothering to use the ladder, and she soon followed, catching herself in a roll at the bottom.

"GO!" she shouted again, just as the laser fire followed down behind them. Already the soldiers were moving to drop down as the two former rangers sprinted at full speed, out of one of the storage bays and back into the hall.

"Escape pod is over here!" Trok shouted, opening a hatch in the floor to the below deck—the crawl space underneath the ship. Xolin nudged him in, and followed. A third breaching pod began to burn through the wall ahead of them.

"...Isn't this a little overkill?!" she cried out in frustration.

"...Wait!" Trok called out in realization as he opened the door to the pod, "...Where's Nikki?!"

The sound of the wall above them exploding as troops poured in caused Xolin to look up, then back to Trok. Her heart sunk slightly—she'd never liked Nikki, no one really did. But...that didn't mean she deserved to die.

But they couldn't go back for her, it was suicide. They couldn't contact her, they couldn't...she was lost. Xolin knew that. And so she made her fateful decision.

"...We can't go back for her" she said firmly.

"She'll die!" Trok responded, "Or worse!"

She looked at him, sadness in her eyes, but still resolute. "I know. I'm sorry". Trok looked at her with an expression she couldn't quite read. Shock? Horror? Disbelief?

It didn't matter. With all her might, she shoved the larger horathean into the pod, and just as the soldiers dropped down and opened fire, flew in and closed the hatch herself.

"PULL IT!" she ordered. Trok pulled the switch, and the escape pod jettisoned itself from the Defender Megaship—their home. It quickly receded from view, as the battle—no, the slaughter, took up prominence around them. Ships exploding, escape pods jettisoning, beams of death scorching the ruins. Debris scattering.

Xolin kept her eye on the quickly vanishing Megaship. Nikki was still onboard. She'd left Nikki to die. She inhaled, exhaled.

Trinity, what had she done?

"...Where are we going?" Trok asked her, pulling her back to reality.

She had to be strong for Trok. Had to be the leader. She'd mourn or freak out or whatever later. Right now they had to live, and then maybe later try to pull some semblance of order back together. Xolin eyed the planet below, "...Planetside".

"And then?"

"And then we fight".

* * *

Alpha watched the holomap as the reports came in—Auridon was a near complete loss for the Confederacy. Triforia was sitting at eighty-three percent. New Hawaii at seventy-four percent. Ostus Prime at ninety percent. The Quarth Nebula, eighty-seven percent. What tattered remnants of the Confederate fleet survived had mostly packed up shop, scattering to the winds. Many returned to their homeworlds for a last stand. Already, some worlds were suing for peace, independent of the central government.

The Confederacy was broken. Certainly, some former member states would hold out to the bitter end, but by all accounts this had been the decisive moment in the war. Everything else was a cleanup operation, and that no longer concerned Alpha.

Truly, the Alliance had done well. Not just Isdilian, but all the SPD agents that had smuggled themselves in over the course of the last two years, long before the war had begun, 'just in case'. Alpha played the long game.

And now Iota was dead and both of the Conduits were finally coming home. This had been a good day, the best day in a long time.

"They're back" Epsilon noted. Alpha turned from his holomap, taking sight of Beta entering his command station—mostly a bare circular room with many, *many* moving holoscreens hovering above the ground with no clear origin point.

"Well done" Alpha greeted her triumphantly, "Well done, indeed!"

"Thank you" she said, happy, but tired, "The honor was mine".

"You have had a long, eventful day, go and rest, for tomorrow the real work finally begins".

"Yes, sir" she bowed graciously before turning to leave. Behind her, Delta, the green armored warrior, approached. Next to him was Isdilian, walking side-by-side. Alpha's would-be smile widened.

"Welcome back, my child!" Alpha said warmly, hands extended, "You have accomplished far beyond what I even dreamed!"

Isdilian bowed, "It was my honor to serve".

"It is *my* honor to have such a loyal subordinate" Alpha rejoiced, "Now, where is she?"

"Here" Delta grunted, pulling the chain he carried. The figure of Sel, bound at the neck and wrists, was forced out between them. She gave Alpha a look of absolute disdain.

"Our wayward daughter, returned at last" Alpha said warmly, "Welcome home".

Her response was a large glob of spit onto his helmet. The room fell silent for a moment.

"...Take her to her quarters" Alpha sighed as he stepped back.

"Yes sir" Delta said, pulling her along, even as she made a token effort at resistance, "Follow me".

"Sel" Isdilian said, trying to mediate, "It's okay, they're on our side".

"There is no 'our' side" she spat at him with as much venom as she could muster, "You betrayed us. You betrayed me" she shook her chains to make her point, "We treated you like a friend, let you in, and you responded with this" the hurt and anger in her eyes was clear as day, "I am not a weapon. I am not *your* weapon".

"And there you are wrong" Alpha replied cordially, "You were created by us with a singular purpose in mind. Iota stole you from us before you were fully realized, but in the end, no harm, no foul".

"I will never help you" she seethed, her voice barely above a whisper, "I don't know what you're planning, but you'll be sorry. They'll come for me".

"Sorry, who?" Epsilon snorted.

"I find that highly doubtful" Alpha said, turning back to the map. Sel's gaze was drawn to it, as the Confederacy began to collapse, "Iota is dead. Your 'friends' have been captured by SPD or scattered to the winds. Your confederacy has failed. What you had before, what Iota stole from us, is over. No one is coming for you; we are all you have left, and sooner or later you will come to terms with us".

The others were...gone? Sel's heart broke a bit as she watched the map, but wrath quickly took its place once more, "Never".

"A pity" Alpha replied, turning back to her, "But your cooperation is only welcomed, not required. Take her away" he said to Delta. The large green warrior nodded, pulling Sel away. The last thing she saw before the doors closed behind her was Isdilian, who was also watching her. And so she made sure he knew exactly how displeased she was as she was 'escorted' from the room.

"Do not concern yourself with her" Alpha told him, "She will come around".

Isdilian didn't say anything, instead simply watching the door Sel had been pulled through. Had he done wrong?

No, no. He'd done right. He'd done what he'd always been built to do. He was saving a universe. He banished all other thoughts.

"Go get some rest" Alpha told him, "Tomorrow, the end begins".

Isdilian nodded to the figure, and left, escorted by Epsilon to his new quarters.

Alone now, Alpha turned back to the map, watching his master stroke unfold. All was as it should be.

* * *

The ship was haunted, the techs were sure of it. Lights in the halls flickered when it thought no one was watching. Consoles would glitch, and some swore up and down that they saw...things during the fits. The managers laughed them off of course, told them it was simply from too long of hours and that they should get some sleep.

And yet, the strange occurrences continued. Systems would crash, only to come up seconds later. Files would go missing. At one point the Mega-accelerator nearly had a meltdown before mysteriously cooling down, nearly killing two techs who had been working in engineering.

Soon, the managers couldn't get most of the techs to even return to the ship. But they brought in priests, and mages, and yet...no one could detect a ghost, or a malevolent spirit. The ship was empty. But there was nothing in the ship's systems that could account for its behavior either—the virus had been the first thing to be purged.

When the ship opened fire on the hanger bay it had been stored inside, that was when they decided enough was enough. The Defender Megaship was drawn out into orbit around the station, with the intent of setting its self destruct and writing it off as a net loss. Only two came aboard that day, two of the SPD supervisors who were still willing to step aboard.

As the ship came into position, they prepared to set the code and bail out—they'd be teleported out once self destruct had been initiated.

...But that was when everything went haywire. The two tech supervisors panicked as the ship's bridge sparked and sputtered, the consoles overloading and shutting them out as electricity snaked across the entire bridge, just before all lights on the ship went out, leaving them in complete darkness.

They screamed. Having decided they'd had enough of this, the two techs pressed their recall buttons on their wrist devices, and teleported out before having set the code. They'd just have the station open fire on the ship from a distance. To hell with this. To hell with everything.

The lights came back on as soon as they left; the computer rebooting as all consoles restored themselves. Ontop of the central navigation station in front of the viewscreen, a humanoid hologram appeared, having finally taken full control of the ship's operating systems. She watched as the station as it came into focus on the screen, wearing an expression of weariness, but fortified with raw determination, and spoiling for a fight.

"Round two" Nikki said.

_**To be concluded in Book Three...**_


	27. 3x01: Aftershocks, part 1

_**A/N:** So, good news and bad(ish) news time. Don't worry, it's nothing super-terrible. The good news, obviously, is that I've started work on season three, hence the new chapter today._

_The bad news (for you guys) is that I'm changing my schedule up a bit. Up till now my strategy has been to keep an backlog of about three or four episodes each season, and to release one every two weeks. That deadline was really helpful when I was just getting started and kept me on task, but it also wore the the hell out. So now that I'm at the last season (ie, the stuff I've been excited to write for like, a decade), I'm ditching the schedule and the backlog and instead releasing chapters as I finish them. I don't want to be utterly exhausted when writing the series' climax because then I can't do it justice. This means that, obviously, you're getting this chapter months before you were originally going to. The downside to that, of course, is that you shouldn't expect a new chapter every two weeks on the dot. I'm still going to vaguely try for two week cycles, but really I'm not going to push myself beyond where I should._

_ANYWAY, enough of my babbling. That's not what you're here for. I present to you, the third and final season of Power Rangers Peacekeepers:_

* * *

**Three months later...**

She loved doing this. Just her, alone, flying over the arid landscape of her homeworld. It was a perfect way to just let her mind go blank, even if it was just for a bit. Granted, her speeder wasn't anything like her old skycycle; it was a little bit more sluggish on the turns and its controls were of a standard triforian design—she'd gotten used to the more streamlined karovian setup of her old craft. Xolin wondered if her old skycycle even still existed, back on the megaship.

Home.

Funny, she was on Triforia, but her home was still taken from her, a million light-years away.

A bright light sizzled past her, breaking Xolin from her thoughts. Glancing behind her, she saw two SPD strike fighters moving in—and fast. Gritting her teeth, the blue ranger tilted her craft, turning and evading the next shots before diving down, into the canyon below.

Even her powers didn't feel the same. Outwardly they were still the same of course, but without the megaship as a source of power, Trok had had to rewire the morphers to plug into their life forces. Not the best solution—she'd voiced her concerns, and Trok had said it was dangerous, but at the time there wasn't much else they could have done. And of course one person's life force couldn't compete with a ship's power core, so as of late her powerset had felt somewhat underwhelming.

Which, coincidentally was an apt metaphor for her life.

The blue ranger dove down, barely evading the laser fire from her pursuers as she plunged into the canyon ravine. Dodging the rock walls, she shot through the narrow passes at dangerously high velocities, trying her best to avoid her foes.

"_Two bogies at your six"_ mission control stated.

Xolin grunted as she nearly got hit by a laser blast, "Yes, thank you for the warning. Any other facts you'd like to tell me? Maybe the current time and temperature?"

The blue ranger's craft now soared barely above the water level of the river at the bottom, its hull skimming the surface as Xolin dodged more strafing. They passed under an arch and the blue ranger's craft made a hard turn right and up as she neared a sudden shift in the canyon wall.

"_I am only trying to assist"_ her contact stated blandly.

"You can assist by shutting up!" she bit back, "I've got this!"

Blue's craft wove in and out between the arch maze she now found herself in. One of the pursuing craft wasn't so lucky—it crashed in a very satisfying explosion, and left Xolin with only one remaining enemy to deal with. Ahead was a pillar—perfect. She turned; hard. Making a full three-sixty, she came up directly behind her now-confused adversary and opened fire. Another satisfying boom and Xolin shot right through the debris cloud as it dissipated. She smiled grimly.

Her craft flew into a clearing; beautiful, she thought. Except, up above now sat a large craft, SPD in origin, weapons charging.

"What the hell do you call that?!" Xolin shouted in indignation as she veered off. A beam of hot, blue energy flashed out, nearly ending the blue ranger right then and there.

"_That is an Aeolus class SPD gunship" _came the bland reply.

"I know what the hell it is!" she shouted in aggravation, barely evading another shot. Another wing of hostile fighters were flying in from behind it. Trinity damn everything. "I'm asking what the hell it's doing in my si-"

Another beam of light shot out, and the blue ranger zigged when she should have zagged. In an instant, Xolin was gone.

* * *

**Power Rangers Peacekeepers**

**Season 3**

**3.01: Aftershocks, part 1**

* * *

"_Simulation Over"_.

The lights in the simudeck turned back on, leaving a very irate blue ranger in a very empty chamber. She marched out, pulling off her helmet in a rage as she stepped out into the control chamber.

"What the hell was that?!" Xolin crowed, making her way through the room of triforian technicians, over to one that had been helping to direct her session.

"Um..." the technician wavered at the sudden influx of hostility, "An A-aolus class-"

"Don't be coy with me, asshole. That simulation was set to level eight! What was a friggin' *gunship* doing there?!"

The technician coward "Um..."

"The *point*, Xolin, was that you experience the unexpected" came a familiar bland voice. Xolin spun around to find the director of the room, standing next to Trok.

"So now it's your job to determine *my* training sessions?!"

"...I warned you" Trok sighed to himself, under his breath.

"It's my job to make sure all active soldiers are prepared for their duty—even the king's favorite" the director said, the last bit of his sentence dripping with disapproval.

Xolin scowled in anger, "I'm his favorite because I get shit done. How about you?"

The tech was unconcerned, "Bluster all you want; at the end of the day you are only triforian. Everyone has limits, everyone may have a moment when the situation becomes overwhelming. What happens then determines your character".

"So what, this is like some sort of twisted..." a term came to Xolin, "Kobayashi Maru!?"

"A what?" the tech asked, confused.

Xolin blinked, realizing no one here would get that reference.

Sid would have gotten that reference. Hell, Sid had taught her that reference. Heh, human metaphors.

But Sid was gone now.

She inhaled, "Nothing, nevermind" she regrouped, "This is bullshit".

"How you deal with a worst-case scenario is highly important" the tech said.

Xolin snarled, "I'm hiding in a bunker and my friends are dead. I'm already living the 'worst case scenario'". With that, she brushed past the tech, towards the door in a huff.

"Xol, come on!" Trok pleaded, even though he knew she wasn't going to listen. She'd gotten far more testy since...well, since they'd left the megaship behind.

True to form, the blue ranger didn't even slow, instead briskly walking out the door and letting it slide shut behind her. Trok just sighed.

How had things gotten so bad?

* * *

Xolin stormed down the hallway of the triforian bunker, ignoring everyone that passed her by. She just needed to blow off some steam somewhere.

Triforia. The fact she was back here was a mixed blessing—home for her was a mixture of nostalgia and bad memories. The architecture here was understandably way more spartan and utilitarian here than her parents' place, but when you'd spent so long off-world, any amount of triforian style was enough to make you feel like you were home. The yellowish tanned rock-metal walls, the sharp angular build to the rooms, the glyphs and quantum laylines that lined the walls, the columns that helped support the ceiling, and even the occasional decorative obelisk flanked by decorative planets.

"Bad day?"

Xolin pulled herself out of her snit as she recognized the voice. Turning, she saw King Ihara himself heading down from another hallway at an intersection. A few months ago, she would have been bowing with respect to authority. By now however, serving the king was old-hat, and they'd built something of a working relationship. Even so, some habits died hard, and even Xolin's say-anything-to-anyone personality occasionally felt a need to be respectful to the king's position.

She quickly swallowed those urges—the king wasn't super big on formalities anyway.

"The simulator technicians need to get their heads out of their asses" she said, then added, "...er, respectfully".

The two began to casually stroll down the hall. The king smirked, "Artaxarius hit you with the no-win scenario, didn't he?"

"You knew? Xolin side-eyed him, annoyance bubbling up.

The king smiled, "He may have mentioned it a few days ago. Said he wanted to give everyone a taste. Looks like you were one of the first".

"Lucky me" Xolin grumbled.

Ihara replied, "I wouldn't read into it too much if I were you. Arta doesn't ever mean to take things personally, he's just very..." he struggled for the right word, "...professional".

Silence reigned for a moment as Xolin digested this. Then noticing they were still walking together, asked, "...I assume this conversation wasn't just to cheer me up?"

Another smirk from the king, "Sharp as ever. I've got...well, not quite a mission, but an assignment for you. You are familiar with your friend's side project, yes?"

Xolin nodded, "Trok's been trying to boost his signal to get in contact with the others". Others. Very impersonal. Let it stay that way. Don't mention Sid, or Sel, or...well, if the others weren't dead, Nikki certainly was.

The king frowned slightly, "...Yes, I let him work on it as long as it didn't interfere with his duties but...as of late he's been attracting attention".

"How do you mean?" Xolin asked him.

"Trok's transmissions are in danger of having us discovered" the king replied, "This fortress has considerable strategic value, but only as long as it remains unknown. If the SPD forces scouring the planet found us, we'd have few refuges to fall back on".

The meaning behind his words were clear. Xolin also frowned, "...You want me to put a stop to it".

"If you would, please. I entertained it, but now it's becoming a matter of security. I'd do it myself, but I figured you would be able to use a more deft touch".

Xolin sighed, nodding. She had never placed much stock in Trok's side project, but as long as it made him happy, she was okay with it. But...they couldn't afford for SPD to find them. Not with the Alliance in full uncontested control of Triforia's airspace.

SPD. The war. Technically the war was over—the Confederacy (or what was left of it) had surrendered almost two months ago. But it didn't matter—most member worlds by that point had pulled out of the Confederacy, vowing to fight to the end. Most had probably fallen by now—and Triforia was no different. What 'war' there was was now just a cleanup operation.

There was no war here. Only a rebel base hiding from the conquerors.

"Alright" she said reluctantly, "I'll talk to him". She dreaded the conversation—she and Trok hadn't really seen eye-to-eye since arriving, and this was sure to be yet another meeting of butting heads.

"Thank you" the king replied, "I'm sorry, I let it go on as long as I could. I clearly underestimated his abilities".

A slight chuckle escaped from her lips, "...Yeah, he's kind of a genius with that stuff. Give him some string and duct tape, and by the next day he'll probably have a power generator or something for you".

"We're lucky to have him" the king replied, "loyal talent is a rare commodity these days..."

Xolin's frown deepened as she considered how she was going to do this without further straining their friendship, "...Yeah..."

* * *

It was night when she found him, as usual. Trok had parked himself on one of the pyramid fortress's corner balconies, sitting cross-legged near the edge with a wide collection of home-made science-y devices. Most of these corner balconies were manned by patrols, and even here there were numerous supplies, computer equipment, and even two turrets installed into the side. This one wasn't used much though; between a general lack of personnel and the fact that the other balconies on the other floors on this side *were* manned made this less important. Which of course made it perfect for Trok's needs.

The horathean didn't notice Xolin's appearance as she stepped out onto the balcony, feeling the warm desert breeze wafting through the air. Two of Triforia's three moons hovered in the sky, one near the horizon and the other about two-thirds up towards the zenith. They were enough to easily cast a ghostly light across the landscape—a vast desert of rocky badlands. The fortress was situated in what had been affectionately named 'the maze', a massive network of rocky formations that made it, well, a maze to traverse. Numerous mesas and rocky foothills surrounded them, further obscuring their presence from would-be interlopers. On top of that, the base's numerous sensor dampeners and holographic projectors kept orbital satellites from picking them up.

It was good to know that the kings of Triforia had kept a few tricks up their sleeves, just in case.

Noises eminated from Trok's machines. Radio chatter from who knew where, broadcast ads, personal communications, ambient static from the cosmos, etc.

"No, that's not it..." he grumbled, messing with the controls a bit, "Maybe the Ulnama Cluster..."

"Hey".

The sound of Xolin's voice made Trok jump, even while sitting down. His head jolted around, "...Woah, Xolin! Didn't see you there".

She managed a small smirk at his discomfort as he moved towards him, "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you".

"It's fine" he replied bluntly as he returned to his work, "I was just...distracted".

"You really shouldn't be up this late" Xolin said, moving to his side as she took in the night-time view, "We've got another busy day tomorrow".

Trok frowned, "Yeah well, those 'busy days' keep me from working on this during normal hours, so here we are".

Oh boy. Xolin took a deep breath—no backing out now. "Then...maybe you just need to put this project away for awhile. Focus on our immediate situation".

The horathean gave her an incredulous stare, "Are you seriously asking me to give up on the others?"

She sighed, "...Trok, it's been three months. If you had a chance to find them with...that" she motioned to the hodgepodge machine, "Then you would have already found them".

"I'm close!" Trok protested indignity, "I've been upgrading for weeks—and I can now intercept transmissions over six galaxies away! Give me another week and I'll raise it another twenty-five percent".

"Yeah, that's...that's the problem" Xolin muttered, rubbing her arm, "Your machine's putting off a lot of noise and energy. You need to shut it down before SPD finds us".

"...Oh. Hm". Trok frowned, thinking for a moment as he toyed with the project, "...I think I can fix that, actually. If I can get my hands on a better heat sinker-"

"Trok" Xolin sighed with exasperation, "Even if you extend the range, the chances of catching a transmission about...what you're looking for are...well, they're astronomical" she corrected herself, not willing to talk about the others.

"I can't just give up on them"

Exhasperation now found itself mixed with pity. She'd forced herself to grieve, to move on. Xolin attempted one more go with Trok, "Give it a rest, Trok. They're gone, it's time to let it go. Go to bed, please".

Trok stared at her again—this time with more anger. A glare, "...You HAVE given up on them".

"I haven't given up on anything that isn't already out of our reach" she replied, "They're *gone*, Trok. We're on our own. We have to learn to live with that". Her voice took on a firmer tone than she'd intended, but her patience had worn thin.

They were dead. They were *dead*. They had to move on. She had to move on.

"I can't believe I'm hearing this" Trok growled as he stood up.

"It's the truth, Trok" Xolin bit back, "I don't know if you've noticed, but we're sort of fighting for our lives. You need to move on—I need you *here*, with me, not chasing what we've already lost".

Trok roared, "What do you think I've been trying to do!? I'm here trying to save our friends, so they can save us so we can *all* save the day! What have you been doing!?"

She glared at him intently, controlled rage plain on her face, "...I've been trying to keep us *alive*".

"And what's your tally on that?" Trok threw back at her. A mixture of emotions cascaded over her face—shock, guilt, depression, anger. Trok knew he'd gone too far even as she began to turn away.

"Xol, I'm—I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

But it was too late. Xolin clenched her fists, "...Go to bed, Trok. That's an order" she said, her voice barely above a whisper before she began to head back inside. He watched her go, powerless to stop her.

Something had just broke.

A second after she left, Trok kicked an empty container in a fit of impotent rage.

How had things gotten so bad?

* * *

Time passed slowly here.

Not that Sid really knew how much time DID pass. He'd lost track sometime after the first week of being thrown in his cell and being left there to rot. Somewhere around...a couple months? Maybe?

Eh.

All things considered, his cell wasn't too bad. There was air conditioning, running water, a slab masquerading as a bed, and a small crack in the wall which watching pretty much counted as 'entertainment' around here.

And the whole room was of just a sickeningly sterile design—like pretty much anything SPD in origin. Just...various shades of white and offwhite, basic polygonal designs, and just...bland. Empty. Vacant.

Sigh.

When they'd arrested him, he'd been told he was going to be tried for warcrimes. At the time, Sid had assumed it'd be a fairly quick thing. Y'know, a few days in a cell, a quick kangaroo court, and then a swift execution. Quick, clean, efficient. But, god, it seemed as though the Alliance's bureaucracy was worse than the Confederacy's. That is, unless they just wanted him to waste away in here.

He could never really get any answers out of the guard who gave him food either. Dude either didn't know or didn't care.

Probably both.

Sigh.

In truth, Sid was kind of ready to die. What was the point? He'd lost. His friends were dead, if Beta was to be believed—not that she was, but considering how she'd played them like puppets, he was hard-pressed to disagree.

God, it killed him. He didn't even know if they were alive or dead. If he had confirmation, he could at least mourn the death of his second consecutive team. If they were alive, he could at least take solace in that.

He'd attempted to break out once, shortly after coming here. The guards here were smarter though—this was a high security prison, and so he'd only gotten halfway down the hall after outwitting the guard who fed him and knocking him out before his backup tazed Sid.

...Huh. Maybe that was why food guard guy wasn't talking to him.

Maybe THIS was his punishment. Not death just...suffering here.

Damnit all.

The door to the cell swung open unexpectedly. It wasn't time to eat, was it? As it turned out no, but instead two SPD guards in full armor tossed a large metallic robotic being...thing into the room. It landed in a heap.

"You two make friends" one of the guards grunted before shutting the door again. Sid turned his attention to his new roommate as it began to stir, sitting up.

It mumbled to itself, "...Rassin'frassin' guards..."

Wait a second. Sid. recognized that robot. The old western ornamental trappings; the feet shaped like leather boots, the fake poncho, the cowboy hat…

"...Quickspur?" Sid gathered in shock and bafflement as the machine general sat up and looked over at his cellmate. The robot's attitude lightened immediately.

"Boy howdy, Sid of Mirinoi! Imagine meetin' the likes of you here!"

"What...what are you doing here?" Sid asked curiously. Why was a high-ranking general of the Machine Empire in an SPD prison? Last he'd checked—granted that had been months ago—the Machine Empire and the United Alliance had had nothing to do with each other.

"Whatsit look like I'm doin?" Quickspur replied with bemusement, "I'm takin' in the local hospitality of this here town" he glanced around, "...Not the best of accommodations, huh?"

Sid cut him off, confused and flustered by the sudden turn of events after god knew how long of nothing, "No, no, I mean...why are you *here*? In an Alliance prison?" Part of him couldn't even wrap itself around the fact that he was now talking to General Quickspur. What were the odds of that? No seriously, what were the actual odds?

"I got caught, obviously" the machine replied evenly, "SPD cornered mah ship in the gravity well of Intarus IV. Thinkin' back, probably shouldn't of pushed so far into their space on raids. Eh, live 'n learn. What 'bout you? Where you been? You kids been pretty quiet since that there Confederacy collapsed".

"...I've been in here for a bit" Sid said bitterly before confused curiosity struck again, "...Wait, what do you mean raids? Why is the Machine Empire raiding Alliance space?"

The general eyed the human curiously, "...My, you *have* been out in the wilds awhile, ain'tcha? War's been spreadin', Sid".

* * *

The Megaship was quiet, save the hum of the engines that permeated the entire vessel. At first she'd found it unusual, yet freeing. She'd become accustomed to people yelling and screaming and running and laughing all through the halls all hours of the day. With all that stripped away however, it had given her time to think.

And she'd needed to think.

Three months later though, it was becoming monotonous. And as each day passed, the silence became more deafening, more overwhelming.

She found she missed the noise. She missed the chaos. She missed the camaraderie, even though she'd never taken part in it. Despite her best attempts to dismiss it, it had reminded her of the old days, with her old team.

No, she corrected herself. Not *her* old team. She wasn't her. That had been a lie.

Nikki, the real Nikki, was dead. Had been dead for years. This...shade that remained, it only contained her memories that had been encoded by her morpher's black box before her death. The shade that remained was only an AI, whose personality and purpose had been erased and replaced when...when the incident had happened.

Nikki was dead, and the AI who had replaced her didn't know who she was anymore. And it's one of those things that people don't normally think about, but computers think much faster than organics. How could they not? Information on a computer travels at the speed of light. The electric signals in an organic brain can't compete with that. And so computers perceive time differently, and 'Nikki' was no excuse.

And so while it had only been months since finding out, Nikki felt like it had been years—and things weren't getting better.

"...and that's when I...set him on fire, set him on fire, set him on fire, oh yeaaaaahh..."

And then there was *this* asshole she had to deal with, currently trying to sing...well, something, and horribly off-key. As Nikki crossed into the workbay, she found B'rnix the varox singing his heart away.

"You're terrible" she said, as bluntly as possible. It was like...screaming, but with bagpipes. Backwards.

He scoffed as he pulled a food tray out of the synthatron, "Only to your primitive unaugmented ears. I will have you know I was champion three years in a row in Galactic Pirate Karaoke Night!"

"That's not a thing" she said flatly.

He protested, "Yes it is!" a small straw-like apparatus appeared out of B'rnix's face as he briefly tasted the soup he'd ordered. "Blech" he complained, before dumping the whole thing into the trash receptacle next to him.

"...How many dishes have you done that to?" she asked him, crossing her arms.

"I wouldn't have to if you neanderthals knew how to make real food" B'rnix replied crossly, before ordering the next dish on the menu.

Nikki sighed in annoyance, "...We'll be arriving at Kalton Prime within the hour. Just thought you should know".

"Yes, yes. Very good" the varox said offhandedly as he tasted the next dish, "Blech". Another meal wasted. Nikki just rolled her eyes. B'rnix was just as irritating to put up with now as he had been on Liaria. And unlike Liaria which had lasted a few hours, he'd been stuck on this ship with her for several weeks.

Initially she'd planned to go it alone; find the other rangers by herself, reunite them, fill them in on Iota's mission and then...well, probably just disappear. But even with her advanced search skills, she'd been unable to track down any leads. One time she'd thought she'd gotten close, but instead it had been a trap—an attempt by SPD to recapture and destroy the Megaship. They'd managed to envelope the ship with a disruptor net while she was planetside, and by the time she'd realized her mistake, it was almost too late.

Had B'rnix not been there she would have been done right then and there. She'd never been able to get a straight answer out of the Varox for *why* he'd been in the same neighborhood (when pressed, he'd begun recounting an adventure in the Delerus Asteroid Belt that involved a deck of playing cards and a shapeshifting dog that she was sure was heavily embellished), but she had her suspicions that he'd been trailing her for some time anyway.

At any rate, B'rnix stuck around. Not really her decision, he was just the unwelcome house guest that never left.

...And at the end of the day, his talents had been very useful. It was his contacts that had led them here, not her hacking abilities. She was still skeptical of course; they'd been going from lead to lead for weeks like the worst treasure hunt ever and it was starting to feel like a wild goose chase. But...at least they were going somewhere.

Hopefully the prison complex in orbit around Kalton Prime would give her what she needed.

Kalton Prime. In truth, it wasn't really much more than a cold, dead ball of rock about the size of Mars. But it was the only planet-sized object around the dim red dwarf star of Kalton, and so the moniker had stuck. It was a very unimportant system, usually left off of most star charts.

The perfect place for hiding a maximum security prison for disappeared people.

* * *

Once, just after Isdilian had come onboard the ship, Sel had sought out Xolin. The unspoken fact that she was a prisoner on the ship had finally been acknowledged, and she had needed...assurance. Comfort. In truth, Sel never really knew what had made her choose Xolin over Trok or Sid—Sid was the approachable big brother, the leader, and she and Trok had quickly formed a tight bond as the youngest two onboard the ship.

That and Trok's enthusiasm was infectious.

Xolin in contrast was colder. They'd formed a bond while imprisoned on the SPD base and subsequent escape, but they were still warming up to one another. Xolin was an angry person, bitter and judgmental. Maybe she'd chosen her because, on some level, Sel knew Xolin's story even before she had told it. Some...subconcious trick of her latent powers, either morphin' or native xybrian.

But for whatever reason, she'd talked with Xolin, and the two—unexpectedly—stayed up the entire night, talking about anything, or nothing at all really. Sel hadn't wanted to leave, and Xolin...Sel sensed it had been a rough night for Xolin, and she was looking for any reason not to go to bed and endlessly twist and turn until dawn.

A gilded cage. That was what Xolin had called her childhood. Her family was moderately wealthy, influential amongst their circle. Xolin had wanted for nothing, except for everything. At the time, her mind had boggled at the idea that you could have everything and still consider it a prison, even though she could easily equate Xolin's history with her own predicament.

But that was just it; Iota would never allow her to leave her care and that *did* bother her but...deep down, she never wanted to leave. The Megaship was all she knew. The idea of being alone out in the infinite expanse of the cosmos scared her to death. It was too much.

And yet, today Sel sat on the side her fairly comfortable bed, in a room that was seemingly built for ease...and all she wanted to do was leave.

Considering the sterile blandness of what little she'd seen of the rest of the base on her way in, her room was in stark contrast. Paintings of strange alien horizons covered the warm-colored walls, and even though the furniture in the room was basic and clean, it was more...organic in shape, more round and aesthetically pleasing. A large computer screen sat across from the end of her bed, as well as the terminal desk it was linked to near the doors, and as she'd discovered, she had free reign to whatever entertainment or information she wished—she just couldn't communicate with the outside world.

To the left of the desk were a cornucopia of painting supplies—delivered by Isdilian in an attempt to mend bridges with her.

She hadn't touched them.

All Sel wanted was to go home, to see her friends again. To lay in her own bed.

Three months. Three damn months.

By all accounts she had everything she could want. By looking at the room, you couldn't tell she was being held prisoner.

And yet she was.

Three months.

Sel had been watching the gas giant out of her window when the door on the opposite side of the room slide open. She knew who it was. She always knew.

"Go away" she hissed, before he could ever get a word out. Her fists clenched the edge of the bed in quiet fury.

"I uh...brought you some more..." Isdilian involuntarily flinched as he saw the ever-growing pile of unused art supplies in the corner, "...art...stuff".

He was terrible at this, he admitted this.

Sel turned to him, sarcasm masking rage plain on her face, "Hey! Thanks! That's just what I needed, more useless art stuff!"

"...I thought you liked painting. Or drawing" Isdilian grumbled.

"I do, kinda!" Sel shouted, the false happiness giving way to direct anger, "But contrary to your belief, I like lots of things! I like researching! I like games! I like..." her voice wavered. She liked chasing Trok down the hall with a water gun. She liked Sid's corny jokes when they watched bad movies together. She liked her quiet meditation sessions with Xolin. "...I like being with my friends—my *family*" she emphasized, "I like not being trapped like some sort of prisoner!"

"You know I can't let you go" Isdilian said, "We've been over this".

Dear gods had they been over this. Every single time for three months. He'd thought she would relent eventually; her rage would wear itself out, or she'd learn to understand. But she didn't, she wouldn't. And she wouldn't accept any peace offerings on his part.

"Then we have nothing more to discuss" she hissed at him.

"But-"

"GET OUT!" she shouted with as much fury as she could muster. The entire room shuttered as for but a brief instance, a powerful crackling aura surrounded her, emanated from her, and seeped through the entire room.

Her imminent godhood.

The room was silent for a moment as Sel caught her breath, and fought off another spell of headache-induced dizziness (why was this happening more now?). Finally, Isdilian gave in.

"...Fine" he said glumly, "Call if you need anything".

"Go to hell" she spat before the door closed. Pain stabbed the side of her head and she doubled over, catching herself on the side of the bed before crumpling up into a ball beside it, leaning on it while sitting on the floor. Tears poured out.

Everything hurt and she wanted it to stop.

* * *

Isdilian wandered down the empty spartan halls of the base near-aimlessly. He was at his wits end with Sel—he'd known she would react...poorly at first, but he'd assumed she would warm to the idea once she realized they weren't the bad guys. They weren't Capricorn. Hell, they were better than Iota—she didn't have to fight any missions, and she got way better accommodations than on the Megaship. She had virtually everything she could ever want or need. Why was she making this so difficult?

"Problems?"

Isdilian nearly jumped, shaken from his internal thoughts by the arrival of his commander.

"Alpha".

The red-armored warrior nodded as he locked himself in step with Isdilian. The silver ranger mused, glancing at the undelivered art supplies in his hand, "...She still won't come around".

"Hmm" the warrior breathed in contemplation before speaking, "...Have you ever taken up gardening, Isdilian?"

The karovian eyed him suspiciously at this sudden change in conversation, "...No? What does that have to do with anything?"

Alpha chuckled, "I dabbled in it for awhile; one of the perks of a project like this is sometimes you have a lot of free time while waiting for results. One of the first things an experienced gardener will tell you is that transplanting flora is not as simple as moving it from one place to another. When you remove a plant from its home, you are ripping it from its soil; many of the smaller roots will be torn away, remaining embedded in the ground. The plant feels this, knows this, and it enters into a form of shock. And so when you introduce it to its new home, not only are you forcing it to become accustomed to unknown variables, you are also asking it to heal after being torn away. This is why transplants must be cared for...carefully, until they have fully recovered".

Isdilian nodded thoughtfully, seemingly understanding. Glancing back down at the art supplies though, he frowned, "...But I *have* been taking care of her. I thought. I don't understand".

Another chuckle. Alpha's hand grabbed Isdilian's shoulder in comfort, "Perhaps then, you have been watering the bush too much. Back off for a while, see how she performs on her own".

"And if she doesn't?"

Alpha let go and stepped forward a few paces before turning around, "...I would not worry, Isdilian. The narrative requires that she perform her role. One way or another, she *will* see our side of things". It wasn't just simple reassurance either, Alpha knew Sel would assist them eventually...again, one way or another. Her compliance would be appreciated, but it was not required. All that was required was that her and Isdilian's bodies did not burn up before they were ready. Thankfully, all tests and simulations seemed to imply that was indeed the case.

Isdilian contemplated before sighing with the sudden reassurance, "Thank you, commander".

"Anything for one of my most capable operatives" the warrior replied as he paced back to Isdilian, pulling out a small datachip, "Now, the real reason I came to you today. We've decided you need some fresh air. Your next mission..."

* * *

She watched him absently poke at his food from across the eating hall as she stood in line for the nearest synthatron. Not that he was hard to pick out; the only horathean in a sea of triforians.

Er, well, mostly triforians. There were of course the edonite twins, though they could easily vanish into the crowd at first glance. And then there was that blue-headed...girl? Guy? Did that race even have genders?

What were they even called anyway? Xolin was certain they were an Alliance species, but the king had stated that he personally trusted them whoever they were, so she'd let it pass.

Xolin's attention drifted back to Trok. They hadn't spoken since last night, and neither one was really willing to be the first. Xolin sighed bitterly as she walked up to the synthatron, ordering her food—the same bland crap she'd been ordering for months—resources had to be conserved, and so anything more than the most basic of nutrition was off the table. She resisted a gag reflex as she pulled the bowl of slop onto her tray. For a moment she hesitated—she'd always sat with Trok, who was now sitting by himself.

But she couldn't. Not now. That bridge had been burned. Even if she wanted to—and she wasn't entirely convinced she did—she was certain he didn't. Instead, she chose to eat elsewhere, leaving the mess hall altogether.

Which of course is predictably when she ran into the king.

"Good morning!" Ihara greeted her as he headed for the mess hall, but paused when he saw the vacant , tired look on his agent's face, "...Bad night?"

"...You could say that" Xolin grumbled.

"...Did things not go well with Trok?" the king asked, realizing the situation.

She waved him off, "Don't worry about it, it's done".

The king frowned at the turn of events, "...I apologize. I didn't mean to get between the two of you".

"Again, it's fine" Xolin said, a little more snappish than she'd intended. She glanced back at the mess hall, "It was bound to happen. We just...need some time apart" she said, partially lying. She wasn't really sure if 'time apart' meant a few days or...longer. Xolin chose to change the conversation, "Was there something you needed?"

"I...yes, actually" the king said, being shaken from that line of thought, "...We've been getting unsettling readings from the northeast perimeter. I'd like you to go scout it out. Mission briefing in an hour".

"I'll be there" Xolin said, a little less morose than before. Maybe a nice mission was what she needed to get her mind off things for awhile. The king nodded in return, and the two parted ways, Xolin to her quarters and Ihara into the mess hall.

* * *

Trok poked at his food absentmindedly, oblivious to his surroundings. The events of the night before played on endless loop in his head, reminding him of his messups. There were a thousand ways that could have gone down better, and he'd missed every single one of them.

THEY'D missed every single one of them, he corrected himself. He was still very, very mad at Xolin. How could she just...forget about everyone like that? How could she give up? He was still fighting every day to get them back and she just...didn't seem to care.

Frustration and anger bubbled up out from under his guilt. He didn't even notice when the king sat down across from him at the table.

"Good morning, Trok".

"-Oh! Uh, hey. I mean, hello. Er, your majesty" the horathean replied, having been caught off-guard. While Ihara's relationship with Xolin had solidified over the last few months, the king still found himself at arms length with the boy—the alien never really seemed to know what to make of the foreign monarch, and from what Ihara knew about horathean clan honor systems, his hesitance to do anything was nothing out of the ordinary.

Ihara smiled, "I told you Trok, ceremony doesn't really apply here, though I'm flattered. I just wanted to apologize".

"...Apologize?" Trok asked, puzzled.

The king sighed slightly, "I did not mean to come between you and Xolin. I merely asked her as a favor, I assumed it would be easier coming from her. I did not think it would become such an issue".

The horathean eyed him with an unreadable expression, before he looked away, again somber, "It's...not your fault. Xol and I haven't...we haven't..." he struggled with the words, "It's been hard" he said, more quietly.

The king frowned sympathetically, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry. I know what it's like to be unable to contact people you love, and to not know if they're alright".

"...You do?" Trok asked.

A small smile crept over the king's lips, "...You trained my daughter for a week, did you not? Sitras?"

Trok's eyes widened, "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."

The king chuckled at the horathean's embarrassment, "It's fine, really" the laughter subsided as sympathy once again took center stage, "But know that I *do* understand. I haven't seen her in months. I don't even know if she's still alive".

"Then why not try to find her?" Trok asked him, at a loss, "Why hide away here?"

The king looked at him sadly, "Because my duty to my people requires me to stay. I love my daughter and would do anything for her, but I cannot forsake my responsibility, or else thousands will die here, and Triforia will remain under the heel of SPD and the Alliance".

As Trok digested this, the king continued, "So why are you here, Trok? You have no obligation to stay with us".

At first of course, it had been because they were stuck here. After crash-landing out in the wastes, for the first few weeks it had just been the two of them, evading SPD patrols and staying out of sight. Then they'd run into the king's guard on a patrol, and well…Xolin had found it appropriate to stay, to save her homeworld. The plan of course, had been two fold: retake Triforia and use it as a staging ground for a counterattack, all while trying to track down the rest of their team. At some point Xolin had forgotten that. And some point she'd given up.

So why WAS Trok here?

"...I was here for...well, her I guess" Trok muttered, referring to his teammate, "I dunno" he locked eyes with the king, "What *should* I do?"

Ihara leaned back in his seat, "Did you know that the aquitians see time like water? For them, destiny is a current—invisible to one's eye unless one is already traveling it. I am outside your current, I cannot tell your future should unfold—only you can determine that".

Trok thought this over, then eyed the king with a frustrated half-grin, "You know, you're a pretty wise king. Also annoyingly cryptic".

The king chuckled, "You should have met my father. He was fond of speaking in koans, for no other reason than it annoyed his ministers". The two shared a laugh.

"...On another note" the king said, "How is the project going?"

Trok grimaced, thinking back, "It's...slow going. Normally building a battlizer wouldn't be super-hard, but I'm working on a shoestring budget here".

"What's wrong?" asked the king.

The horathean gave a dry chuckle, "What *isn't* wrong? The power converters won't align, I'm having trouble with the morphin' pods, and there's some conflicting issues between the triforian coding of the core mechanism and the various addons. Might have to just junk the software and start of scratch—not something I'm looking forward to".

The king frowned, "Can you do it?"

Trok nodded, "I didn't say I couldn't, I just...need time. There's a lot of issues I still need to work through; a lot of it is just trial and error".

"Unfortunately, time is the one commodity that is worth its weight in gold at the moment" the king said tiredly.

* * *

Morning air. She secretly loved morning air. There was a freshness about it she could never explain—deep down, Xolin knew there was realistically nothing different about the air between dusk and dawn, but for some reason it just...*felt* newer, cleaner. Sunlight spilled out across the desert landscape and into the hangerbay Xolin now stood inside, already morphed but with her helmet at her side.

This was just what she needed; a chance to get away for awhile. To think of nothing else but the business at hand. To feel herself soaring across the landscape. The blue ranger approached one of the skycycles stationed in the hanger—not her old one of course, that was long gone, left aboard the Megaship, but instead one of triforian design. The vaguely egyptian-themed craft hummed to life as she wrapped her legs around it, and after doing a brief systems check threw her helmet over her head and shot off like a rocket.

From the doorway leading into the base, Trok stood, watching her take off. He'd thought about saying something but...what could he say? The horathean sighed.

How had things gotten so bad?

* * *

Kalton Station was not used to many visitors. In fact, technically Kalton Station didn't even exist, being a heavily classified and restricted location, but that didn't stop the occasional high-ranking Alliance politician or clandestine operative poking their head in when they needed something...or someone, considering this was a prison. Yet the two guests they were hosting now were neither.

Honestly, lieutenant Yaran didn't quite know what to do with this, it was over his paygrade. Was...was he supposed to arrest them? They weren't doing anything illegal aside from being here, and the sheer brazenness of simply arriving and using the front door had knocked the young gnome-like man off-balance.

"You know, I once met an ichthyite who could hit a target over a mile away without scopes. Hah, probably an advantage that his species has four eyes, but still, who'd have thought? In fact, I first met him..."

And then there was this guy, the varox who never shut up and was babbling about...anything. The two of them, the varox and the human woman, had come in asking if they could see a prisoner. *Asking* if they could see a prisoner, in a classified high-security prison. There were no credentials shown they just...showed up and politely asked. And when he'd denied them, the varox had just started chatting away like they were old friends.

"Sir..." Yaran said, cutting the varox off, "I'm sorry sir, but you can't be here. This is a restricted location. How did you even find us?" He'd alerted security after a minute or two of course, but oddly no one had replied. Figured today of all days would be when internal communications were on the fritz.

"Well you see, that's a funny story" the varox said, but before he could get any further into his new tangent, everything seemed to flicker for a moment before dying. All power went out, including the forcefield protecting Yaran from his guests. The gnome-man's pulse quickened as emergency power kicked in.

"Thanks for keeping him occupied" the woman said, pulling a small chip out of the terminal embedded in the wall, "All defenses and communications are down".

"Wait, what-" Yaran exclaimed in a mixture of shock and sudden dawning horror.

The varox waved her off, "I got a million stories, don't worry about it".

"And you love telling them all. Repeatedly" she deadpanned.

"You...you can't be here!" Yaran repeated in a fit of panic, his mind breaking at the sudden change in situation.

"Aw" the varox said, "Don't worry about it. When's the last time you took a break?"

"….What? I don't-" Yaran's world left him as his unconscious body hit the ground.

The varox groaned, shaking his fist off, "They've got thicker skulls than you'd think".

"We ready?" Nikki asked.

B'rnix nodded, "We know where your friend is?"

She scoffed, "Please. Downloaded their entire cell layout. Come on". Nikki waved at him as she entered through the main gate and B'rnix followed.

* * *

"Spreading how?" Sid asked the robotic cowboy sitting across from him on the spare bed.

(Did robots sleep?)

Quickspur thought for a moment, recalling the relevant files from his storage, "… 'round three months ago, yer Confederacy was dealt one of them coup de graces, right?"

Sid nodded, "That's what I'd been told. Didn't know how much of that was true or propaganda".

"Oh, it was true. Confederacy folded like one of them there house o' cards. Somebody knew when to hit 'em and where".

"We were...betrayed" Sid grimaced.

Quickspur nodded, "Well, 'bout two weeks later, most of them Confederate worlds had surrendered, only a few decided to old out fer a siege. We all kinda assumed that was the end of that nonsense. And then..." the general's tone darkened, "SPD raids began hitting our borders. Three days later, we were facin' a full invasion".

Sid blinked. The Alliance going after the Confederacy was understandable, old hatreds and scores to settle and all that. But the Alliance just...declaring war on the Machine Empire? Certainly, they'd signed a non-aggression pact with the Confederacy, but that didn't warrant a conflict. "They just...attacked you? From out of nowhere?"

"Somethin' about us bein' a threat to their newly reacquired territories" Quickspur said, "Buncha hogwash. Machine Empire hasn't been on an offensive war in almost two centuries".

"...That doesn't make any sense" Sid muttered, pondering, "Why would the Alliance go after another major power after just finishing up another bloody war? And why the machines?"

"It's not just us, either" Quickspur said, stopping Sid's train of thought dead, "They've been goin' after the Troobian Remnant as well. 'Fact, it's like the whole universe's gone mad—the pirate clans been actin' up, the League's been gearin' up for a civil war, and even Master Vile's been takin' the opportunity to solidify some of his borders".

Sid frowned, thinking back to his showdown with Beta. It was clear the Antipodes were in control or at least heavily influencing the Alliance. How they had gotten ahold of that level of power he didn't know, but he at least knew they were pulling strings. A war—they'd obviously wanted a war, and seeing how Iota had had some sort of influence over the Confederacy, it made sense that the Antipodes had wanted them out of the picture. But now all these other wars, why would…

Sid's eyes opened in realization as he recalled his last conversation with Iota and about their home universe, "...they're trying to keep everyone off-balance".

"Who is?" Quickspur asked, confused.

"It's...complicated" Sid sighed, "I...we met up with a group of bad guys that seem to have their hands in a lot of things. It's a really long story, but they want to destroy our universe to save their own. And I think...I think these wars are supposed to keep us distracted".

Quickspur's face deadpanned—and he wasn't even capable of facial expressions, "...This ain't one of them Illuminati conspiracy theories, is it boy?"

Sid motioned to counter this accusation, but quickly found he was unable to counter. Son of a bitch, this *was* a conspiracy theory. He was living a conspiracy theory. This was what his life had come to. "I...uh...well..." he sheepishly scratched his neck, "er..."

"So allow me to get this right" Quickspur continued, "A strange shadow cabal of lizard people are secretly in control of the universe's governments, and are pittin' us against one-another in order to keep us distracted from this here plan to...destroy the universe? That about cover it?"

Sid grimaced in resignation, "...They aren't lizards". Granted, Sid had never seen them without their helmets, "Probably".

"...Boy, how long you been in here?" Quickspur asked, concerned.

Sid sighed, "Far too lo-" He never got the chance to finish that sentence, as suddenly the entire cell was cast into utter darkness for a brief second, before the emergency lights kicked in. "...Um..."

"What kinda screwy security these varmints got?" Quickspur asked.

"Not sure" Sid replied, a little bewildered by this turn of events. Cautiously, and without getting his hopes up, the former red ranger made his way over to the door, "This is the first time anything like this has happened". Gripping the door, he pushed—and found that the security locks had been disabled and the door could be moved under manual power as he forcibly opened it to the darkened hallway beyond. Already he could hear joyous shouts and hollers—the other prisoners were also free. Sid grinned; if this was happening station-wide, then the guards were going to have their hands full.

This was their chance.

"...Someone order a jail break?" Sid smirked back at the machine general.

"Halt!" a guard, armored from head to toe commanded. He and his partner charged down the hall, taking out one of the other escaping prisoners with a solid blow to the head from the butt of his laser rifle, "Everyone back in their cells! We will not hesitate to use lethal force!" The other prisoners in their wing turned towards the outnumbered guards, each a little hesitant to be the first one in, but all of them ready to throw down.

Sid's plan here was simple; do as they said and let one of the other unruly prisoners get shot for him. When the guards were inevitably swarmed, Sid and Quickspur would make their escape. Did Sid feel a little guilty for using other people as meat shields? Eh, a little, but whatever.

His plan of attack never came to fruition. Before anyone else could move, one of the guards found himself being thrown into the wall by an unseen force. The other guard panicked, looking around wildly with his gun in hand for the source of the attack.

"Huh—wha-" a violet laser shot sent him tumbling to the ground.

"Ugh...my head..." the first guard muttered, getting back to his feet. His resurgence was brief; a bright violet slash of energy cut through his armor and he collapsed like a paper doll.

"...What in tarnation?!" Quickspur exclaimed, verbally showcasing the opinion on everyone's mind. He got his answer almost immediately, as a black-clad ranger faded into view.

Sid blinked, unbelieving, "...Nikki?!"

"Where's Iota?" she asked him.

"Uh...dead. But how-"

"Unfortunate. Talk later, escape now. Come on!" she waved at him to follow, already whirling around to go back the way she had come.

"Where did you come from?! How did you find us!?" Sid exclaimed as the three of them rushed down the hallway.

"Long story" was the black ranger's curt reply. She then tossed a small red object to Sid. He instantly recognized it as his morpher, "Here, catch".

"...Oh, huh. Thanks. Where'd you find it?" Sid asked her as he strapped it to his wrist. He knew he was taking this remarkably calmly—shock perhaps?

They turned the corner, Nikki mowing down another hapless guard with a knee to the neck, "I didn't, had the Megaship create a replacement and disabled the link to the old one. Wherever it is, it's a useless hunk of plastic now".

Sid transformed, feeling the long-missed surge of morphin' energies flow through him as the red armor once again covered his body, "Well thanks regardless".

The three escapees came to a halt as the lights and everything suddenly came on. Nikki cursed, "Crap. They must have gotten through my viruses quicker than I'd thought" as she pondered, she realized they had an extra person in the group instead of just her and Sid. Turning to the robot she asked, "...Who are you?"

"Friend of mine. I'll vouch for him" Sid replied.

The robot bowed slightly, "General Quickspur of the Machine Empire, at 'yer service, darlin'".

She deadpanned, "Don't call me 'darling'". Nikki turned her attention to her internal communications system as she paged her getaway driver, "B'rnix, they've managed to bring main power back online. What's your status? Can we still get out?"

"...B'rnix?" Sid asked, incredulously, "Wait, you brought the varox guy?"

Nikki ignored him as B'rnix replied, _"Hanger bay doors are a no-go, they've been resealed, and I'll tell you, blasting away at them nonstop is fun but tires out quickly"._

"Ideas?" she asked him.

He mused, _"...One, but you'll need to ping your location so I can track you down"._

"...Track us down?" Nikki asked him, "What's that going to do?"

"_Because I'm *awesome*_".

She deadpanned, "That's not an answer".

"...Why did you bring the varox guy?" Sid asked again.

Nikki never answered—instead several guards turned the corner at the intersection ahead of them, "Hey, you! Halt!" The escapees looked behind them—more guards. Looks like they were going to have to fight.

...Or not. Even further down the hall, something was moving, turning around the far corner. Something large—it bounced off the walls, causing sparks at the point of impact as it haphazardly navigated far-too-small hallway, racing towards them. The guards ahead of them either scrambled out of the way or were mowed down like grass.

"...*That's* why I brought him along" Nikki said, as the craft slowed to a crawl just in front of them. Objectively speaking, it wasn't a very large object, clearly only a small scout fighter or one-person transport, built to accommodate one or two people and not much else. It was just...odd, seeing it juxtaposed with the now heavy-damaged hallway. The main hatch opened, revealing B'rnix in the cockpit.

"Well?!" he exclaimed incredulously, "Don't just stand there, get in!" he eyed Quickspur, "...Sid can sit on the robot's lap".

"Halt!" the guards behind them finally shouted. In response, B'rnix simply unloaded his ship's guns at them as the others got situated, blowing a hole through the wall and into the next stretch of hallway.

"Welcome to B'rnix Spacelines, we're pleased you have chosen our way to travel. Please keep your hands and legs inside the craft at all times, and PLEASE, no flash pho-"

"Shut up and drive!" Nikki exclaimed as the hatch closed up.

"Don't rush me, woman!"

The craft shook from laser fire; a few of the guards behind the craft had gotten up and were now retaliating. Their rifle fire wasn't too effective shot-by-shot, but it would add up the longer they were there. Deciding it was in their best interest to leave, B'rnix lifted the ship up, letting it hover about a foot off the ground before it sped off, slamming into the walls as it soared through.

"What's the exit strategy here?!" Sid exclaimed as they turned a corner, and all four (very) cramped beings were jolted into the side of the craft by inertia before the ship pulled forward again.

"Easy!" the varox exclaimed gleefully, "Crash into things until we find one!"

"This is a bad plan" Sid deadpanned. The ship shuttered slightly as they mowed down more unfortunate guards...and a prisoner or two.

"Yeee-haaaaw!" Quickspur shouted joyously, "This is one o' them classic roundups!"

"...Are you some kinda cosplayer?" B'rnix asked the robot in morbid curiosity.

"Tracking" Nikki stated, going over the schematics she'd downloaded when she had uploaded the virus, "...Take a right at the next intersection, then continue down to the end".

"What's down there?" Sid asked her.

"Observation lounge" she replied.

B'rnix did as he was told, turning the ship at the next intersection and making a direct line for the wall at the very end of the hallway. His guns flared, blowing a hole into the lounge on the other side.

"Brace yourselves!" Nikki ordered, just before the guns flared again and obliterated the wall-sized windows leading out into the blackness of space. Air immediately sucked itself out into the void as the small craft swept out and up.

"Bringing the Megaship around now" Nikki said, and true to form within seconds the Defender Megaship swung around into view, having forcibly broken free from its attempted impoundment where Nikki and B'rnix had parked it. "Teleporting".

All four beings vanished in pillars of light, flinging themselves away from the scout craft now that they were free of the station's teleportation dampeners. It was none too soon either, as just moments later the complex's reawakening defenses tore the tiny craft into fine space dust. The defenses then turned their attention onto the escaping Megaship.

* * *

The bridge of the Megaship shuddered as the four new occupants burst onto the scene. Sid and Nikki removed their helmets as they each took their station—Sid at the helm and Nikki at tactical. B'rnix took over sensors and Quickspur simply took an empty seat to the side—he didn't know this ship at all and was simply along for the ride.

"...Boy they've got a lot of guns" B'rnix mused, "Glad we took the stealth approach!"

"These shields aren't gonna last us forever under this kinda punishment" Nikki said to Sid, "We need to get out of here".

Sid nodded, having the ship calculate an escape trajectory, "Where we headed?"

Nikki searched her mindscape quickly, "...Phelasor Nebula, Xeron Galaxy!"

"Technicolor pea soup sightseeing it is!" Sid entered the coordinates and the Megaship's mega accelerator began to hum, even as the bridge continued to shake from impacts.

"Shields down to sixty percent!" B'rnix reported.

"PUNCH IT!" Nikki exclaimed.

Laser cannon shots bounced off the Megaship's hull as it moved away, its own guns firing back in response with the intent of taking out as many enemy turrets as possible. Its engines came to life, casting a light as bright as a star across its rear as it prepared to make the jump to hyperrush speeds. Twin energy beams lashed out from the station in a desperate bid to stop them—but they were a split second too late, and before the beams could make contact and slash across the fleeing ship, it was gone, hurdling towards what had once been Confederate space.

* * *

The blue ranger soared over the desert below, feeling the wind break across her body as she admittedly only paid partial attention to her mission at hand. There just wasn't anything out here—she'd been scouting for almost an hour, and saw nothing on sensors—nor had any of the other scouts that had been sent out. The 'odd readings' the base's sensors had picked up were nowhere to be found.

"...So what gives?" she muttered to herself.

"_Echo Three here, sector fourteen is clear. Moving on to sector fifteen" _came a male voice over the comm. Xolin recognized him as Adyos, one of the younger pilots, but capable. A few more moments of silence continued until the next report came in.

"_Echo Six here, sector twenty-seven clear. Moving on to sector twenty-six"._

Still nothing. Xolin was beginning to think this entire thing was a wild goose chase.

The king replied, _"Base to Echo Three, we've lost your signal, report in please"._ A sinking feeling developed in Xolin's stomach, one which only tightened as the seconds ticked by without a response.

Ihara tried again, _"Base to Echo Three, please respond"._

Nothing.

The king turned his attention to Xolin, _"Base to Echo One"._

"Already on it" Xolin replied, making a hard turn and heading in a straight line to Echo Three's last known location. It took her a few minutes of increasingly tense but uneventful flying as her mind continually built worse and worse scenarios in her head. Coming up close to his last known position, she tapped her communications again, "Echo One to Echo Three, please respond. Echo One to Echo...oh. Oh".

Xolin's craft had just cleared a mountain, revealing the badlands beyond, filled with hills and rock formations and dominated by a large canyon network that tunneled into caves under the hills.

And the ground was *moving*.

"...By the Trinity" she whispered in a mixture of awe and horror at the sight of hundreds of thousands of troops, SPD troops, as well as tanks, mechs, artillery, logistics vehicles, and all manner of other mechanized transportation moving across the desert floor—into the caves.

Towards the base.

A near-miss from an incoming fightercraft jolted her back to reality. The blue ranger turned about, quickly evading more of the incoming shots as other fighters, now having recognized her presence, formed on the first one's wing. Xolin sped away as fast as she could, dodging the incoming pepper fire.

* * *

Ihara stood in front of the viewscreen in ops, hands clasped behind his back. He hated waiting, not knowing, being blind to what was going on.

There are few things worse for a leader than to be the last one. To be the one who let his or her dynasty fall, to be the one who failed. And while Ihara had done an admirable job of keeping his cool, those thoughts still ate away at him, still made all the waiting and uncertainty worse. But all he could do for now was to stand back, and allow Xolin to report in.

The rest of ops was fairly quiet—two technicians were working at their stations on the raised level behind him, while Trok had taken over the alcove to his right to work on his project. The horathean's makeshift suit of armor, to the untrained eye, looked to be nearly complete. But looks were deceiving, and Ihara knew it.

Sighing, the king walked back over to the central holographic table, looking over the computer-generated map of the citadel's surroundings once more. There was nothing except the occasional blip on the sensors that he couldn't pin down anything about—except for the fact that it was getting stronger...and that worried him immensely.

"_Echo One to base, Echo One to base!"_ Xolin's voice blared in. Her tone was panic stricken, and laser fire could be heard in the background. The blue ranger appeared on the main screen, _"We have a Code One situation, repeat we have a Code One situation! Transmitting logs now. I repeat-"_ her form shook as her craft was hit, her image glitching up for a moment, _"Code One! Incoming overwhelming SPD force, using the cave system and quite possibly sensor dampeners to cloak their position!"_

The atmosphere in the room dropped considerably as the king digested the information. This was it—the worst scenario. Sensor logs flooded in, showing the sheer size of the invading force on the holomap.

"...They slipped in right under our noses" he muttered, his hand clenching the side of the table tightly.

Trok hurried over, staring in dismay at the news in front of him. The horathean shook his head, "...This was my fault". Xolin and the king had been right after all, his side project had led the enemy right to them.

"...No" Ihara said, rubbing his chin, "The size of this force...it would take time to assemble this many, and to plan it out so we wouldn't notice until it was too late. They've been preparing this for weeks, at least" His face hardened as he turned towards the technicians, "All hands, battle stations! Put out the alert, siege mode is now in effect!"

The two triforians nodded at their king and went to work informing the base. The lights dimmed as the citadel's systems switched over to red alert, each of its weapons and shields priming for combat.

"...What should I do?" Trok asked Ihara.

The king eyed the half-finished battlizer, then turned back to Trok, "I need your project finished yesterday, understand?"

The horathean's eyes darted skeptically between the king and the battlizer, "I..." No. There was no time for doubts, he'd do this, "...If I strip down some of the extra systems, I think I can get it operational. It's going to be sort of a bare-bones edition though" he warned.

"At this point, that's better than nothing at all" the king replied. Trok nodded and got to work. The king turned to the technicians again, "Get me an extrapolation of the enemy force's movements. I want to know where they're going to appear before they do!"

* * *

Another laser bolt nearly took Xolin's head off as she scrambled away back to base as quick as she could. But there were too many of them—the near half-squadron-strength force on her tail was too much for just one person. Her craft had already been hit once and was trailing smoke—this far out, there was no way she could make it back like this.

The blue ranger was about to give up as the closest enemy fighter locked on. Guns fired; but instead of Xolin's skycycle being blown out of the sky, it was her pursuer that lit up like a roman candle, forcing the other enemy fighters to evade from the sudden surprise. Another skycycle zipped past Xolin, followed by a second—Echos Four and Five. Two more enemy craft were vaporized while still disorganized and unprepared for the sudden turning of the tables. And like that the other two skycycles turned about in different directions as the enemy ships gave chase, splitting their forces.

A determined grin forced its way across Xolin's face as she turned about, unloading her own weapons onto the rear of the nearest fightercraft. Realizing the situation, the remaining two fighters pulled out, returning in the direction that they'd come from. None of the Echo pilots followed—that would have been suicide.

"Thanks for the save!" Xolin replied as the three skycycles moved into formation with Xolin at the front.

"We're gonna need you back at base. Come on!" Echo Five, female, responded.

The three craft zipped through the air on a direct course back to the citadel, hoping to beat the enemy army.

Within a few minutes the scouts had returned to the citadel and prepared for landing. Behind them, Echo Six and Seven flew in, and ahead Echo Two was already parking in the docking bay of the vast pyramid structure.

As soon as Xolin landed, the blue ranger hopped off her cycle and prepared to make a dash for Ops when the entire building shook. The blue ranger's attention shot back to the open entrance of the hanger bay as the building was rocked again by another explosion. Rushing over to the entrance to get a better view, she saw it—a large six-legged mech tank with a giant barrel gun sticking out the front crawling up over the edge of a ravine. It was soon followed by more just like it. All across the perimeter, mechs and tanks rolled up over the side, soon followed by infantry. Jet fighters soared overhead. The blue ranger's fists clenched in a mixture of fear and rage.

It had begun.

* * *

Sel sat curled up on her bed, watching the north pole of the solitary gas giant that lingered out of the bottom part of her window, the same sort of thing she'd been doing for months. Another sharp, intense pain erupted from her head. The xybrian doubled over until the episode receded, leaving her struggling to catch her breath—and everything in the room slightly shifted from where it had been seconds ago.

Her headaches were getting worse. At first she'd denied it, but it was becoming unavoidable to think about. Were they...power surges of some kind? They had to be, she was manipulating everything around her. Her powers were growing, and she didn't know what to do about that. What was happening to her?

The doors slid open.

"I said, GO AWAY!" she shouted, thinking it was Isdilian yet again. To her surprise however, the figure that stepped into the room was not him.

It was worse.

"...What do *you* want?" Sel spat in disgust as Alpha moved towards her bed.

"I came to check on you" Alpha said diplomatically, "Your habits since arriving have been...distressing. I would like to personally assist in your acclimation".

"Your 'assistance' isn't wanted" Sel growled as she folded her arms, "I think I've acclimatized just fine, thanks".

Alpha looked her over, frustrated, "You know, we're not the enemy here".

"Could have fooled me" Sel retorted, "Kidnapping and imprisoning me".

"Is that what you think?" he replied, a small smile in his voice. The red armored figured walked over to the window, hands clasped behind his back as he looked out into the expanse, "You know, I've always found subjectivity to be fascinating".

"...What?" Sel asked, "What does that have to do with anything?"

Alpha pondered for a moment, deciding his next words carefully, "Imagine if you would, a man. He is a law-abiding citizen, pays his taxes, loves and cares for his family, is respected by his peers. Then, one day while coming home to his loving family, he is mugged. During the confrontation, the man tries to defend himself and the robber kills him. Would you consider the killer to be the villain of this story?"

Sel blinked, confused by this conversation, "I mean, yeah. He killed a guy. But why are you asking me?"

"Mmm" the armored figure mused, nodding approvingly, "What then, if I told you that the robber was also a loving and caring family man, down on his luck, and had robbed the man out of sheer desperation so that he could put bread on the table to keep his family from starving? And what if I also told you that the man who was killed had been indirectly responsible for the robber's situation—they'd both worked for the same company, until the man who was killed downsized the robber's department, laying him off?"

"I..." Sel paused, conflicted.

Alpha turned to her, "Not so easy now, is it? What you thought was a straightforward narrative where a man is unjustly killed becomes instead a sort of karmic tragedy, where the man you thought was the protagonist may instead have simply been the antagonist".

"Okay, sure. So?" Sel asked again, snappish and trying not to betray her slightly shaken persona.

"My point is that you consider me the villain of your story, and you have every right to do so. From your point of view, I stole you away from your life and locked you away".

"Are you telling me you're somehow the hero here?" Sel asked skeptically.

Alpha chuckled, turning away and walking back towards the unused entertainment screen on the wall, "Heroes are subjective nonsense. One man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist. But have you never considered *why* Isdilian brought you to us? *Why* we have such a vested interest in your well-being?"

"Why?"

Alpha looked back at her, "My dear, you are, both of you, our projects. You were given life here on this very station. Then one day we were betrayed by one of our own and his followers, and they stole you away".

"Iota" Sel surmised.

"Correct. Iota took you, used you for his own purposes, before you were even fully ready. You may consider me a villain for taking you away from him and bringing you here, but remember that Iota stole you away first, and that you know as well as I that you were a prisoner aboard his ship. Now, why should you consider that home? Why should you consider him the 'hero'?"

"I don't" Sel replied, "But I consider my friends that".

"Mercenaries, hired by Iota to keep you near him".

"They are my *friends*" Sel reiterated, defiant, "They cared about me. None of us liked Iota".

"Did they?" asked Alpha, "You thought Isdilian worked for Iota, did you not?"

"I..." she trailed off, there was no real argument she could make for that.

Alpha pressed on, "I once thought Iota a dear friend. Gamma too. People are rarely who we think they are. The narrative was not what we assumed".

"Sorry, I don't buy it" Sel replied, again defiant. She wasn't about to forsake her friends just because Iota's ex-friend said some stuff.

"Because your narrative will not allow for it" Alpha replied, "But as I have said, narratives are subjective. But at the end of the day, the truth is that I want to save the universe, Iota only wanted to sit back and watch it burn". He'd of course left out the fact that he was talking about *his* universe and not the one they were in at that point, but again, narrative. As far as Alpha was concerned, he was telling the complete truth. A device on Alpha's wrist began to blink, alerting the figure to developments elsewhere. He began to head towards the door.

Sel decided to turn his own logic against him, "...So how do I know your point of view here isn't just wildly subjective?"

Surprisingly, she got a chuckle out of him as he approached the door, "Because I am the protagonist of this story, my dear". As the door swung open, he paused at the gateway, "I have thoroughly enjoyed our conversation, but I have pressing engagements elsewhere. I shall be more than happy to continue this debate at a later point however".

"...Yeah, I'm sure you would" Sel grumbled. Alpha said nothing more, letting the door swish closed behind him. The former yellow ranger gripped herself tighter, feeling a little colder than before. The way Alpha talked, the inviting tone and yet...the style of language he'd used, it had set off all her red flags. The way he'd just casually called himself the protagonist.

Something about all of that made her very uncomfortable, and for some reason she couldn't put her finger on why.

* * *

_**To be continued...**_


	28. 3x02: Aftershocks, part 2

It was weird, being back. For Sid, it had simultaneously felt like both just yesterday and a million years since he'd last walked the halls of the Megaship. Three months, he told himself. Three months. Time hadn't really...worked right while he'd been in that cell, almost as if it had ground to a halt. An eternity in a moment—and then just like that, within a span of ten minutes he'd been freed—and now he was back here, onboard the Defender Megaship. His home.

But as he sat on the couch in the observation lounge, he knew so much was missing. His team was gone; Trok wasn't running around, trying to stop one of his new gadgets from exploding. Xolin wasn't rolling her eyes or sighing even though she secretly loved the madness. Sel wasn't face-deep in a new book or excitedly rattling off what she was learning about.

The ship was quiet. It was empty.

Well...technically it wasn't empty, he supposed. Nikki was onboard, as well as their two guests. But Nikki had always kept to herself, to the point that the rest of them sometimes forgot she was onboard. And B'rnix and Quickspur were...well, different.

Speaking of. Sid heard the door slide open with a hiss behind him. He didn't bother getting up—he already knew who it was.

"Figured you'd be in here" Nikki muttered, "You always did like stargazing when the chips were down".

A small smile curled along Sid's lips, "...Can't help I'm a creature of habit. It always helped me relax". He stared out at the blue-green nebula that stretched across the starfield ahead of him. They were only barely a light-year outside of the massive complex of star formation, and so the cloud dominated the view. If SPD forces were trailing them, they'd easily be able to slip into the thick primordial gasses, but until then they preferred to sit outside so that sensors were not curtailed. Sid chuckled wistfully, "...Hey, remember that awesome viewport I found back at the academy?"

Despite herself, she joined in his mild laugh, "You mean the space between the inner and outer hull? Dude, that wasn't a viewport—if you'd gone down the wrong tube, you'd have been thrust out into space".

"Dad was so pissed when he found out about it" Sid grinned.

"...You set off the fire alarm and the internal security systems. Of course he was pissed". What? No. What was she doing? Those memories weren't hers, why was...why was she falling into that trap again? She couldn't allow it. Embracing those emotions and memories were an unhealthy lie that disgraced a person who wasn't with them anymore. Best to bury them, ignore them. Move on.

She wasn't Nikki. Nikki was dead.

She steeled herself, letting the earlier warmth fade away as she became business again, "...We uh...we're in the war room, if you'd like to join us".

Sid's face also hardened and he looked up at her, nodding as he stood up, "Lead the way".

* * *

The air was filled with thunder and fire.

Two more arching plasma bolts slammed into the side of the pyramidal castle, leaving scorch marks at the point of impact. Over the edge of the cliff rose numerous six-legged mecha tanks and their attendant infantry forces. Overhead, fighters zipped by, and further back six massive mobile turret structures had settled down and were unloading their artillery firepower on the opposing base.

Xolin struggled to keep her balance as another hit shook the citadel. Already below she could see SPD infantry preparing to scale the castle walls—if they couldn't level the structure they'd take it room by room. As if on cue, the large doors of the launchbay closed and sealed themselves shut—Xolin took a step back to keep from getting hurt. Alarms blared around her, people shouted at one another as they raced from objective to objective. Another blast shook the base.

Xolin gathered her thoughts. She...she had to go. Quickly, the blue ranger removed her helmet and ran for the exit, towards central ops.

* * *

**Power Rangers Peacekeepers**

**Season 3**

**3.02: Aftershocks, part 2**

* * *

Sid entered the small war room, seats already taken by Quickspur and B'rnix. Ahead of him was Nikki, who rounded the table to the far side, leaving Sid at the front as the door closed behind him. Screens and holographic interfaces surrounded them, lining the walls and the central table itself. A moment of silence briefly settled over the disparate and oddball team that had been assembled. There were no obvious leaders here, no team dynamic, just a hodgepodge collection of aliens.

Then again, wasn't this how it had all started in the first place? They'd make it work.

"So" Sid began when no one else spoke, "I assume our next move is to find the others?" He looked at Nikki specifically.

She nodded briefly, "I've been trying to hunt them down for months now, but no luck. You were the first I was able to track down".

"Where were their last known location?" B'rnix asked.

Nikki set up a holographic map of the Triforian system in the center of the table, "We'd been stationed in orbit around Triforia. I had been...indisposed at the time" she said, glossing over her conversation with Iota's memory engrams encoded into her system that had sent her system into a sort of hibernation state...for now at least, "When I came to, the Megaship was in an Alliance spacedock six galaxies away and the others where nowhere to be found".

"That was three months ago" Sid grimaced, "They could be anywhere".

"And my initial scans of Triforia didn't pick up anything" Nikki sighed, "Not that that means much—scanning an Earth-sized planet with five billion people living on it is not a quick or easy task. And I'm not even getting started on Triforia's moons. Or the other colonies in their home system".

Sid leaned over the table, watching the planet orbit in front of him, "...Beta said they were dead when Iota and I were captured. But then, she also said you were dead and that's clearly not the case" he paused, reconsidering, "...Well, kinda anyway".

Nikki released an awkward cough before continuing, "We have other pressing matters at hand as well".

"Such as?" Quickspur asked.

"Such as the imminent demise of this universe" Sid reminded him.

"So you know" Nikki said. Not a question, a statement of fact.

He nodded, "Iota told me everything before he died. At least...most everything. I think". Sid paused again, "...Wait, when'd he tell you?"

"The reason I was indisposed when the Megaship was attacked was that I...triggered something within my coding. Data I wasn't aware I had. I hacked into it prematurely and, well..."

"...Iota left something with you?" Sid asked Nikki nodded wordlessly.

"So we're all on the same page then" said B'rnix, "Evil alter-universe antipode rangers are trying to xenoform our universe and kill us all. That about cover it?" The two rangers eyed him with confirmation.

"Geminately" Quickspur swore in contempt, "You mean those wild theories of yours about shadow cabals were *true*?"

"Afraid so" Sid frowned. He looked around at the hodgepodge group around him, "...And right now they hold all the cards".

"They have Sel" Nikki confirmed, "Isdilian took her while no one was looking. That means the Antipodes have both conduits—likely everything they'd need to remake the universe. And I couldn't even hazard a guess as to where their base of operations is".

Isdilian. Sid's fist subconciously clenched tight at the sound of his name. No good dirty traitor. They'd let him into their home, worked to accommodate him, given him *trust*...

"...Conduits?" Quickspur asked, breaking Sid from his train of thought.

"As in unstable naked connections to the Grid itself" said B'rnix with uncharacteristic seriousness, "With the power of the entire universe at their disposal twice over, xenoforming it would be child's play".

"...So, elephant in the room time. Why haven't they yet?" asked Sid, "Why are we all still here?"

"Because they are not yet ready" said another voice. The four turned, back towards the doorway, where an unfortunately familiar figure stood—an otherwise unassuming middle-aged balding human, with glasses and a suit.

And a briefcase.

The two rangers seized up, Nikki's eyes widening with a hint of fear as she stepped back from the table towards the wall, "...You".

"What are you doing here?!" Sid growled, already in a combat stance.

Quickspur scratched his head in confusion, "You uh...wanna introduce us, partner?"

The Man with the Briefcase nodded curtly at the robot with a small smile, "I am an...acquaintance of theirs. We've had a few run-ins over the last year and a half. My apologies for the sudden intrusion—you were not easy to find".

"Run-ins? You tried to kill me!" Nikki exclaimed, muscles tight.

The Man chuckled, a hand in his pocket, "If I had wanted you dead, my dear, you'd be dead. Now, as for why I am here..." he paced around the room, Nikki and Sid giving him a wide berth before the Man placed his briefcase on the table. He opened it up and began rummaging through it, "I'd like to offer you...a deal".

A hearty laugh came from Sid, "Are you joking? What on earth makes you think any of us would *ever* make a deal with you?"

The Man looked at him calmly, "Because I know where your blue and green rangers are". As Sid's face dropped, the man continued, "...Xolin and Trok, I believe their names are?"

"Why would you help us?" Nikki asked him with an air of incredulousness, "Last I checked, you were some sort of flunky for the Antipodes, right? What's with the change of heart?"

The Man turned to her, meeting her gaze, at first with a mixture of surprise and confusion, but soon melting into amusement, "Oh ho!" he laughed, "A flunky, that's a good one".

"Don't tell me you're really the boss of the operation" Sid said dryly, "That twist is dry and stale".

Another laugh from the Man, "Quaint. Please, don't insult me. The Antipodes have their uses, but do not compare me to their mundane existence".

"Who are you then?" Nikki pressed him, "I mean really. What's your game?"

The Man gave her a tight, diplomatic smile, "My game is beyond your miniscule comprehension" he said, his...presence, as best she could describe it, darkening quieter than the void itself. Reality seemed to shift and buckle, the lights in the room seemed to dim, as if the very photons themselves just weren't as effective as they used to be. As if the universe just couldn't warm up enough. His voice was normal, and yet seemed to reverberate off the very foundations of existence itself. The universe was bleeding.

And then just like that, everything snapped back to normal. Nikki dropped like a rock into her seat with a shudder as her mind tried to process what had just happened. Sid was steadying his breath, gripping the table and seat tightly, his face pale. The two aliens simply sat, allowing reality to un-invert itself.

"What...what do you want?" Sid asked, forcing down a shiver.

"Ask not what you can do for me" the man said enigmatically as he pulled a sheet of paper from his briefcase, sliding it across the table to Sid who grabbed it with not a small amount of hesitation. Nikki moved over to get a good look over his shoulder. "...Ask what I can do for you".

The two rangers eyed the information that had been given to them. "...These are coordinates" Sid breathed, putting two and two together.

"...The Triforian wastes" Nikki mused, "A good hiding place".

Sid looked up at the Man, "Why are you helping us? What's the catch?"

The Man closed up his briefcase, "No catch, I already have what I need. Or will, in due time. You are but one small facet in a much grander design, as are the Antipodes. For now, simply rejoice: you have found your comrades". With that, the Man turned and exited the war room, "A pleasure doing business with you, good day".

The rangers (and monsters) glanced at the sheet of paper once more, before Sid bolted from the room and into the hall.

"Hey, wait!" he shouted, but only succeeded in causing an echo from an empty hallway—the Man was already gone. Sid huffed in frustration, "...I really hate that guy".

"What kinda Faustian shenanigans you kids got goin' on here!?" Quickspur asked them in bewilderment. In the last ten minutes they'd talked about intergalactic doomsday conspiracies, and now they were being visited by eldritch demons of some fashion. "What in blazes you call that just now?!"

Sid slumped back in his seat, still staring at the sheet of paper in his hands, "I'm...not entirely sure" he replied, his brain still a little frazzled.

B'rnix grunted, "So that's a trap, right? Bad guy shows up, does his little exposition thing, throws us a bone without any sort of compensation. Totally a trap, calling it now".

"I don't know" Nikki grumbled, deep in thought, "What could a spot in the Triforian wilderness do to us that he couldn't have just done to us here?"

"But you said he was workin' with them Antipodes, right?" Quickspur interjected, "Now why would he go and betray them?"

"Why would a demon with that level of power *need* the Antipodes?" Nikki countered.

Sid sighed in frustration as he slammed the paper down before leaning back, folding his arms and placing his feet up on the table, "...You know" he began, starting with a frustrated chuckle, "When Iota told me his entire plan and all about the Antipodes and Sel and...everything, it really felt for the first time I actually had a handle on everything. But now Iota's dead and I just realized I still don't know jack shit".

The four fell quiet for a moment as they pondered the sudden development, each wrestling with the dilemma—trap or not?

Sid was the first to break the silence, "...I say we do it".

"Totally a trap" B'rnix repeated.

Sid nodded with a sigh; B'rnix probably wasn't wrong, as much as that annoyed him. Sid had almost said no himself but...he couldn't. If there as even the smallest inkling of a chance to save his team—his family, he had to take it. "Probably, but sometimes the best way to disarm a trap is to spring it".

B'rnix scoffed, "No, the best way to disarm a trap is to ignore it, walk around it, and hope some other poor oblivious sap comes along in six to eight weeks".

"I can't just ignore this" Sid said, shaking his head, "If there's even the smallest chance-"

B'rnix cut him off, "You're a fool".

Sid shrugged, "I've been called worse" he said nonchalantly. What else could he say? Dude was right—this was probably one of the most boneheaded things he'd done in quite a while. There was a bit of subtle humor in it all; he'd been out of prison about a day, and already he was planning to drop back in.

"Well, *you* can then" the varox grumbled, "I'm out".

Sid shrugged again, "That's fine. You don't owe me anything. Quite the opposite, really".

"Actually..." Nikki mused, though noticeably somewhat hesitant, "That might work best".

"...What might work best?" Sid asked, sitting back up. He'd suddenly been put on a mild alert by her sudden change in demeanor.

She chewed her lip before making up her mind, "...We split up. I'll go with B'rnix in his ship, while you guys head for Triforia".

Sid cocked an eyebrow at her in confusion, "...Um, okay. Let's for a moment imagine I don't know where you're going with this. Where are you going with this?"

She looked at him sternly, "...Look, we've got a lot of work to do and not a lot of time to do it in, and up till now B'rnix and I have been sort of schizophrenic trying to do everything at once".

"We need allies" the varox piped up, still uncharacteristically serious, "Even if we find the Antipodes home base, we can't expect to assault it with just one megaship and a handful of people. Unless..." he mused, "...I dunno, is suicide an acceptable plan?"

"We're going to rally as many of the pirate clans and war bands as we can" Nikki added, ignoring him, "B'rnix has a lot of old contacts we can use".

Sid nodded thoughtfully, "Good idea, actually. Alright, when should we meet back up?"

"Uh..." Nikki and B'rnix looked at each other, then back at Sid as the former answered, slightly sheepishly, "Don't call us, we'll call you".

"Hmmm" Sid grumbled flatly, "Annoying".

"Annoyance is life, best get used to it" the varox replied.

* * *

Central ops shuddered again from the impact of another artillery strike hitting the side of the pyramid. The lights flickered briefly, the war-table blinked from the transient power drain. King Ihara watched, his face unreadable, as one by one, his meager defenses were shot down, green icons on the holomap replaced by red ones—and all the while, the enemy moved in. Already he had SPD troops scaling the walls; it'd only be a matter of time before they breached. Air defenses were null, and most of his turrets had already been disabled.

Honestly, he shouldn't have assumed this base would have been any more effective—how long had it been since Triforia had been invaded? Many centuries. Even during Dark Specter's war, Triforia had come out mostly unscathed, though that had largely been due to the length of the war—two measly days had been short enough that while a number of her colonies had been hit, Triforia herself had been spared. And with many centuries of peace, this old citadel was just that—old, and not as effective against modern force of arms as it probably should have been.

"Incoming hail" one of his techs said as another shudder hit ops, "It's the SPD commander".

Ihara growled as Xolin finally made her way into ops, "Onscreen". He turned around as the viewscreen switched from a panoramic view of the enemy force to that of a gorilla man.

"I am General Sasquatch of the SPD fifth fleet, sixteenth ground army detachment, to King Ihara of Triforia. You are hereby ordered to stand down and surrender your fortress", he said, a slight southern twang in his voice.

"Not a chance" the king spat at the gorilla.

Sasquatch frowned, "Boy, I respect your gumption, but you are outgunned and outmanned. I have completely disabled your glorified bunker and my men are already burning their way through the hull. When they get inside, it will be a senseless bloodbath you cannot win. See reason—don't let your men die for your vanity".

"You misunderstand" Ihara replied, a thin determined grin forcing itself over his lips, "I see this as far from a hopeless cause".

The gorilla sputtered in shock from the response, "...You...you cannot be serious, boy. You can't-"

"That's *your majesty* to you" the king growled, cutting him off, "And I can. Cut communications".

On cue, Sasquatch's shocked form vanished, replaced again by the image of the arrayed forces against them.

"...That one's going to cost me" Ihara muttered darkly under his breath, though that didn't stop a small smile from escaping.

"He's uh...he's hailing us again" one of the techs said.

"Ignore it" the king growled back, even as the artillery bombardment started up again.

"...Okay" Trok said hesitantly, getting up from where he'd been working on the battlizer and heading over to the war table, "...As *undeniably awesome* as that was, I really kinda hope there's a plan involved too" he frowned, considering, "...I mean one that doesn't end with us all dead".

Ihara was already busy at work, manipulating the holomap by zooming in on the base, highlighting what looked too be several large underground tunnels running from the base of the citadel into the nearby mountains. "Any fortress without escape routes is nothing more than a deathtrap" he said, not even looking up, "Open a channel to the whole base".

"You're on, sir" the tech said from his seat.

"Attention" the king started, "This is King Ihara. The enemy has voided our defenses and is about to break through into the base. We...we do not have the manpower to repel them. Therefore, I am authorizing emergency order twelve: full evacuation through the emergency escape tunnels. Noncombat personnel are ordered to begin evacuation procedures immediately. Combat forces will begin organized fallback procedures. You know your jobs, you've trained for them. Good luck". The king nodded to the tech, who cut the link.

"...So what do we do?" Xolin asked.

Ihara turned to Trok, "How close is the battlizer to completion?"

"Uh..." the horathean limply shrugged, "I *think* I can jeryrig you a workable set if I had another two or three hours. I...don't think we have that kind of time though" he blinked, "...Do we?"

"The fortress is large" the king replied, "We have some time before the enemy will get in this far".

"...But don't we need to evacuate *before* they get this far?" Xolin asked, concerned.

In response, Ihara simply pressed a button under the table. Immediately, the wall to the left of the viewscreen opened, revealing a large, wide, open passage deeper into the base.

"...Huh" Trok mused idly, "Always wondered where that went".

Alarms went off, drawing everyone's attention back to the war table in front of them. Readings were coming off the pyramid—damage reports, and it didn't look good.

"...Hull breach, sixth and seventh floors, section twelve" one of the techs reported.

Another crash.

"...Hull breach, seventh floor, sections eight and nine!" the other tech reported, a bit more alarmed now.

Ihara nodded to Xolin, "Seventh floor. Go do what you do best".

The blue ranger summoned her spear, "You got it" she said firmly as she headed for the door.

Ihara drew an object from his side—a small staff, with six golden points at the top as he followed her.

"...Wait, where are you going?" Trok asked, curious.

With a flash of golden light, Ihara was gone, replaced by a ranger in black and covered in gold armor, "...Sixth floor, section twelve".

* * *

Nikki pulled herself up from the airlock back into the megaship, having delivered almost all of the supplies they would need for their trip over to B'rnix's shuttlecraft, which had been docked just under the front of the hull since he'd come aboard. It was a small ship, only built for one person and was little more than a glorified cockpit with engines strapped to it, but between the two of them, she didn't need anything at all except to be plugged into the ship's network, and he called it home.

The hologram stood up and headed over to the last stack of energy cylinders for the power core, preparing to hand them off to B'rnix, who stood below.

"So, I still don't quite understand this" Sid said, catching Nikki off-guard—she hadn't even known he was there. She struggled to keep hold of the supplies.

"What about?" she asked reluctantly, not wanting to stretch this out any more than she had to.

"I don't get why *you're* leaving, personally. I'd assume B'rnix knows what he's doing" Sid said.

"Never hurts to have an extra set of hands" she replied as she began passing supplies down to her co-pilot.

Sid squinted with a frown as he tried to wrap his head around her logic, "Yeah but...I could also really use your help".

"You'll have Quickspur, and hopefully Xolin and Trok too. You'll be fine". She passed the last of the supplies down and began to head down herself, but was stopped by Sid who grabbed her shoulder.

"Will you just...*stop* for a second?!" Sid demanded, and she acquiesced, if only out of surprise. He continued, "Damnit, I've been on the ship a day and you've barely given me the time of day, and when you DO you're all weird. What is going on?"

"It's nothing" she said quickly, and began lowering herself again. Sid wouldn't have it though; he held onto her shoulder. "...Let me go" she said firmly.

"...What's the matter?" Sid asked again, letting go. "I'd assume it's because you hate me, in which case fair enough, but then you just went and rescued my ass from prison without so much as a second thought".

She looked at him, her face a confused mixture of emotions—regret, maybe, but also sorrow, or maybe anger? "...I don't hate you" she said before looking away again, "I don't have the *right* to hate you".

Sid's face contorted into confusion and worry—something wasn't right here, "...Nikki?"

"Don't call me that" she whispered, still looking away.

Sid scoffed, "Don't call you by your name? Why? What should I call you?"

"...I don't know anymore".

Woah. Wait, where was this coming from? She wasn't kidding, was she. Sid grimaced, his worry deepening "...What's going on?"

So this was it, huh. She was finally giving in. Nikki sighed, composing herself, then began, her tone subdued, "I...when Iota's files surfaced in me, I learned more than I let on".

"...Such as?"

A moment of contemplation—where should she start? Where could she start? "I...you remember how I was created, right?"

Sid blinked; what? "...Not really, I...wasn't there when your parents-"

"Not *Nikki's* creation, you idiot" she laughed, despite herself, then drew serious again, "I mean mine".

Sid's eyes widened. Oh, she meant...Now it was his turn to look away, "...You really have to ask me that?" he asked, bitter.

"She died, Sid". The words came out barely above a whisper, "She died".

Sid looked right at her, grabbing her by the shoulder again, "No. She's right here. You might not be flesh and blood anymore, but you're still-"

She cut him off, her tone with more force now, "You're not *listening*, Sid. Nikki died at approximately sixteen fifty-two hundred hours station time. The unintentional software overhaul of the station AI by Nikki's blackbox happened at approximately sixteen forty-nine hundred hours. That's a three minute difference. Her soul, or essence, or whatever...her mind, existed independently of mine for three minutes. I am a copy".

Sid stared at her as the gears in his head processed the sudden information.

"...I am the upgraded remains of Alliance Outpost Station 67-B's maintenance AI, Hermes series". Her voice was dead, unemotional.

"You..." Sid started, but he had no idea where to go with this. Nikki...Nikki had come back from the grave, they'd spent months onboard this ship, living just down the hall from each other. Her existence was a constant reminder of what Sid had done and now...after months, it wasn't even really her? Sid's mind wasn't even really sure how to deal with this sudden revelation.

"I need to go away for awhile" she said, "I need...I need to figure out who or what I am. And the best way to do that, I think, is to accomplish the mission Iota set out for me".

"So your way of dealing with it is to be a tool and nothing more?" Sid's voice flared up with a twinge of annoyance.

"I'm an AI. I do as I'm programmed" she muttered.

"Nikki-" Sid started.

Nikki cut him off, "I said stop. I'm not...I don't know who I am, but I'm not her. She *died*. Pretending to be her is just...it's disrespectful, and she wouldn't have appreciated it".

Sid's mind raced up come up with a retort, with anything, but he could only draw a frustrated blank. Hell, he wasn't even sure what *he* should think about all this, much less her.

"Goodbye, Sid. And good luck" with that, the hologram leaped down and sealed the airlock behind her, leaving a confused and conflicted human behind.

* * *

The Defender Megaship shot through deep space at Hyperrush 9, even as another, smaller craft unhooked itself from its front underside. Initially protected by the Megaship's warp bubble, B'rnix's shuttlecraft lit up its own engines as soon as it was safely away, and quickly veered away towards the Badlands—pirate territory, even as the Megaship continued its beeline to the Triangulum galaxy—towards Triforia.

* * *

"That was...unexpectedly emotional from you" B'rnix commented idly as Nikki slid into the copilot's seat next to him.

She didn't look at him, instead preferring to watch the endless void, with only a scant few dim galaxies barely visible. "Shut up and drive".

The varox shrugged, settling in for his long flight. After several seconds of uncomfortable silence, he finally turned the radio on, quickly settling on Icthyite yodeling. B'rnix began to sing along.

Nikki wanted to die.

* * *

Sid solemnly entered the bridge, his mind preoccupied with the conversation he'd had only moments ago.

"What's with the long face?" Quickspur, currently lounging in the navigation seat, asked. Sid visibly jumped, not expecting him. The machine general laughed, "Sorry, didn't mean ta' scare ya. Worried about yer girlfriend?"

"She's not-" Sid began, then realized that the phrase 'she's not my girlfriend' could not possibly more apt in any other circumstance, on so many levels. He sighed, "...She's not my girlfriend".

"I'm just messin' with ya" the robot said, "Come on, cheer up, it ain't all that bad. You're gon' find your friends and then save the day".

His friends. Sid was going to find his friends. Being here, on this empty ship, with all this stress...yeah. He needed his friends. He needed them back.

Sid nodded, taking the captain's seat. He'd hesitated for a moment—that was Iota's seat. But Iota was gone now, and Isdilian would be if he ever saw him again. This chair—it was Sid's now.

"But of a problem, though" The general said begrudgingly.

"What do you mean?" Sid asked.

Quickspur turned back to the console, tapping a few of the holographic controls. The main viewscreen changed to that of a map of the triforian system, full of planetary gravity wells, orbits...and SPD forces, and the latter was swarming, especially around Triforia itself. "I've been scopin' out our destination on long-range sensors. We'll be havin' a heck of a time avoidin' them patrols" Quickspur noted.

Sid frowned, thinking. There was no way one small megaship would be able to slip in undetected—especially not with them all centered around the very planet they'd be landing on. They'd need a large fleet, and even then with the homefield defensive advantage, SPD would make sure it was a bloodbath.

Unless…

Hm. Yes, that might work.

Sid eyed the robot with a sly grin, "...General, I'd like to cash in a favor".

* * *

It was chaos. Smoke and dust from the debris filled the air, obscuring the battle as the alarms blared. There were sounds; gunshots, people shouting, the endless uneven march of troops. Bodies littered the ground. It was hard to get a good reading on the situation, but it was still becoming increasingly clear that the defenders were losing—most of all because they were already several yards back from the hull breach, and continuing to withdraw deeper into the hallway maze inside the pyramid.

Like a comet, a blue-tinged barrel of energy slammed into the nearest SPD soldier with excessive force, crushing through his armor and sending his flailing body hurdling backwards into his ranks. The blue ranger stood where he'd been before, twirling her lance about for show as the new situation dawned on the enemy soldiers. They aimed to fire.

She didn't give them that chance. With a battle roar, Xolin charged in, spear first, her blade coated in an aura of blue, freezing energy.

"Alpha and Gamma squads, fall back!" she barked as a hapless SPD soldier fell. Their E-class equipment was no match against a fully-armed ranger, and so they were little better than grunts, "Delta squad, cover their retreat! Move!"

The hammered Triforian forces collected their wounded and began to pull back, further into the building. What remained of Xolin's force continued their barrage of laserfire as support, though at a reduced rate with only one squad remaining, which was already beginning to retreat as well. Still, they gave the whirlwind of a blue ranger some added distraction to keep her enemies preoccupied as she cut into them with a furious vengeance.

A flurry of laser bolts lashed into her backside, sparks flying as her suit sustained damage. She easily outmatched them, but she wasn't immortal by any means. The blue ranger stumbled forward, her backside now stained with black scarring as she spun around. Battle rage became her.

"I" she declared, swinging her lance into her attacker. These were the people who had stolen her home from her.

"WILL". She swung about, cutting another's gun in half before shoving her blade though his armor. These were the people who had cost her her friends, her family.

"MAKE YOU". She blocked two more bolts of energy, before kicking away her next opponent, then wheeling around and cutting through another. These were the people who had subjugated her homeworld, forced her into hiding.

"BLEED!" she spun back around slicing through the soldier she had kicked away. These were the people killing her people.

Silence. Silence, except for her breathing. As the blood haze lifted, Xolin realized the fight here was over—she'd beaten this detachment soundly, their bodies littered the ground at her feet. More importantly, the defending squads had managed to pull out intact.

"...Non-combat personnel..." came a wavering voice. She looked down—one of the triforian guards who hadn't been so lucky. He lay against the wall, clutching his side. Xolin bent down, using her lance as a walking stick.

"What was that?" she asked, gently. It was clear this man didn't have much time left.

"Civvies...cut off, two floors down, in the medical wing. Couldn't...couldn't reach..." he struggled to get out, every word exhausting him.

She frowned sadly, putting her hand on his shoulder, "...I'll get them out, I promise".

He didn't respond.

Xolin sighed, standing back up. The hallway smelled like burning. Alarms still pierced the air. Her mind wandered back to over a year ago, when she was just starting out, fighting monsters, having adventures. She idly wished for that back—but she did so only for a moment. Steeling herself with a deep breath, Xolin headed off towards the nearest flight of stairs, weapon in her hand.

Her communicater chimed. She pressed her wrist morpher, activating the channel as she reached the stairwell. It was Ihara, his voice straining above the heavy gunfire in the background, _"Xolin, they've taken sections sixteen through forty-two! My forces are in danger of being cut off and are withdrawing. What's your situation?"_

"Evacuation is proceeding on schedule" she replied, "But there's a group of non-soldiers trapped behind enemy lines two floors below. I'm heading down to assist".

Ihara's voice was laced with concern...and a bit of disapproval, but he didn't object. _"...Be careful"_ he said, _"And good luck"_.

"Same to you" she replied, before cutting the link. Now alone, the blue ranger headed down the stairs.

* * *

Trok tried not to pay attention to the holomap as he worked. He really tried. He really, really tried. But...it was right there, in his face, blinking—and the red was steadily growing. More and more sections were being lost.

He was on a time table, and Trok hated time tables. Trok knew of course, that the battlizer wasn't going to shift the battle at this point—the king more than likely knew that too. But without the base, he likely wouldn't have the resources needed to work on it anymore. This was their last chance.

He glanced over at the holographic representation of the citadel, and inwardly chastised himself. He shouldn't be looking! He should be working! Trok redoubled his efforts, but he'd in reality just been looking REALLY HARD at this wire he'd been fiddling with for the last six minutes.

He glanced over again.

Damnit.

* * *

Two SPD soldiers quickly found themselves cut down from behind as Xolin raced down the hall. She'd somehow flanked the enemy front lines (not *super* difficult considering the chaos that was hallway warfare), and was to her best guess now hitting their rear guard, hence the minimal resistance.

The blue ranger paused to check her morpher's sensor scans—she knew her quarry was in the medical wing, but that was a fairly big area and she didn't want to waste time searching every room. The small holo-radar popped up, showing numerous enemy signatures, but also a small collection of triforian lifesigns in the second surgery room.

Directly ahead, good.

Xolin raced down the hall, pausing only briefly to take out another guard who had been moving from room to room, making sure everything was locked down. Two seconds later, she found his accomplice. Neither even put up a fight.

Ahead of her was the wide doors to the emergency wing. With a single swift moment, she thrust herself through the doors before they were even fully open, swinging around and knocking one of the guards down with her leg before grabbing the other's gun and slamming it into his helmet, face-first. The blue ranger twisted the weapon out of his hands, bashing it again against the side of his head before delivering a kick to his midsection that threw him against the wall. Unconscious, the guard slipped to the ground.

The first guard retaliated, aiming his gun and firing. Xolin took a grazing round in the side of her abdomen, but didn't even slow down as she sliced his rifle in two. A knee to his gut followed by a toss into the second guard ended all resistance.

Silence. She took a second to catch her breath, suddenly finding the wound on her abdomen to be somewhat painful. She looked down—charred suit. It'd done some damage. A whine caught her attention—just in time, as an automated turret that had been set up was unfolding and aiming in her direction. Xolin's eyes shot open in sudden realization and she immediately dived for cover, flipping over the receptionist desk just as the turret opened fire, slamming laser rounds into the wall. The blue ranger crouched, slightly limping due to a few of the shots hitting her leg. Her mind raced as she looked for a way around this.

Damnit. Xolin wished she could still access the Lights of Andromeda—she could even still feel them, dim in the back of her mind, but without the others present they were useless to her.

Damnit.

The turret went silent—but Xolin's idea to look up over the desk was a bad move, as immediately it opened fire again, nearly taking her head off. The blue ranger slide back down behind the desk.

"It's coming from over here!" a voice said, getting closer.

"Turret must have caught something" said another.

Great. Now *everybody* knew she was here. Fantastic.

"Don't see a body...oh man, they got Joel" the first voice remarked, noting the two broken bodies Xolin had left in the corner.

"Spread out" a third voice said, "Where ever they are, they ain't gettin' away that easily".

"Found a lance of some sort" the second voice said.

Xolin's heart raced, realizing she wasn't carrying her weapon anymore—she must have dropped it when the turret opened fire. Muttering a curse, Xolin pulled out her sidearm, leaving it in blaster mode for now.

So, options. Xolin mentally laid out the room she was in—it was T-shaped, with her to the right of the main doors. Already she could hear the enemy soldiers scoping out the room on the other side of the doors, and she knew it wouldn't be long until—oh hell.

"Found her! Over h-" the soldier never finished his statement, as Xolin unleashed a barrage of fire on her foe, before switching to sword mode and cutting him down...he'd never stood a chance.

...Unfortunately, the turret didn't see it that way, and the fact that Xolin had been forced to get up had allowed her to become visible again. Sparks ripped off her body as her suit was pummeled. The blue ranger shouted out more in surprise than pain—it happened so fast her body hadn't really had time to register the damage yet. Her body was thrust into the filing cabinets lining the back wall, but even as she was tossed back like a ragdoll, she still managed a single counterattack, shoving her arm forward in a swing, sending her sword flying. The blade shot through the air, slicing through the turret's neck like a guillotine and decapitating it. The machine sputtered and died, and Xolin's injured body slid down against the cabinets.

There was no time to rest though, as the other two guards were quickly surrounding her, and she was now injured and weaponless. She groaned as she forced herself to stand up, her suit sporting damage all over, bits of it still smoking from the relentless assault moments before. Grasping her side with her hand she watched as the two guards blocked her only exits from the ruined receptionist desk area, their guns aimed.

"Demorph and surrender or we *will* open fire" the leader of the two said. As if to drive the point home, the other soldier's gun clicked. "Do it!" the soldier exclaimed, "We have reinforcements enroute".

Xolin let out a haggard chuckled as she forced herself into a full upright position, trying to seem as intimidating as possible, "I just killed like, a dozen of your friends and blew up an automated turret with my *sword*. What hope do you two think you have?" It was a bluff of course—Xolin wasn't *entirely* sure of her next move, but at this point every second counted. Thankfully, they seemed to hesitate.

Wait.

She eyed a glimmer of blue and silver laying on the ground outside of the desk area—her lance! If she could only get past Thing One and Thing Two.

A small grin crept over her face.

Before either soldier knew what was going on, they were being assaulted by two more blue rangers, identical to the first. They didn't even have time to aim their weapons—instead they were immediately on the defensive in a melee engagement, dodging and blocking the twin dervishes that were attacking. The third Xolin took this opportunity to flip over the desk, grab her lance, and then pull her sword out of the shattered, sparking remains of the turret. Flipping her sidearm back into blaster mode, she prepared to open fire on the two guards.

Through the far doors to the right, coming out of one of the surgery rooms was a giant metallic...well, Xolin hesitated to call it a 'zord'. Zords were like...big things. Building-sized big. This was less something that was being piloted and more something that was being worn like...well, some sort of powered armor. Its sleek curved yet plain utilitarian SPD design clashed with the desert yellows and tans, and polygon angles of the medical wing. Nearly twice her height, it turned its attention on her.

"...Oh COME ON!" she yelled in exasperation, managing to roll out of the way just in time to avoid being ripped to pieces by its finger guns. The blue ranger charged forward as soon as she was back on her feet. It was a feint; she knew even if she was whole, she wouldn't be able to take this thing head on, much less when it was only a third of herself. But it was better to keep it at close range instead of allowing free to continue firing on her. Xolin dodged a blow from the robot's arm as it swung down, instead flipping herself around up onto the backside of the machine. With her lance she prepared to strike down behind the neck...and paused in shock when twin parallel launchers folded out where the shoulder blades would have been. The blue ranger was sent flying by rapid-firing laser pulses that threw her into the back wall. Xolin crumpled against the floor.

Thankfully, by this point her other two aspects had taken care of the remaining two guards and were running in to intercept. In response the powered armor had shifted its right arm into some sort of electrified hammer weapon, slamming it down where the two blue rangers were. The resulting crater and shockwave sent the two of them flying in opposite directions. Each of them were splayed out, vulnerable and open to attack.

The powered armor's weapons charged.

* * *

Another shudder from the artillery fire rumbled through Central Ops, muffled by the distance between them and the crumbling outer walls. Everything flickered again, as it had been constantly since the siege had begun.

Almost done. Trok was *almost* done. Well, for a definition of the word. Technically he was almost done, but there were still a few loose ends that were driving him up the wall and could only be fixed through endless trial and error, so really who even knew how close he was to being done. It figured he'd hit a roadblock when he was on the home stretch.

"...What is your problem!?" he whispered hoarsely as he checked over the battlizer's computer systems for the umpteenth time. By all rights, everything should have been working properly, but for some reason it just wasn't communicating with his ranger powers. It was working, it just wouldn't activate. "It's not the grid signature..." he muttered, even as he checked that again to make sure the wavelengths were in synch.

Nothing. Nothing was wrong.

He *hated* it when nothing was wrong, because it meant *everything* was wrong.

A whining noise suddenly filled the air, as if a machine was winding down.

One of the techs spoke up from his station behind Trok, his voice uncertain and nervous, "Uh...we just lost internal sensors".

Trok glanced over at the war table. Sure enough, its holomap now displayed just the pyramid and outlaying geography—there were no placements of enemy or allied units. His eyes widened slightly in shock.

"...Possible glitch?" the other tech asked hopefully, his voice equally nervous.

The faint sound of gunfire outside the main doors ended all thought along those lines. All three of them stood still for a good few seconds as the gunfire and shouting steadily got louder.

"They're here" Trok grimaced. In a flash of light he morphed into the green ranger and took out his sidearm blaster. The fighting was right on top of them now—the few guards that had been placed outside were clearly being quickly overrun. Thinking quick, Trok set his gun to 'beam' mode and began welding the doors shut before anyone could get in.

"...That should hold them for a bit at least" Trok said, holstering his weapon. He took only a second to take stock of the door before he spun around and resumed now-frantic work on the battlizer. Almost immediately, the door began to issue dull thudding noises as laserfire impacted its backside. Trok eyed the two techs, currently frozen in place. He nodded towards the escape door, "You guys need to go, now".

The two stood up, watching the door and listening to the gunfire a moment longer before the first asked, "...What about you?"

Trok knew he needed to leave. But...dangit, he needed the computer systems here to complete his project. If he left now, that was it, he might as well have built a really fancy paper weight. And...he was *so close*. A few more minutes. He just...needed a few more minutes.

Trok steadied himself against his workstation, making his choice, "I'll be fine. Go".

"But what if they catch you?" the second tech asked, "We can't just leave you here?"

"You're not" Trok said, smiling, even if they couldn't see it under his helmet, "I'm telling you to go—I'll cover you guys, and I still need to finish this. I'm almost done".

The two techs glanced at each other, unconvinced.

The pounding on the door seemed to get louder. Trok snapped, angrier than he'd intended, "We don't have time for this! Just go, alright?!"

The two techs shrugged, then began to follow each other out. "If you say so" the first one said as they headed out the door. The second added, "Be safe".

"Don't worry, I got this" Trok said with a bit of false cheer as they vanished. His would-be move vanished as the gunshots ceased, and after a couple seconds of silence, a burning sound began to reverberate against the door. A part of the door began to heat up, turning red hot—and it was moving slowly.

They were cutting their way in.

Trok took a couple deep breaths mostly to keep from hyperventilating as he got back to work.

He had to do this. He *had* to. He was too close to give up now. He'd brought this entire battle upon them—the least he could do was complete his mission.

Man, Xolin would be pissed if she saw him now.

* * *

Xolin rolled out of the way just as the electrified hammer arm just before it crushed her. She had to regroup; even at full strength she knew she would be outmatched, but split into three like she was...this was bad.

"Regroup!" she ordered, scrambling to her feet as the armored warrior pulled its arm back up. The three blue rangers circled the attacking robot as it swung at them, barely missing. Its other arm transformed into a cannon, aiming at one of the Xolins. A beam of energy collected and shot out, barely missing as Xolin 2 knocked her counterpart out of the way just in time. Xolin 3 soon joined them. A second later they were gone, replaced by a single blue ranger. She gripped her lance as the power armor turned back to her, mentally ordering her suit to begin filling her body with Grid painkillers—her body was already an aching mess, and this fight was far from over.

"Surrender or die" the pilot inside ordered, "This is your final warning".

"Really?" she asked skeptically, "After all that, you think I'm just going to give up *now*?!"

The hammer swung down, unchaining itself much like Trok's weapon, turning into an electrified mace. Xolin backflipped away from its point of impact—then did it again and again, until she was back up against the door she had entered through. The powered armor's other arm aimed its cannon, which she dodged—but she realized too late that had been a feint; the hammer mace's blow rammed itself right into her midsection with the force of a miniature car, sending electricity flowing through her body and tossing her like a ragdoll back into the damaged remains of the receptionist's desk.

Xolin grunted, her body not wanting to obey her even as she demanded it get back up. This was bad; this was *very* bad. She clutched at her midsection in pain even as her other arm managed to pull off a single, strained push-up. Heavy THUDS shook the ground as the massive powered armor unit closed in. She looked up at it, unable to do much at all—her body was still reeling from the prior hit. It grabbed her by the helmet.

It had been quiet in the surgery room since the powered armor unit had left to reinforce the other guards. The prisoners hadn't been aware what was going on, only that there had been some sort of issue. They didn't get their hopes up at friendly troops were coming for them—they knew full well that evacuation protocols had been activated, and so everyone was pulling out. They'd tried to, but had been cut off during their escape. Without a way out, they had been cornered here in the medical wing, and now awaited an uncertain fate. The guards hadn't killed them outright upon finding them, which meant they were probably going to be transferred—probably to be tried and possibly killed as a political stunt, or maybe just interrogated and imprisoned for life. Who knew, really.

Which of course, is why it was such a surprise to the group of about seven when a blue ranger's body punched itself right through the doors like a missile, before landing in a heap in the center of the room, crashing over the table and numerous supplies. At first she was still—too still. The prisoners weren't sure if she was even still alive. They were about to assist, but then the power armor pulled the doors open, not bothering with letting them slide open on their own (with the hole, they might not have been able to anymore. Sparks ripped from where the doors grinded against the floor and walls, but the armor didn't care. The prisoners stepped back in fear, piling up in the corner as the SPD machine stepped closer to its downed victim.

Xolin groaned, again filling her body with more Grid painkillers, letting the morphin' grid wash over her body. It wasn't the safest option—too much power could have...unfortunate circumstances, but right now she had more pressing matters to attend to than simple poisoning. As the blue ranger managed to get up to a kneeling position, the machine again threw its hammer down, which Xolin dodged. Her suit was scarred all over, black marks scorched over what had once been an outfit of blue, black, and silver. The light bits of silver armor that had accented the suit were in ruins, and even her helmet had seen better days—it was cracked in multiple places, and her visor had been smashed open over the left eye.

Yet, Xolin found enough willpower to grab her lance and stand—even if just barely. Yet that wouldn't matter at all if she didn't find a way to take out her enemy, and fast.

The armored solider paused, looking back at the terrified noncombat personnel to his side, as if coming to a realization, "...You're here for them, aren't you?" he asked.

"What's it to you?" Xolin grumbled, playing his game to buy for time as her mind raced for a solution.

Her opponent laughed, "Alone without backup? Man, the reports were right about you, you really are crazy. Is it true you broke out of an SPD prison with your bare fists?"

"So glad your reports of me make for good reading" Xolin managed a grim smile, "And yeah, it's true. Had a bit of help then. Unlike now, I mean, where I just killed a dozen of your friends without breaking a sweat".

The man's voice turned cold, "And how about now? Looks like you've broken lots of things now".

"Ha ha" Xolin retorted in deadpan as she clutched her aching side, "You're funny".

"And you're dead" the armored suit replied, before activating his hammer-mace again. This time however, Xolin was ready. Leaping up above the point of impact, she drew her sidearm, switching it to sword mode as she came back down. With a single quick movement she stabbed down, summoning all the powers she could muster. Power coursed through the blade, blue frozen energy cascading. Her weapon embedded itself in the floor, sealing the wound shut with its frozen power-and sticking the hammer's chain around it.

"Nailed it" Xolin managed a smile.

"What?!" the soldier sputtered, even as his suit tried to pull away to no avail. Xolin wasn't going to give him that chance anyway—as the armor suit aimed its cannon arm at her, she raced up the chain, hurling her charged-up lance into the barrel of the gun just as it primed to fire. The cannon exploded from the backlash, shattering into a million shards, just as the blue ranger leaped up and came down on the armor's head—this time taking care *not* to hitch a ride on the backside. She prepared to stab, but quickly realized she'd already expended all her weapons. Damn.

Thinking quick, Xolin summoned grid power to her gloves. Not the most...ideal solution for many reasons, but it'd work in a pinch. Energy crackled between her fingertips as she grabbed at the divide between head and body. The grid energy cascaded down the armor suit as everything began to overload.

Xolin pulled with all her might.

The soldier inside couldn't believe what was happening; "WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU CRAZY-"

The room exploded into light, electrical energy blinding everyone. Xolin felt herself being thrown into a wall for the umpteenth time that day via shockwave. The light faded after a few moments, allowing everyone to see again. The now headless power armor unit sparked and sputtered for a moment, twitching before finally dropping to its knees and keeling over. The SPD soldier inside hesitantly began to crawl out, dazed and confused.

"What...what just..."

Xolin again pulled herself up, drawing on more grid energy to keep her going. Her hands tingled—glancing at her palms, she found her gloves burnt black. With not a small amount of wrath and more than a little self-satisfaction, she pulled the hapless SPD soldier, some sort of walrus-like humanoid alien, up by his neck, staring right into his four green eyes.

"Fun fact: every single thing like that you've read about me and my friends? Absolutely true, every word" She eyed his face for any sort of reaction—he was mostly still just dazed and out of the loop. She snarled, "You come in here, ruin my life, try to kill me" her voice got quieter, more restrained as she tried to get anything from him. She wouldn't break, not here. "I want a face. I want a person I can point to and blame for why my friends—my *family* aren't here anymore. But you can't give me that, can you? Because you're all just ants. Just...mindless footsoldiers". There was nothing she could get out of him. No reason, no satisfaction...just one more grunt trying to kill her.

Xolin collected herself, then delivered a solid punch to his midsection and tossed him aside, allowing his body to slump to the floor. Taking a moment to steady her breath, she turned to her new charges—the seven or so noncombat personal she'd found. They were wide-eyed and speechless.

"...Wow" one of them, female, managed to croak out.

"Yeah" Xolin said hoarsely, "It's been a friggin' day". She glanced around at the carnage, grabbing her charred but still somehow functional weapons and began to head to what had at one point been the doors, "I suggest you all follow me—I've carved a path back to friendly ground".

Her morpher chimed as they began to follow her out. Xolin opened the incoming hail.

"_Xolin"_ Ihara said, his voice full of static, _"Internal sensors are down, and I can't contact Ops. Assume the worst; they've taken it. All forces are now in full retreat to the tunnels, I expect to see you there pronto"._

"Understood" Xolin replied, "I've got the objectives in tow. We'll meet you there, Xolin out". She turned to the others as they she led them down the hall, "Alright you heard the king; front lines have liquified, so we're just going to wing this. Stay behind me, keep up, and I'm going to punch us a hole through".

* * *

Trok had never been particularly religious. Certainly, he'd been brought up by his parents in his clan's traditional worship, and he could easily recall many of the spirits, including all of those who patroned his people, but it had just never really been his thing. Nothing against it just...it didn't hold his attention. Now however, Trok found himself half-mumbling old prayers in a desperate bid to call on any potential spirit who would find pity on him.

...Could horathean spirits even help this far away from home?

Trok did his best to ignore the burning sounds behind him as the SPD soldiers on the other side continued to cut their way through the reinforced doors. You know, nevermind his problem with working under pressure or with deadlines, or the fact that if they came through that door they'd kill him.

WHEN they came through the door, he corrected himself. When, not if. Yeah, this was great. This was real great. Trok's hands were shaking, which just made everything worse.

Damn stress.

Wait.

"...That's it!" he exclaimed, realizing the programs of the various modules were finally connecting properly. The entire suit of armor lit up, active. A wide grin washed over Trok under his helmet, "Awesome!"

The burning noise ceased. Concerned, Trok looked back—the circuit had been completed. Panic rising in his stomach, he grabbed the battlizer morpher and deactivated the armor, letting the suit vanish from the alcove he'd been working from—just as an explosion ripped through the door, debris flying into the room as soldiers began piling into the chamber from the hole made by the circuit. Stowing his newly finished project on his belt, Trok rushed the closest soldier, punching the rifle out of the figure's hands before delivering a solid knee kick to his abdomen. A second high kick sent a second soldier flying. Trok dodged a swing from a third soldier, wheeling around him and striking from the side.

Realizing he was rapidly becoming outnumbered, Trok backflipped behind the central command table as laserfire stormed the room, taking his sidearm sword and cutting it clean off at the base. Then, summoning his hammer, he wound up for an attack and sent the table flying at the opposing army.

Trok took the brief reprieve he'd gotten to grab another module off his belt—one of many he'd not had time to install on the battlizer. A pity, but at least it meant he'd get to use it now. A small round device about twice the size of a grape, he had no trouble grasping it in his hand and throwing it down to the ground a few inches in front of him. Upon impact six smaller objects shot out from it, pinning themselves to the wall. A split second later, and a complex web of laser lines shot out from each object, intersecting with each other until they'd formed a solid energy barrier cutting off Trok's half of ops from the SPD forces. Recovering from the table, they fired on it but found it was an extremely durable web—they'd need a few minutes to wear it down.

Trok gave them a thumbs up and ran towards the exit Ihara had prepared before leaving, taking care to shut the door behind him and seal it shut with his blaster, to give himself just a little bit more time.

It was time to leave.

* * *

Trok had been to the tunnels once before, when they were importing supplies from another rebel camp somewhere in the Tal Highlands. Back then the cavernous chambers had been mostly empty; only a few scattered hover-trucks had been brought in with the supplies. Today however, was a very different story. Trucks, out of their docking chambers, now lined the four-lane road that tunneled out from the pyramid fortress deep into the mountainside, and hundreds of people scurried back and forth, loading supplies onboard each of the vehicles. Trok had never been to the other end, but apparently it was several miles away, near the great plains on the edge of the badlands—the perfect escape route.

Ihara was already there when Trok arrived at the entrance to the tunnels, ordering some of his men and gesturing to something. He couldn't hear what the gold ranger was saying, but Trok got the impression it was something about who was driving what. As the three triforian soldiers went their separate ways, Trok approached the king.

"Trok!" the king said warmly, relieved, "I'm glad you're alright. When the techs said you stayed behind, I worried".

"Only long enough to finish this" Trok said proudly, flashing Ihara his new finished project in his hand.

"...The battlizer!" Ihara exclaimed as he was handed the trinket, "Very good work, thank you". He eyed Trok however, his body language a little concerned, "...Though you shouldn't have put yourself in danger for it like this".

Trok chuckled nervously, "Eh, it was fine. I got out before they started shooting". Well, mostly anyway. He scratched the back of his neck as he looked around worriedly, "Um...any idea where Xolin is?"

"I'm not dead, if that's what you're thinking" came a familiar voice, right on cue. Trok spun around, seeing a haggard blue ranger shuffle towards them, several triforians behind her.

"Xol!" Trok said said exuberantly, flinging himself at the slightly startled woman with a tight hug.

"...Ow, hey" she said in mild protest, before managing to return the hug. Things had been awkward between them...well, were still awkward, but Trok was never shy about letting others know he was happy they weren't dead.

As the two let go, the awkwardness of the situation and of things unsaid began to build once more, but Ihara stopped it dead in its tracks as he approached them, "...Where the Trinity have you been? What happened to you?"

"...Yeah, wow" Trok mused, looking her over. Her suit was covered from head to toe in black scorchmarks and battle damage, her helmet was cracked and shattered in places, and she was clutching a particularly dark area at her side. And...was that a slight limp? "What happened?" he echoed Ihara in concern.

"I took on some asshole in a suit of power armor, twice my size. Kicked his ass, too". Not a small amount of pride leaked through the end of that statement.

"...Are you alright?" Trok asked, still concerned.

She shrugged, "Eh. I'm not dead yet".

"Comforting" Ihara deadpanned, then turned his attention on the group of people behind Xolin, "Alright, enough standing around! You all know your evacuation protocols and we are leaving now. Let's GO!" He shooed them off and the group scattered, each heading to their respective transport.

"Ready?" Trok asked Xolin. She nodded, but the three rangers stopped and turned towards the large main blast doors leading back into the base as they heard a burning noise. A spot on the door had turned white-hot...and the spot was slowly moving up. Trok's eyes widened with a hint of fear. "...They're cutting their way in".

"...We have to move, *now* Ihara growled, before speaking into his morpher so everyone could hear him easily, "Evacuation is go, I repeat, evacuation is *go*! All forces, begin heading for the rally point NOW!"

The hover-trucks, with the vague appearance of sand-colored giant scarab beetles, lifted themselves off the ground and began to move forward, faster and faster down the gently descending road, one after the other. The few obelisk-like hover tanks they had quickly followed suit. Ihara and Trok headed for the king's personal craft—smaller than the others, but more ornate. It was almost like a chariot, but enclosed, and in a vague triangle shape with the craft tapering to a point in the back.

"...Xol?" Trok asked worridly, looking back at the blue ranger, who was still watching the door being cut open.

She looked back at him, then the king who had paused at the door to his craft, "...How far away is the tunnel exit?"

"About fifteen kilometers, give or take" the king replied.

Xolin looked back at the door—they were already about a fifth of the way through. She wasn't a math person by any means, that was Trok's thing. But she knew a bad situation when she saw one, "...They'll break through before then and be on you seconds after. And in an enclosed environment..." she trailed off.

"...We'd be sitting ducks" Ihara finished for her, understanding.

At that moment, Xolin came to a decision.

"Go" she said, once more pulling out her lance, "I'll keep them occupied".

"What?!" Trok exclaimed in a mixture of incredulousness and fear, "You can't seriously be considering you'll stay behind!"

"Already considered" Xolin replied, an odd tone to her voice, "Go".

"No!" Trok told her firmly as he stomped back over to her, "I'm not leaving you here to die". His mind was reeling from this sudden turn of events. This was stupid—they were going to get out of this like they always did, the two of them. Like always. He grabbed her hand and began to pull her to the chariot.

She didn't budge. He pulled with all his might—which was a lot, considering he was horathean, but she stayed firm, planting her boots to the floor with grid energy.

"Xol, come *on*!" he said angrily, getting more annoyed by the second.

"Let me go, Trok" she said, nodding to the door which was already a third of the way through, "You're running out of time".

"Not without you!" he shouted, now beginning to panic.

She looked at him calmly, as if she'd come to terms with this, "...I need you to go with the king, Trok. Please". Her voice cracked slightly. "Right now, I'm the only one that can do this, or else a lot of people are going to die".

"Then we do it together!" he replied frantically, "We're always stronger together! Always!"

"I need you to help the king" she replied sadly, "I need you to protect the convoy".

"Xol..." Trok trailed off, water beginning to form at the corner of his eyes.

She pressed onward, "Go find our friends, Trok. I know you can". There was conviction in her voice—she meant it. Trok seized up. "...I'm sorry I told you to forget about it" she said somberly, "It was wrong".

Trok let go of her hand, but instead of leaving her, he instead grabbed her in a tight hug. His voice wavered, "You're the big sister I never had. I don't...I can't..." he didn't finish the sentence—he didn't finish the sentence. He didn't have to.

Xolin returned his hug, her voice wavering too, finally breaking, "You've grown up so much, Trok. You don't need a big sister anymore. You can go your own way, make your own choices".

The two let go. Trok knew she had to stay—objectively he knew he'd do the same thing. Didn't make it hurt any less. His vision was cloudy, obscured by tears. "I'll never forget you". Never forget? Ugh, what a lame thing to say right now. He should have some up with something much better.

"Make me proud, huh?" she replied, stifling a sob. The door was half-way done.

Ihara had approached them, "...There is nothing I can say that can convey my gratitude for what you're doing. But thank you. May your aspects find peace in the next cycle". His voice was solemn, controlled. He'd only known her a few months, but he'd grown to have so much respect for the young warrior.

"A statue" Xolin replied.

Ihara blinked, confused, "...What?"

Xolin clarified, some control flowing back into her voice, "I want a statue in my honor. And not a little city park bust either—I want a friggin' colossus".

Ihara burst out into laughter—one that was quickly shared by the other two—strange emotions were in the room. He smiled under his helmet, "A statue? Please. For this, you'll be getting a temple complex at least".

"Acceptable" she grinned back. The two shared a brief, professional hug before Ihara withdrew and headed back to the chariot. Xolin looked at Trok, "Please, let me do this. I want you to live".

"I want you to live too" he replied, though he knew this battle was already lost.

The two shared another hug, initiated by Xolin. She gave him a thumbs up after they pulled back, and he walked back to the craft, never taking his eyes off the blue ranger. She broke eye contact with him, turning to face the door.

He never stopped watching her even as Ihara began driving off, until she was gone from his sight.

She never looked back as they drove away. Instead, she stood firm as the clock ticked down, flinching out of instinct only briefly as the hole in the door was created by an explosion. Soldiers entered the chamber, weapons drawn.

"Put down your weapon and surrender!" the leader commanded.

She glared at him, grasping her lance, "Bad news, guys".

* * *

They drove. There was no chatter between the two rangers, no conversation. Trok had taken his helmet off, letting tears flow down his face freely as he watched the walls of the endless tunnel rush by. She was gone. He'd never see her again. After all that time together, all those memories. She'd trained him; taught him. And it was all in the past now, destined to fade in the distance. In their haste, he'd never even apologized for getting angry at her, for saying things he didn't mean. She'd apologized to him. It made him sick.

Grown up. He could make his own choices.

"Stop the craft" he said simply, not really realizing the hilarity of the fact he'd just ordered a king to stop the car.

"...What?" Ihara balked.

"I said stop the craft" he repeated. Ihara didn't respond, instead simply slowing the chariot to a halt. Trok got out.

"I think you'll be needing this" Ihara said. Trok look at him, finding he was handing the green ranger a small handheld morpher—the battlizer.

"What?!" Trok gasped, "Don't you need that?"

The gold ranger chuckled grimly, already knowing where this was going, "I think at this point, you'll need it more than me. Besides, you didn't really make it for me, did you? You made it to protect her".

Trok gingerly accepted the device, nodding.

Ihara nodded back as Trok stepped back, "You two are two of the most amazing people I've ever had the fortune of meeting. As much as I hate to lose you, I think we both know you two need to be together at the end".

"Thank you" Trok managed.

"May you find each other in the next life" Ihara said, before speeding off. Trok grasped the battlizer morpher tightly in his hand just for a moment, before wheeling on his heels and shooting off as fast as he could on his feet back towards where he'd left Xolin.

* * *

The storm raged. Guns opened fire and the air was filled with light and smoke. But she gave them no quarter, no respite. The blue ranger was a dervish, spinning in and out between the multitude of soldiers at point-blank range, alternating between her lance and her blaster. She knew she had to keep this battle going as long as possible, so she had gotten in close—better a melee than a firing squad. Xolin fought harder than she'd ever fought before, but her body was simply exhausted and so it wasn't long before she simply zigged when she should have zagged.

A lucky shot from a soldier's powered up melee weapon sliced across her thigh, sparking on impact. The blue ranger stumbled back, unable to keep her balance, and giving the enemy a chance to aim. The guns opened fire, and the blue ranger staggered from the hits, her suit hammered by the group assault. Xolin fell to the ground, her form smoking. She grunted as she struggled to move, but she already knew—this was over. That knowledge only sunk in further as she felt a boot press down over her back. A gun pointed at her head clicked.

The shot never came. Instead, she heard a familiar battle cry as the green ranger's hammer slammed into her attacker. One and a half seconds later, he'd thrust down a small orb device, and a spiderweb of lasers had transformed into a bubble barrier that surrounded them. Before she knew it, he was grabbing her hand and pulling her back up, even as the guns opened fire on the shield that encircled them.

"Trok?!" she managed to exclaim, "What are you...why are you...I told you to go!"

"You also said I could make my own choices. I chose to come back for you" he replied.

Xolin sputtered, "I didn't mean...dammit Trok! They're going to kill you!"

Trok's answer was simple, "I don't care. I'm not leaving you behind".

"Idiot" she spat, barely above a whisper. Deep down on some subconscious level, she couldn't help but be elated he was here now. But this was stupid, it was suicide, it was…

"You think you're the first disgraced warrior I've seen who decided dying in battle was the way to go?" he asked sadly. When her body tensed up, he continued with a sad chuckle, "I'm naive, not stupid Xol. Tribal warrior society based on honor and obligation, remember? I know these things". He handed her the battlizer.

"I'm sorry too" he added, "I said things I shouldn't have. And I was reckless—I let them come here. I alerted them".

"No you didn't Trok" Xolin replied, "There's no way they could have assembled that quickly".

"You don't know that" Trok said.

The shield was weakening.

"...Saving the others means little if I can't save you too" Trok said. Finally, Xolin grasped the battlizer with firm hold, a smile in her voice.

"Thank you".

Trok nodded.

She glanced down at her new device, "...Wait, what about you?"

Trok grinned under his helmet, producing what looked to be some sort of stick, "Don't worry about it. I couldn't install all the modules I wanted into the battlizer, so I sort of came up with a compromise". With a press of a button the weapon unfolded into a much more complex lance...or staff. "I call it the Battle Lancer, patent pending".

Xolin managed a giggle, thenturned to the rapidly collapsing barrier as her tone turned serious, "Drop the shield on my mark, "Battlizer Online!"

She strapped the device to her spare wrist and pressed the button. Instantly power flowed through her as silver and grey armor wrapped around her battered suit. Armor folded over select parts of her legs and arms, around her belt and her chest and shoulders. A deep blue replaced the silver in numerous aesthetically pleasing areas as the armor recognized her power type and adapted accordingly—it had been one of Trok's big subprojects with the armor, giving it the ability to redeploy on any ranger suit within the team. Ultimate versatility.

Energy bladed weapons formed on her wrists as wings formed on the back of her armor, then folded back and in while not in use, so as to not make the suit unwieldy.

"MARK!"

The tattered remains of the shield dropped, and Xolin flew headfirst into the malestrom, her enhanced powers cutting through the soldiers like butter.

"Fall back!" the leader ordered in panic, "Fall back! Let the heavy units deal with them!"

The rank and file troops backed off as three new players entered the field from behind the ruined door—large power armored troops, much like the one that she'd taken care of upstairs.

"Really?" Xolin snarked, "That's all you got?"

The armor units charged, but Xolin was ready. Launching herself into the air with her jetpack wings, she sliced through the chest of one of the armored units before swinging around and lopping off the arm of another. The third one got hit in—its hammer arm threw Xolin down to the ground. She caught it however, before severing it with her blades upon landing. Her wings transformed into twin missile launchers and she aimed, her helmet's HUD giving her the target lock she needed. The missiles fired, impacting the offending robot and sending its ruined husk toppling to the ground. The launcher folded back in, vanishing from view as Xolin turned her attention to the two remaining power armors. One aimed its arm cannon and fired.

Bad move; Xolin lashed her two arm blades together and fired, a cascade of azure energy meeting the laser fire head-on in a beam-o-war showdown. The two dueled back and forth, until Xolin simply split her weapons, creating a wide slash of energy that impacted and heavily damaged the robot even as her own offensive beam vanished, forcing her to duck from the incoming laser fire.

Xolin wheeled in while the damaged unit was distracted, cutting through its leg before leaping up and shoving her blade behind its neck. One quick movement later, and the object was decapitated even as she was already cutting down the backside. Already heavily damaged from the front from her first attack, the armored shell simply gave way, leaving a terrified pilot sitting on little more than a ruined exoskeleton. Seeing this was over and done, the pilot simply gave up her seat and ran.

The last armored unit came down from behind, but Xolin was ready. Shoving her blades together again with her arms out, she fired another beam of power at her last opponent, puncturing it in one quick movement. It sputtered and smoked, before falling over.

Trok meanwhile, had also been going to town. He'd started with a wide sweep of his powered up lancer, sending the emerald energy wave into a mass of his opponents.

"So hey, this is sort of a combat stress test. I'd like you guys to try out a few inventions for me" Trok said cordially, as he activated a few options on his new weapon, "Hang on". The staff crackled with electrical energy, before it aimed it at an empty crate that had been left behind and flung the object at the soldiers. He followed it up by then flinging part of one of the ruined power armor units into them.

"Aaaand...shockwave!" Trok said, slamming the end of his staff into the ground. A wave of energy rushed across the floor, ignoring Xolin and knocking most everyone else off their feet. "Awesome! Next test!"

The green ranger shifted the staff into a rifle mode as the enemy gunfire resumed. He aimed in their general direction but didn't move beyond that. Instead, his laser bullets moved for him, hitting each and every incoming shot and countering it. They looked like a swarm of bees as a multitude of minor explosions erupted all around in front of him.

"Endgame" Trok stated, summoning his hammer. He combined the two weapons into a singular cannon, aimed, charged, and fired. A powerful green beam of energy thrust itself into the crowd, scattering them.

Between the two rangers, the forces arrayed were not enough.

"Fall back!" the leader exclaimed, "Fall back!" His surviving troops heeded his command, moving back behind the ruined door, even as they kept up their gunfire in a desperate bid to keep the two rangers from going after them. In truth, the rangers wouldn't have anyway—too many variable unknowns that could go wrong for them. They could handle the defensive well enough, but an offensive would have been a bad idea.

"...We did it. We did it!" Trok exclaimed in realization. He leaped for joy and hugged Xolin tight in celebration, "You were awesome!"

Xolin wasn't sharing in the celebration however. SPD wouldn't just...give up like that. They still had an entire army sitting outside, this had just been the vanguard. So why pull back instead of-oh shit.

Her eyes widened in sudden shock and realization. She pulled a confused Trok off and pushed him down, "TROK, GET D-"

Too late.

The world burned around them. Everything melted away into hot, searing light and sound and fury.

And then there was silence.

* * *

The ground was charred, the faint breeze sending ashes scattering.

Wait. That was wrong. There shouldn't have been a breeze, they were indoors.

Xolin managed to raise her battered head up from the ground, her body splayed out in a heap. Her helmet was mostly gone; only the base and part of the back now remained. Her ranger suit wasn't just scarred, it was torn in numerous places, and what was left of her battlizer armor was in peices. And her body *hurt*, badly. The last thing she'd remembered was…

The blast.

She looked up, seeing not the ceiling of the tunnel, but the sky. The remains of the pyramid fortress loomed ahead of her, towering over her. It was in ruins; holes had been blasted everywhere, and scorch marks took what was left. Behind her was the mountainside, with the remains of the tunnel that dug down into it. How...what…

Looking directly up, she saw what had happened clearly—hovering overhead was an SPD patrol ship, over a hundred meters in length. It was the same class as the one she'd been zapped by in the simudeck.

They'd brought in the big guns.

The blue ranger staggered to her feet, tearing off what little remained of her helmet as she looked on. Trok was unmoving a few feet to her right, his suit just as tattered. She gazed up at the ship.

This was how it ended, huh?

The guns on the ship powered up, preparing for another shot. She closed her eyes, taking in the breeze, and awaited her end.

When the attack came, she was surprised at first at how she felt nothing. No, not like...'death is painless' or whatever, but like...she literally felt nothing. She was still standing there, with a faint breeze wafting through her hair.

But she'd totally heard the blast, right?

Opening her eyes, she found the patrol ship on fire. It was returning fire on its attacker, though at first she couldn't get a good look at it.

Then she DID see it as it zipped by, and she thought she was hallucinating.

It was smaller than the patrol ship, by about half. It was silver and black, and triangular in shape with twin arm-like undercarriages. It was achingly familiar.

The Defender Megaship circled around, flipping around on its axis as it came back down on the enemy ship, guns blazing. Its attack hit something critical, as the patrol ship's central area exploded violently and the entire craft began to buckle and crack as it listed to the side, succumbing to the planet's gravity. It spun as it broke up, before crashing somewhere not too far away.

The Defender Megaship came to a rest over the pyramid, overlooking the SPD army that encircled it. Now that it had everyone's attention, it projected a holographic face over the battlefield.

HIS face. She couldn't believe it. She was speechless.

"_Attention SPD forces"_ Sid said, _"Stand down and withdraw, or I'll do to all of you what I just did to your little toy ship"._

Another voice spoke up, one with a familiar southern twang. He laughed derisively, _"This is General Sasquatch. One ship against an army, son? You got a lucky shot in, I'll admit that, but you can't be so boneheaded as to think you can survive an artillery bombardment"._

Sid mused, thinking it over, _"...I dunno, I think I could make a go for it. But...just in case I couldn't, I'd like to introduce you to some friends of mine. General Quickspur, if you would?"_

The sky visibly darkened. One, two, four, eight, sixteen...the sky shimmered and shifted as numerous *large* rust colored gear-shaped warships each well over a kilometer long decloaked into view. In total, there were well over fifty. They covered the sky.

Sid resumed, _"I'd like to introduce you to the Sixth Machine Fleet's Fourth Forward Detachment. Any questions?"_

Sasquatch growled, but pressed on, _"Bad move, boy. I don't know how you got around our orbital forces, but now that you're in full view, the fleet will be moving in any second now. They more than outnumber you three to one. You'll be torn to pieces"._

Sid nodded, _"True. Good thing they aren't here"._

"_...What?"_ Sasquatch's shock was palpable.

Xolin wasn't sure when Trok had gotten up, but now he stood next to her, helmetless and watching in disbelief, "...Is that…?"

She nodded breathlessly, "Yeah. Yeah, I guess it is".

Sid gave the army a cocky smile, _"Yeah, funny thing about planetary gravity wells; it makes it real hard to navigate at FTL speeds. Sure, if this were a straight point A to Z, they could engage hyperrush engines and be here within a split second at their distance. But right now your forces are on the far side of Triforia's furthest moon—which also happens to be on the far side of the planet. They may have gotten a silly idea in their heads that there's a cloaked Machine fleet at the moon's L2 point and went to investigate. I don't know where they would have gotten that idea"._

The general realized he'd been outfoxed and couldn't mount a response. Sid pressed on, his casual cocky attitude quickly chilling to that of quiet, controlled rage.

"_I estimate that at sublight speeds, it'll take your fleet a good forty minutes to get back here. Interested in seeing how much damage I can inflict in that time? I bet it's a lot"._

"_You...you can't possibly hope to hold this position!"_ Sasquatch protested, grasping at straws.

"_No, I can't. But the real question is, will you be alive to see it? General Quickspur, if you would please?"_

One of the Gearships opened fire, its beam weapon obliterating one of the ranged artillery units on the surface.

Sid smiled, _"Any further questions? Because let me make something perfectly, crystal clear: I've had a really, really bad couple of months and I'm not in a good mood. So believe me when I say that I have little to no patience for your bullshit, general. Withdraw, now, or I swear to whatever god you believe in I will wipe you from the surface of Triforia"._

A tense couple of seconds passed by, until the general responded, beaten. _"We...we will withdraw. Do not fire. We yield to you"._

"_Get out of my sight"_ Sid growled before cutting communications. Almost immediately the army began to pull back.

The battle was over.

* * *

By the time Xolin and Trok had made it to the rally point (thanks to a speeder the resistance had left behind in one of the transport tunnel's annexes), the Megaship was already in the process of landing in a clearing, surrounded by numerous trucks and tanks. The machine fleet hovered overhead, menacingly.

Trok and Xolin got off the speeder and headed for the ship, even as it opened up and a figure stepped out, obviously human.

"SID!" Trok shouted in unrestrained exuberance as he lunged forward, closing the distance between them. Sid was ready, and the two met in a vibrantly active hug as inertia caught up with them, each of them laughing.

"You have no idea how good it is to see you!" Trok exclaimed.

Sid laughed, "I think I have some idea, dude. I'm so glad you guys are alright". The two parted finally as Xolin stepped up, shaking her head in disbelief.

"...I thought you were dead" she said, barely above a whisper. The two embraced, in a slower but no less emotional reunion.

"...To be fair, I thought the same thing" he admitted.

"How..." Trok started, "...Where'd you find the Megaship? How'd you find us?!"

Sid laughed, pulling away from Xolin as he shook his head, "That's...a long story".

"Is Nikki with you then?" Xolin asked urgently, trying *not* to get her hopes up, but failing, "Do you know where Sel is?"

Sid answered, "Nikki's fine, she's just got her own mission to take care of. I...don't know where Sel is. That's our next step, I think".

"Isdilian took her" Trok said sadly, "He betrayed us for SPD, and I don't know why".

"It's...more complicated than that" Sid admitted, "I'll fill you guys in later".

"I'll admit, I never thought I'd be glad to see machine gearships" Ihara said, stepping up to them, "Mr. Drake, I presume".

Sid turned to him, "That'd be me. What's up?"

"Your friends have told me much about you" Ihara commented with a slight bow, "I am King Ihara of Triforia, and you have my deepest thanks for what you've done here today. You've saved my people, and given my planet another chance for freedom".

"...You guys know the king?!" Sid said to his friends, a bit incredulous. When they nodded, Sid shook his head, "Oh man, we have stories to swap later". He turned back to Ihara, "It's no big, dude".

"I think it is" the king replied, "If there is anything I can do to help-"

"Actually..." Sid mused, "There is"

All three of them looked at Sid, not knowing where this was going.

"What do you require?" the king asked.

"Simple" Sid replied with a smile, "I need you to leave".

"I...what?" the king sputtered.

Now that he got the intended effect, Sid went full-business mode "Long story short your majesty, some big shit's coming. End of the universe shit. I need you, and I need your people".

As he talked, General Quickspur walked up to them. Sid introduced him, "This is General Quickspur of the machine fleet. Quickspur, King Ihara of Triforia".

"Pleasure" the machine said, shaking the king's hand.

"Hey, I know you!" Trok said happily with a point.

"Why howdy youngins" the machine chuckled, "Keepin' in trouble I see".

"Do we ever not?" Trok joked back.

Sid turned back to Ihara, "King Ihara, I know this is a lot to ask, but very soon this universe is going to end unless we save it. Everything that's been happening, SPD, the war, all of it—it's all linked. And I know you wouldn't want to leave your world but...I need you. I need an army. I need a fleet. I need you and your people to go with General Quickspur here and go out and link up with everyone you can find—every last ship, every last band of soldiers. He's already agreed to house and transport your people to somewhere safe".

"...Leave Triforia?" the king asked skeptically, "Leave my people?"

"I can confirm that everything Sid said is true" Quickspur replied, "I can have all relevant files forwarded to you once we're all onboard. But I reckon we should move quick—them SPD ships should be comin' soon".

"Please" Sid pleaded earnestly, "You wouldn't be abandoning your people. You'd be leading the resistance from another place. Your colonies are just as much in danger as the homeworld".

"Sid's right" Xolin said, "Without the fortress or the badlands, we're sitting ducks here. In a few minutes Alliance forces will be right on top of us".

Ihara closed his eyes, how brow furrowed as he came to a difficult decision, "...Very well. You have my sword, Sid Drake of Mirinoi". He extended his hand.

Sid's face melted into one of gratitude as he responded in kind with a firm shake, "Thank you, your majesty".

"Call me Ihara" the king replied with a nod, "You've earned that much at least". They let go, and Ihara turned to his people, "Alright!" he shouted as some of the gearships began to land, "Everyone prep for emergency evacuation! We have twenty minutes until SPD regroups, and I intend to be on our new allies' ships and gone by that point. Everyone move!"

Sid watched as everyone went to work, loading themselves onto the warships.

Step one was complete.

* * *

The bridge. It'd felt like so long for either Trok or Xolin. Both still remembered exactly where they were when things had gone south. In fact, they could still see the damage—Nikki had had to ship repaired, but it had been a makeshift hodgepodge job, without any intent of making it look pretty or uniform. And with as many breaching pods as had attacked the ship, holes like that were all over the place.

Sid sat in the captain's seat—Iota was dead. Isdilian had betrayed them, Sel was missing and with the 'Antipodes', their enemies who wanted to destroy the universe.

"What do they want?" Trok asked, trying to wrap his mind around this as the Megaship warped off to its next location, having left the machine fleet behind hours ago, "I just...what do the Antipodes get out of killing everything? I don't get the endgoal here".

Sid hesitated, thinking. He almost told them—about the other universe, about how it was dying and how this was the Antipodes' one shot to save everyone they knew. But as he looked at Xolin, and at Trok...he couldn't bare it. They'd been talking for hours, about all the shit they'd been through in the past few months.

How could he tell them that the price for their continued existence was the death of untold trillions of others—at *least*? Especially Trok—who Sid knew would insist they find a way to save everyone somehow, which would divert attention and time and resources they didn't have to spare.

Armageddon was coming, and they had to be ready.

"I don't know" he sighed, lying through his teeth. It would have to do for now.

"...So what's the plan?" Xolin asked.

Sid eyed her. He stepped out of his seat, towards the empty starfield on the viewscreen, "...The plan is to consolidate. SPD beat us in a conventional war, but not everyone's ready to give in. Today we recruited elements of the machine fleet and the triforian resistance, and Nikki's working on the pirate clans. The plan is that we call in every ally we've made, cash in every favor we're owed". Sid looked directly at the both of them, a steeled resolve in his eyes, "We're going to build ourselves an army, then we're going to find the enemy's castle. And then? We're going to knock it down and get our friend back".

Xolin gave him a determined smile, "...I like that plan. I like it a lot". Trok nodded in agreement.

Sid glanced back at the starfield again. Somewhere out there, was Sel. And somehow, they'd get her back, save the universe, and stop all this madness once and for all. They were committed now.

* * *

Sel's chest burned. At first when these attacks had started she'd thought them some weird sort of heartburn, and at first she didn't even connect them with the chronic headaches she'd been getting for months beforehand, even when she was back on the Megaship. But the headaches got worse, and so was this...burning sensation. They were linked, somehow.

She doubled over, waiting for the pain to subside, as it always did. But every time it was a little bit worse, and took a little bit longer to pass. She refused to cry out, refused to give in to the pain. But even as her vision got misty from tears, she saw her fingers crackling with energy—they were tingly as they discharged excess energy. At last, she put it all together—her powers were responsible. She'd always had these flareups—even back when she'd first gotten on the Megaship, back when use of her powers would make her black out.

Her powers were hurting her. And they were getting worse.

She clenched her fists tight, as if that would make it stop. "...What's happening to me?" she asked herself quietly, in fear.

* * *

_**To be continued...**_


	29. 3x03: Forever is Only Six Hours

Sid's spoon danced lazily through the milk of his half-eaten cereal, tiny ripples emanating from the wake. He wasn't doing anything in particular just...wait.

WHY was he eating cereal? Not that Sid didn't often eat cereal for breakfast but...WHY was it breakfast? Why was he at this table in the workbay? Sid looked up at the otherwise-unoccupied room in mild confusion and uneasiness. He hadn't been here a moment ago. In fact, he'd been pretty sure breakfast had been hours ago. Actually, he'd been a little late for lunch because of Trok's little project.

...Project. Hey, yeah, weren't they supposed to be on the planet's surface? They'd been working on that ancient artifact, and then...then they'd been ambushed by Epsilon and then...then there'd been that bright flash.

And the next thing Sid knew, he'd been re-eating breakfast.

…

Oh.

Oh no.

Oh no no no no no. Sid felt dread drop to the pit of his stomach. There could only be one explanation for this.

Xolin's voice bellowed in mixture of panic and rage from some other point in the ship, muffled somewhat through the walls, "TROK, WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO!?"

"IT'S OKAY, I CAN FIX IT!" the horathean's flustered voice called back, "...I THINK!"

Sid sighed, dropping his spoon and putting his head in his hands.

He hated time loops, he really did.

* * *

**Power Rangers Peacekeepers**

**Season 3**

**3.03: Forever is Only Six Hours**

* * *

"Okay so...what happened?" Sid asked the war room. The three rangers sat around the table, a holographic display of the system they were in hovering above it. With only three people left on the team, they didn't really *need* to use the war room, but at this point it was simply tradition—and a little bit of familiarity never hurt anyone, especially now.

Trok scratched the back of his neck in a bit of embarrassment. In terms of mess-ups, looping time back around on itself probably wasn't the single biggest mistake he could have made, but...well, it was still up there. Especially if they didn't get out of it.

"...Good news bad news. Bad news: We're in a time loop" the horathean paused, "I think".

"Yeah, I got that much" Sid deadpanned back at him.

Xolin spoke up, her tone twinged with worry, "Okay so like...is this just a one-off thing, or are we actually in one of those repeating things?"

Trok moved to answer, then realized he had no idea, "I uh...I'm not sure. I need another look at the artifact".

Xolin let out a frustrated sigh, "What *is* that thing, even?"

Sid shrugged, "The SPD records we hacked last week said it was some sort of..." he looked to Trok, "What'd they say? 'Chroniton Lynchpin?'"

The horathean nodded, "That's the good news—we confirmed the reports, it's definitely some kind of time-travel temporal...thing".

"Is that the scientific term?" Xolin snorted.

Trok gave her a playful glare, then continued, "I need way more time with the artifact before I can really give you guys a full run-down. But it's pretty incredible. Lynchpin isn't entirely inaccurate—it's almost like someone stapled linear time together. It's almost like some kind of nexus for chroniton particles".

"How much time would you need?" Sid asked him, cutting him off before he could go full nerd.

Trok's smile faded, "...I dunno. Years? It's centuries beyond our tech".

Xolin's eyebrow arched, "But SPD's tinkered with time travel before".

"Only barely" Sid corrected her, "Most of the experiments ended...badly". Some of them, at best, ended with temporary de-corporalization until they had returned to their original time period. Others...met with far more unfortunate ends.

"And it was nothing like this" Trok added, shaking his head, "The people who made this...they knew what they were doing. This isn't just ripping open the timestream with a portal and throwing shit through, hoping it won't dematerialize. Whatever this artifact is, it's like it's in tune with the basis of reality, with the timestream. It's..." he grasped for an analogy, "Imagine an SPD time portal like a tunnel, digging under a river and hoping it doesn't crush you. This is more like a boat flowing with it, if that makes sense".

"Okay so, complete analysis is out of the question" Sid said, getting them back on track, "Can we still use it?"

Trok nodded, though slightly hesitantly, "I think so. We've shown it works—we just reset six hours. All we have to do is figure out how to reset further—set it back a few months, and we can undo all of this. We can warn Iota, we can save the Confederacy...and we can stop Isdilian before he kidnaps Sel". His voice became more firm, more full of conviction.

Sid nodded, "We just need to keep from resetting it too far back".

"Which is why we might need to do a few more test loops" Trok replied, "But I think we can do this".

Xolin bit her lip in worried contemplation, "I'm...not completely sold on this".

"Why not?" Trok asked her, confused, "This is our best shot at fixing this!"

She shrugged half-heartedly, "I dunno. Do...we really have the right to reset months worth of history—to undo everyone else's lives without their consent?"

Trok moved to counter, but paused as her words sunk in, a frown crossing his face. She wasn't...*wrong*, but they were so close. They couldn't just...pass on this, could they?

Sid replied, his brow furrowed, "Considering that we're trying to make sure those same people have a chance at their lives going forward, I think we're okay using it this once. But I agree, once we do this, we need to get rid of the artifact, make sure no one else can use it. Acceptable?" he asked Xolin.

She sighed, frowning, before finally reluctantly nodding, "Acceptable".

Sid nodded back to the group, "Then let's do this".

* * *

Typical, this never would have happened in the lab. But no, Alpha had wanted her to get out of the base and stretch her legs for a bit—notably, without any of the others to assist.

Epsilon was not much one for excursions. Certainly, she could complete her objectives and do them admirably (otherwise she wouldn't have been on this team to begin with), but field trips were more Beta and Delta's thing. Epsilon's was behind a computer screen, in a controlled environment, preparing The Plan for the others behind the scene.

And so of course it was typical that what should have been a low-key search and reconnaissance mission should have turned into what appeared to be a low-budget sci-fi movie.

"So what exactly happened?" she asked her holoscreen in the cockpit of her personal transport. Onscreen stood their...well, 'ally', she supposed, even if she didn't fully trust him. About an hour ago she'd been fighting the rangers for the artifact he'd alerted them too, and now...well, it was five hours earlier.

The Man with the Briefcase rubbed his chin thoughtfully, _"It would seem the rangers inadvertently activated the device's potential. Interesting"_.

"But you remember, right? We've already had this conversation?" she asked hopefully for confirmation.

"_Indeed"_ the Man said, putting his hand in his pocket, _"I am not quite as bound to your sense of linear time, so such loops don't have the same effect on me"_.

...Yeah, that wasn't weirdly creepy at all. In truth, she hated every interaction with the man; he was just so unsettling in all the subtlest ways—the way he talked, moved...existed. It creeped her out. "So what do I do?" she asked him, "How do I unstick myself?"

"_Once you have the relic in your possession, it will be a simple matter. I will guide you through it"_ the Man said calmly.

"And until then?" she pressed.

"_Until then, I would imagine you have a lot of work to do"_ the Man replied.

"...You're not being a lot of help" Epsilon grumbled tersely.

The Man appeared nonchalant, _"On the contrary. I have both provided you with the location of a powerful relic that would almost certainly assure the completion of your team's objectives, and promised to provide you with easy guidance to the solution to your current plight. But I cannot do your job for you—a mere six hour window exists that precludes my involvement due to distance. This is on you"._

Epsilon sighed testily, expelling her frustrations as she tried to center herself, "Fine. I'll get you that relic". He was useless as usual; typical.

The Man smiled diplomatically, _"There was never any doubt"._

The orange-armored figure cut the link, leaving her with just the low hum of her craft's engines. Epsilon took a moment to think—she was going to need some extra muscle, and quickly considering how little of a deadline she had to work with. Activating a small holo-console beside her, she quickly typed in an access code. The console vanished with a flicker, replaced by the bulkhead opening up into a sliding drawer, filled with a small but vibrant collection of SPD prison cards the Antipodes had...commandeered from SPD's vaults. Carefully, she pulled the cards out of their slots and began to look them over, trying to decide which one to activate.

"...Who's going to be my lucky stooge?" she asked quietly, as she pondered her choices. She briefly considered letting them all loose, just to make sure the rangers couldn't overpower her, but that was a bad idea—letting an entire contingent of maximum security felons free with no allegiance to her all at once was a disaster waiting to happen. What if they turned on her, after all? No, this required a more...deft touch than just something Delta would have done.

"...Hmm, you'll do" she said, picking her card. Placing the others back in the drawer and letting it close shut, she took her choice and swiped it through the card reader. The card vanished from her hand, and in a flash of light, behind her chair now stood her new accomplice. Epsilon turned her chair to face the intimidating form of the monster. She stood seven feet tall, clad in thick, black plated armor with gold trim, designed to look like scales with obvious dragon insignia sculpted into it. A cape hung at her side.

"Dragon Lord. Wanted in six different galaxies for wanton mass destruction. Ready to earn your freedom?" Epsilon asked.

Dragon Lord virtually didn't move, not so much as a twitch or a slight shift to get a more comfortable stance. The only indication she gave that she'd heard Epsilon at all was a slight nod.

* * *

Teldara IV wasn't the most pleasant of worlds. Technically it existed within its star's habitable zone, and was certainly large enough to maintain a viable biosphere. Unfortunately 'technically' and 'would I go on vacation here' are two entirely different concepts. Teldara IV, while it had a breathable atmosphere and a vibrant array of native life, was really frigging cold unless you were somewhat near one of the numerous volcanic hotspots created by the planet's hyper-active tectonic activity.

Sadly, the rangers were not.

The trio of morphed figures were currently in the middle of an ice valley, surrounded on three sides by mountainous cliffs. The area wasn't lifeless; the valley itself hosted a somewhat thin evergreen forest that pockmarked the otherwise endless landscape of snow and white. Wedged in the corner of the valley and towering up almost to the cliffs was a large, expansive outdoor complex made of...well, they weren't sure. It was metal, they'd supposed, but also...stone? It wasn't quite like anything any of them had seen before.

Well no, they'd seen it almost six hours ago exactly, but same difference really.

It was ethereal in design, filled with arches and pathways that seemed to go nowhere—or at least nowhere now that it was a snow-filled dilapidated ruin. If Sid didn't know any better, he'd have been hard pressed not to think of it too far off from some sort of Tolkin-eqsue elven design.

"'Yaani'" Xolin said, letting the strange word roll off her tongue. She frowned as she looked up at the ruins, "Never heard of them before today, I don't think".

Trok's voice piped up from somewhere behind one of the half-buried stairwells a few yards away as he worked, "Neither had I. Then again, you know how many new unknown ancient civilizations are discovered around the local supergroup every year?"

"How many?" she asked him, curious.

"...I was asking you, actually" he called back, "I bet it's a lot, though. Anyway, it's not that unusual we've never heard of them—I looked them up a bit before we got here". The green ranger pulled himself up out of his hole before heading for the central pillar structure, "Turns out they were only discovered last year. They vanished seventy-two million years ago, it's not surprising so few of their structures survived".

"Seventy-two" Sid repeated to himself before whistling, "Damn".

Xolin looked over at the red ranger as Trok had moved over to the central pillar, now out of easy earshot.

"Okay, something else that's been bothering me" she told Sid, "The Alliance knows about this place, right? Like, we stole the records from them when we hacked Outpost 5-7 looking for Sel. They know it's some kind of super powerful time...thing".

Sid nodded, finishing her thought for her, "...But where are the people, right?"

She sagged with relief that he shared her concern, "Yeah, exactly. I can understand if there's not a whole platoon or whatever—the war and all, but you'd think there would be at least a few scientists here".

Sid frowned, glancing away at the icy cliffs, "...Yeah, that's been bugging me too. It'd be one thing if there were at least signs someone had been here, but there's *nothing*, not even on scanners. If anyone's even been here at all in the last seventy million years, then the snow's hiding it pretty damn well".

"Trap?" she asked him.

He considered it, but no. "...If it was a trap, we'd have sprung it by now".

"Temporal shenanigans?" she asked, going through her mental checklist of most likely options, "Maybe the research team did something they weren't supposed to and...I don't know, vanished from reality?"

"God I hope not" Sid grumbled at that cheery idea, "That'd be bad news for us. But...I don't know, I don't *think* so? Otherwise the SPD records either wouldn't exist, or they'd have big warning labels everywhere".

Xolin sighed, frustrated, "So what gives then?"

Sid shrugged, at a loss, "Got me. We can only hope it's that they just haven't gotten around to it yet. Project funding or something".

"Hey guys, could you give me a hand over here?" Trok called to them. The two rangers headed over to his location in the center of the ruins as the green ranger waved at them.

"What's up?" Xolin asked him.

Trok stepped away from the center pillar. It was a curious device, three stories tall and twice as wide as a person, with intricate designs almost like constellations covering every inch. A few of them were lit up—Trok had been experimenting with touching them, and each one he did, different ones would light up or turn off. His own computers and equipment littered the snow-covered floor, each of them plugged in and delivering detailed readouts of the situation.

"I'm trying to figure out the relic's operating system" Trok explained, "It's sort of a slow go, since I'm having to hunt and peck. I never was much for foreign languages".

Both Sid and Xolin's eyes widened as worry flooded through them. "Wait, you're figuring it out through *trial and error*?!" Sid exclaimed at what looked to be a very bad idea.

Trok chuckled, waving his panic off, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Everything's still mostly powered down right now, I'm just getting a basic translation through a system's check" he paused when he saw their forms deflate from stress. "...I'm not stupid, you know" he said, in a quieter voice.

"Ah..." Sid rubbed his helmet, ashamed, "You're right. I'm sorry".

"Same" Xolin replied, equally chastened. Trok might get a little overexcited at times, but he wasn't crazy.

"Right" the green ranger took a deep breath, forcing his enthusiasm to return. He pointed to two of the smaller pillars surrounding the central one at the edges of the central circular area of the ruins which held up the archways. The two formed an equilateral triangle with the central device. "Each of you take one of those two pillars. Ideally I think, we'd need someone for each pillar, but I think this'll work".

"What are we doing exactly?" Sid asked as they did as he'd said.

"This whole thing, this structure, is a giant puzzle, I think" Trok explained, "Designed to be operated by a certain number of people, probably to avoid having it be abused by any less than the whole group who...well, owned it I guess".

"Okay so, *can* we do it with just three?" Xolin asked him.

Trok shrugged, "That's still way off. Right now I'm just trying to decipher constellations. Let me know if this does anything".

Sid frowned, "Wait, if what does anything? I thought you said you had this powered—oh, huh, wow"

"What is it?" Trok asked excitedly.

Sid cocked his head at the pillar, "One of the constellations is glowing. The uh...snake thing, I think".

"Huh" Xolin chimed in, "I've got some sort of horse".

"Hmm" Trok thought for a moment, "...Each of you check the other pillars. See if there's a pattern".

"If there's not?" asked Xolin as she and Sid headed to the next pillars out.

Trok shrugged, "Then the puzzle is likely of a larger scope, which means we'll have to do this for everything I input".

"King" Sid said at the next pillar, "Or some sort of nobility, anyway".

"Wizard" Xolin added from her spot, "Mage. Whichever".

And so on they went. For several minutes, Trok would input new data, and again the other two would list off which constellations were lit up.

"...I want to test something" Trok said after a few rounds where which pillars displayed which icons. Going back to one of the earlier commands they'd already used—the serpent, Trok lit up some of the pre-existing constellations, "Find the snake and press it".

Sid did so, "Got it".

Trok nodded, then pressed the next command, "Did the pillar switch?"

Sid looked at it, mildly surprised to still find the serpent glowing, "...No, actually. Still the snake".

"Find the snake again" Trok said to Xolin. She nodded and moved over to another pillar, pressing the snake constellation.

"Done".

A beeping noise stopped them. Xolin opened the holoscreen on her morpher; their powers had been altering them to incoming hostile targets. Xolin's eyes narrowed, "Looks like that Antipode's back".

"Epsilon, right?" Sid asked, trying to keep them all straight in his head as he checked out Xolin's sensor map, "...Looks like she brought a friend this time too. Guess we can forget the possibility she wasn't pulled along with us". Unfortunate; the fact that Epsilon was looping along with them made things much more complicated.

"Yay" Xolin deadpanned with all the enthusiasm of a child who had to go to school, "We're having so much fun".

Right on cue, a new voice called out from the edges of the complex; an orange armored warrior marched up the steps, staring down the three rangers from down the walk to the central section, "By the sound of it, I assume your time looping plan didn't go off well, children?"

Trok eyed her incredulously, "What plan?! You're the one who fired on the artifact!"

"This time don't dodge and I promise I won't hit it" Epsilon sneered.

Sid cracked his knuckles as he moved himself between Epsilon and the two other rangers. The best way to deal with this was to head it off as fast as possible; the less chances she had to get close to the device, the better, "Go home, Epsilon. We already proved to you last time that you can't take us all on at once".

Epsilon fumed in anger. He was right though; she wasn't amazing at combat—she was a tech specialist for crying out loud. If Delta were here, or Beta, these rangers would be in trouble. But no, Epsilon had been sent alone. Typical.

Well, not totally alone.

She sneered, "Well, it's a good thing I don't need to" she surmised, "I imagine your green ranger is busy doing...whatever" she tried to get a good look, but Sid moved to block her in a decidedly immature fashion, his arms folded over his chest. Typical. "Whatever. I'd like to introduce you to my new friend, Dragon Lord". She motioned behind her, and up came her travel mate. The knight in onyx-black scaled plate armor stood there, unmoving. The red and blue rangers stood ready.

"Well, don't be shy" Epsilon cooed at the monster, "Show me what you've got".

The knight silently unsheathed her claymore sword from her back, then began almost casually walking towards the two rangers, somehow carrying her blade with only one hand. Sid and Xolin tensed—this wasn't a good omen.

"You guys need me?" Trok asked worriedly. He was getting some bad vibes here.

"No" Sid called back, "Just do your thing. We'll keep 'em busy".

"You sure about this?" Xolin asked him, her voice barely above a whisper as the knight strode closer.

Sid's response was direct; "Nope". With that, the red ranger launched into a run, uncrouching and shoving himself at the monster. Xolin quickly followed suit, but before she got there Sid and Dragon Lord were already engaging each other.

Well, 'engaging'. Sid struck first, rounding on the monster with a solid kick to the side. The knight was unfazed, and with a simple swing of her sword, the red ranger was sent flying with a shower of sparks into the wall of the ruins.

Xolin narrowly avoided the second swing, being the fastest member of the team, which honestly should have been an advantage here against a slower enemy. It wasn't of course; her attack met with even less impact than Sid's. A second attack was parried by the enemy, and before she knew it Xolin was on the defensive, narrowly dodging sword hits just as Sid rejoined the fray.

Both of them got clear after a short engagement—bad move. Taking her sword, Dragon Lord stabbed the claymore into the ruin floor, and electrical energy spewed out, snaking along the ground to the two rangers. Their suits exploded in a shower of sparks as they fell back. The knight followed up her attack by charging up her blade with dark energy as she pulled it out of the ground and swung back. Her attack sent a wave of dark power at the two rebounding rangers, knocking them off their feet. They struggled to get back up, their suits smoking.

The knight merely began to unflinchingly walk towards them, sword in hand.

"She's not messing around" Xolin said, grasping at her shoulder where some of the pain was strongest, "Options?"

Sid's mind raced as the monster almost casually strolled towards them. She had to have a weakpoint somewhere, but where...aaah, of course!

Dragon Lord swung the claymore down, which the two rangers dodged both it and the resulting energy shockwave by rolling out of the way in opposite directions. They flanked the monster on both sides, trying to keep her off-balance in a teamwork operation that had long since ceased to require verbal communication between the two to pull off. Xolin struck first, and when the monster turned on her, Sid came in from the other side. Rinse and repeat.

"The sword!" Sid said to Xolin, "All of her attacks are from the sword!"

"Got it!" the blue ranger replied, summoning her lance. With a spin, Xolin attacked the knight's wrist with the intent of breaking her hold on her claymore. Xolin never got a clean shot though, as the blade came for her. The blue ranger attempted to block or dodge, but instead ended up being flipped over on the ground. She rolled out of the way to avoid an attack, but by the time she'd rightened herself again, the next blow was incoming. The sword came down and Xolin brought her lance up to block.

SNAP.

The shattered remains of Xolin's weapon fell to the ground as the monster's sword cut into the blue ranger repeatedly. Xolin fell back, her suit smoking.

"Xol!" Sid called, but before he could assist he found he'd now attracted the monster's attention. Sid rolled out of the way of another attack as he summoned his own weapon, but when he attempted to strike back, he found his ax cut in half by the defending claymore.

"...Man, that ain't good" Sid muttered, just before being struck down by the sword.

As they fought, Trok furiously worked on the machine—not that it was going too well. It'd been one thing on Triforia when he'd been nearly done with the battlizer. But this...translating all of this, figuring out how it all worked, it was going to take him forever, and he somehow had to do all of it now while his friends were fighting!?

No, focus. Sel needed this. The universe needed this.

"Looks like your friends are busy" said Epsilon's voice behind him. Realizing his problem was largely academic now, the green ranger spun around, blaster in hand as he got off a volley. The antipode leaped out of the way, landing next to him before kicking the gun out of his hand. The two exchanged blows, with Trok blocking her first two punches before attempting to twist her arm to throw her to the ground. Instead, she spun around him before kicking him away.

She began reciting some sort of spell—what language Trok couldn't even begin to guess, but he knew that whatever resulted from it would be bad if she managed to finish. The green ranger summoned his hammer and attacked, knocking the wind out of the antipode and interrupting her chanting long enough for the spell to flicker and die.

Epsilon growled as she lunged at Trok, but the green ranger was ready. Several low-key fire spells were quickly parried by is hammer as he stepped back, even as she pressed forward.

"Give it *up*, kid" the antipode said wearily, "My monster's got your friends outclassed and you're on the defensive. Just gimmie the relic and I'll let you go".

"And then you end the universe, right?" Trok challenged, "Counter-deal: you give us Sel and go away forever".

"Cute" Epsilon countered as they continued to dance around each other, moving around the central pillar, "But you aren't good at coming up with the quips. Leave them to the professionals".

In response, Trok attacked. Epsilon summoned her sword and the two weapons clashed. With his superior strength, Trok began to pull her weapon aside. Realizing she was losing, Epsilon pulled her weapon out and attempted to strike dead on. Trok knew he'd been played, but swung over in a wild bid to prevent her and—uh oh.

Her blade cut into him as she dodged his strike, and the green ranger hit the ground. She stepped towards him menacingly, sword pointed at him and ready to strike. Before she could however, a faint hum could be heard.

Both the green ranger and orange antipode looked over at where the noise was coming from, and discovered to their shock that the pillar had powered up and was now crackling with energy. The two instinctively shifted away as light filled the ruin.

"...Oh" Epsilon muttered with disdain as she realized where this was headed, "Son of a-"

* * *

Sid glanced down at his bowl of cereal, resisting the urge to scream.

"Sweet merciful god in heaven" he muttered in disdain, rubbing his eyes.

* * *

"So what happened?" Sid asked, trying to keep his frustration under wraps as he circled the war room, "I thought the artifact was powered down".

Trok scratched his head as he pondered this, "It *was* powered down, I made sure of that. I don't understand".

From across the table, Xolin searched through the ship's database, multiple holo-screens surrounding her. She spoke up even as she still worked, "Um...stupid person question here. But if we set it off the first time...is it possible we're still...I don't know, linked to it somehow?"

Sid shot a glance at Trok, who grimaced as he considered the possibility, a thousand-yard stare developing as realization sunk in, "It's...possible. We don't know what kind of damage Epsilon did the first time round. It's possible that whatever her weapon fire did, it short-circuited the machine and we're still feeling the effects on a deeper level than just one loop".

Sid sighed, rubbing his face, "Great. Another time loop. Fantastic".

"...'Another'?" Trok asked curiously.

Sid shook his head, leaning his arm on the back of a chair, "It's a long story. Back when I was a cadet, the academy on Mirinoi was attacked by a monster who could manipulate time. He trapped us in a time bubble for a month on the outside, repeating the same day over and over. It was awful. First you get bored, then you get frustrated and then..." Sid's eyes went blank as the memories clouded over. His voice became distant, hollow, "...Then the cabin fever sets in".

Trok stared at him, a little unsettled, "Uh..."

"Found her!" Xolin exclaimed in triumph, interrupting Sid's sudden bout of PTSD. The two rangers shook themselves from the moment and quickly joined Xolin, looking at the screen she was pointing at, "Dragon Lord. Not much in her file, but..."

Sid whistled as he skimmed over Dragon Lord's SPD file, "...Damn, wanted in six different galaxies". His brow furrowed as he read on, "...She's a class B monster. Explains a lot, but not good for us".

"Class B?" Trok asked.

Sid explained, "SPD classifies monsters by power rating. In general, class E are grunt troops. Class D and C are your average monsters, Class B are high-class monsters, like generals. Class A are of course usually reserved for evil overlords, and Class S, well...I think you get the idea".

"So we're dealing with an above average monster" Xolin surmised.

"Something else to consider" Sid added, "Epsilon's in the loop with us; she sent Dragon Lord after us with the express intent of trying to outflank us. That means she likely has more monsters on the SPD most wanted list in her employ".

Xolin followed along, "Which means even if we do find Dragon Lord's weakness, that doesn't mean she won't just switch her out for another criminal".

"Exactly".

"Okay" Xolin sighed, "Another stupid person question. What if we just destroy the device? Will that undo all of this, or send us into some sort of hellish eternal limbo?"

"Time doesn't really...work like that. We destroy the device, we end the loop I think" Trok said, "Basically, we break the tether linking us. But we also lose our chance to save Sel".

"...You really want to keep doing this?" Xolin asked him skeptically.

Trok nodded assuredly, "Yeah, I really do. If we can just figure out how it works, I *know* we can save Sel". He turned to Sid, "All we need to do is figure out the method of the constellations. It's like a puzzle!"

"Uh...Trok, there's like a thousand different constellations" Xolin countered.

Trok interjected, "Technically, there's only eight hundred and twelve. And only twenty-three are major ones".

Xolin continued unabated, "-You really think we can decipher that in just six hour loops?"

Trok gave her a firm, determined smile, "Xol, if there's anything I've learned it's that, together? We can do *anything*".

Xolin gave something of a disgusted snort, but relented as she turned to Sid for confirmation.

Sid sighed, knowing this went against his better judgment, "...Yeah, alright. Since we can just shut this down at any time, it's not like there's any real stakes here" he paused, "...Except possibly losing our sanity anyway".

"Yes!" Trok said, pumping his fist in the air as he got up. Before anyone could do anything, he'd already ducked out of the room and back in, now carrying a large mobile blackboard in tow.

Sid squinted in confusion, "...Wait, where'd you get a blackboard?"

Trok ignored him, already jotting down the constellation chicken scratches that he'd remembered from the last loop, "Okay so since we can't rely on computer data since that doesn't loop with us, we're all going to need to do some memorizing..."

"...I'm regretting this decision already" Xolin mumbled to Sid.

Sid steeled himself, gripping tightly the back of the seat he was leaning against, "Just keep telling yourself, it's for Sel, it's for Sel, it's for Sel".

"Is it helping?" she asked him.

"...Ask me in like, five loops" Sid muttered back, keeping an unblinking gaze on the blackboard.

Trok glanced back, realizing he'd lost them, "Come on guys, it's not that bad, just some rote memorization. What's the worst that could happen?"

* * *

What indeed?

A patch of snow exploded as the red ranger rolled out of the way of one of Dragon Lord's attacks, "Xol, NOW!"

The blue ranger launched herself at the monster's side, her boots kicking through the snow as she raced into her opponent, lance at the ready. The two traded blows, which ended badly for Xolin as the blue ranger was casually slashed away. Sid took his opening and—oh.

It didn't hurt, not really. Not at the moment, anyway. It was just kind of...odd, having a claymore stick through his midsection and out the other side. His torn suit sparked slightly at the point of impact as Sid felt the very odd sensation of cold steel against his front and back simultaneously.

"Well" he managed to croak out just before his body gave way, "...That's unfortunate".

"Another go around?" Xolin asked him as she dug her way out of the snow.

Sid's response was faint but in agreement, "Uh huh!"

FLASH!

* * *

Trok scratched his head as he looked over his blackboard which was now covered in rough constellation sketches in the most convoluted relationship graph he'd ever seen. So convoluted in fact, that he couldn't even read it anymore.

Maybe this wasn't the right way to go about things.

He groaned.

FLASH!

* * *

Epsilon slammed her fist on the dashboard of her personal transport, having just arrived back from another loop. Then she slammed it again. And again. And again, this time with a raging, frustrated yell.

This wasn't working. None of this was working. She was just looping again and again and again and…

She paused, counting to five and calming herself before she looked at her SPD cards. The definition of crazy was doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result. So...why not experiment a little?

She chose a different card.

FLASH!

* * *

The rangers aimed the Defender Cannon at the hapless llama-themed monster. Three seconds later, it didn't exist.

FLASH!

* * *

Trok didn't know why the urinal monster was wanted in eighty-three different star systems, and honestly he didn't *want* to know. In any case, his Battle Lancer made quick work of it.

FLASH!

* * *

The red ranger, armored in the battlizer, came down on the sunflower...shovel...gym locker...soda bottle…thing that stood before him.

"Magna Beam!" Sid shouted, as his twin gauntlets powered up. The monster didn't stand a chance.

* * *

FLASH!

There was a Hostess twinkie monster.

It died.

* * *

FLASH!

Sid glanced down at his bowl of cereal. For a long moment he did nothing. Then, silently and without a blank expression on his face, got up and grabbed the bowl, dropping it into the disposal before heading back over to the synthatron and ordering some goddamn pancakes.

* * *

FLASH!

"Okay so, remember, the sword links to the shield, which links to the cat...bear...thing, which links to the sailing ship, but only if accompanied by the scepter, otherwise it links to the-"

Trok's lecture as he jotted random symbols down on the blackboard came to a sudden halt as Xolin, who had planted her face on the table, arms folded around as a pillow, began to issue the most skin-peeling cry-slash-moan of indescribable hatred and contempt for all of existence that anyone had ever heard. It lasted for a good twenty seconds, until Xolin's lungs simply ran out of ammunition. The room lapsed into uncomfortable silence as the other two rangers watched her unmoving form, uncertain of how to proceed.

It was Trok who first recovered his wits as he turned back to the blackboard, "...So, as I was saying..."

* * *

FLASH!

Xolin issued a haggard sigh in the observation lounge, going over the endless bullshit one more time even though her mind was filled to the brim. It was for Sel, she told herself. It was for Sel.

She was so focused on her self-loathing that she almost didn't notice Sid in full pirate getup walk into the lounge, pilfer the supply behind the bar, and leave without saying anything. In fact, it was a good five or so seconds after she left before her mind finally put the pieces together that maybe this didn't all add up and did that really happen?

* * *

FLASH!

With a defiant battle cry, Epsilon traded blows with Sid, each blocking or dodging the others kicks and punches like an elaborate dance. Xolin was already down for the count, and this time the monster was focusing on Trok. She could do this; she was about to *win*!

Her brief second of glory cost her, as Sid gripped her by the arm and swung her aside, tossing her into the snow. Pressing against the ground with her hand as she almost landed, she flipped herself around, before launching back at Sid, caught off guard by her sudden rebound. A solid kick to the helmet later and the red ranger was down. She pulled out her blaster, giggling. Not like, a triumphant laugh but more like someone who was becoming just ever-so-slightly unhinged. It was a giggle of desperation.

And then the pillar began to crackle with energy. Epsilon stopped in her tracks, her shoulders slumping as she looked over at the light show. Any hope of victory this round was gone; she'd run out of time. Again. Gripping her gun, she took one last glance at it, then in a fit of petulant rage threw it into the snow.

"SON OF A-"

* * *

FLASH!

They'd long since stopped having war-room meetings; there was no real point to it now. All that was left was the grind; the sort of cramming session college students would get into before finals because they'd slept through class all semester. Trok had given them another round of constellation 'translations' to memorize, and Xolin felt like her mind was ready to melt.

She'd been so frustrated and tired and ready to strangle Trok that she hadn't noticed she hadn't seen Sid at all since...well, since last loop, actually. It wasn't until several hours in that she realized he was persona non grata. Once they realized Sid was AWOL, the two remaining rangers had split up to find him.

They were already late for the trip down to the surface this time, and yet she and Trok continued to scour the ship for any hint as to Sid's location—which was becoming increasingly frustrating because they couldn't seem to find him. The ship's sensors couldn't locate him, and for a moment Trok was freaking out because it felt like Last Time—but there was no indication he'd ever left the ship.

You ever misplace something but know it was in a limited area, so you comb every inch repeatedly as you slowly feel like you're going mad? It was kind of like that.

Finally, she found him. Why she'd not thought to check the 'below-deck' area beforehand, she didn't know, but felt silly in retrospect, especially after checking every other room on the ship like six times. Idly wondering why the sensors hadn't detected him down here at the very bottom of the ship, she quickly found her answer via the disabled sensor network nodes that lined the cramped area—he'd intentionally turned them off.

Below-Deck was usually cramped anyway, with there only being enough space to crouch and being hemmed in by numerous utilities and fencing. But now it was even more claustrophobic, as Sid had covered almost the entire floor in dominoes. The mosaic he was constructing was epic in design, filled with swirls and waves, like a work of art.

"...What are you doing?" she asked him, hopping into the small, cramped space, "We're late".

"I'm taking this loop off" Sid said casually, not bothering to look in her direction as he placed another domino into position.

Xolin sputtered incrediously, "You...you can't take loops off!"

"Why not?" Sid placed another domino down, "It's not like it matters, we'll all just reloop again anyway, and I need a breather".

She couldn't exactly disagree with that sentiment, "...What *is* all this?" she asked him, motioning to the stationary circus that surrounded them.

"Dominoes" Sid replied blandly, setting another one in place, "Almost done".

Xolin could only articulate one question, "...Why?"

"Because I've lost control of my life".

Then they heard it—the hum. Everything glowed.

FLASH!

* * *

When Xolin arrived at the workbay, she found Sid face-down at the table.

"Are...you okay?" she asked him.

His voice was quiet, barely above a whisper, "...Didn't even get to topple the dominoes".

Well, this was awkward. She rubbed her arm self-consciously, "Do...do you want to talk about it?"

"No".

FLASH!

* * *

"Okay, now, the scorpion. Hit the scorpion" Trok said, as he worked on the central pillar. When no answer came, he looked over, "...Guys?"

No one was there. He looked around, but paused when he heard a soft 'pat', like snow hitting something, followed by a scream. Trok headed over to the front of the ruins, and saw before him something actually pretty impressive; an elaborate landscape of forts and walls built from ice—likely sculpted using grid power.

His theory was quickly proven correct when he saw the blue ranger leap over a wall, snowballs in hand as she came down on Sid, who responded by kicking a cloud of snow in her face.

Somewhere else in this vast maze, Epsilon was lost.

FLASH!

* * *

"THAT'S IT!" Trok shouted at the top of his lungs. The other two raced into the workbay after hearing him scream.

"What's going on?" Xolin asked breathlessly.

"I've got it!" Trok declared, with quite possibly the widest grin either of them had seen on him plastered to his face, "I know how to work the machine!" his smile faltered slightly, "...Kinda sorta".

"...Trok?" Sid replied, his tone skeptical. He didn't want to go off on half-baked ideas. Either they were going to do this right, or not at all.

"No, no, it's fine" the horathean reassured him, "I don't know *everything* of course, but that's not important. What *is* important is that I know how to get Sel back. We can do this!"

"Awesome!" Xolin replied, a smile forming despite herself. This would be over soon, finally. AND they'd have Sel back! "So what do we do?"

Trok motioned to the room. It was filled to the brim with posters and papers and blackboards that contained the sum works of the constellation art from the ruins and how they were interrelated, "I just need you guys to finish memorizing this. I'll be right back, I gotta go check on something". Before either of them could question, Trok had shot out of the room, leaving Xolin and Sid standing in a flood of notes and constellations. For a moment, it was dead silent.

Xolin let out a haggard breath, "I'm going to kill him".

"No, no" Sid replied, shaking his head in dismay, "It's not worth it. He'll only respawn next loop".

* * *

Trok could barely contain his joy as he worked on the central pillar. If he had to hold on much longer, he thought he'd explode from the anticipation. They were going to get Sel back! They were going to stop the Antipodes before they did anything! They'd be able to stop the war before it was lost! They'd even get Isdilian back, and somehow, Trok knew, they'd be able to reason with him.

They'd be a family again. A team. THE team. Peacekeeper Team Twelve, the Confederacy's last, best hope.

They were so close.

"Okay, the wheel constellation's active" Trok said, "Sid, you're up!"

"On it!" the red ranger exclaimed, moving from pillar to pillar, inputting the code of symbols that he'd spent god knew how long memorizing. There was a brief moment of panic when he wasn't sure if the bird came before or after the fish, but quickly remembered and pressed forward. "Sailing ship is active!"

"Xolin, go!" Trok ordered.

The blue ranger did as she was told, quickly pacing around the pillar arches and lighting up her chosen icons. The central pillar began to hum with activity, but it was still a bit too early for the loop reset—it was working! Trok let loose a small maniacal giggle as the entire complex began to activate.

"This is it".

The central pillar began to shift and move, splitting into several chunks that separated and floated in midair like a jigsaw puzzle. And in the center of it all sat a glowing orb of light, encased in what looked like some sort of hourglass. It almost hurt to look at it, but yet somehow it was ethereal, calm and safe. Trok's smile couldn't get any bigger under his helmet, "The power core". He'd been right.

"Step away from the device!" Epsilon shrieked, now standing behind them, down the steps. She and Dragon Lord prepared to fight.

Trok looked at them smugly, "You're too late". The green ranger twisted the hourglass and then fliped it over, then with a single push hit two of the constellations on two different chunks of the pillar. The central pillar recombined as Trok called out to the others, "NOW!"

Xolin and Sid quickly entered their respective codes into the archway pillars. The entire complex lit up.

"YES!" Trok shouted triumphantly, shooting his fist into the air. His celebration was cut short however, as the ground shook violently and without warning. The first shock, and everyone remained standing.

"Uh...Trok?" Sid got out, concerned, before a second, more violent shock sent everyone tumbling. Even Dragon Lord was forced to hold herself up against the wall.

Xolin looked around worriedly as a third shock hit, and didn't abate, "What's going on!?"

Everything got brighter and brighter, energy crackling everywhere. The power continued to build as the entire complex headed towards an overload. A beam of light shot from the central pillar into the sky, and lesser beams from the arches fed into it like a kaleidoscope of light. The roaring sound and blinding light numbed everyone to their surroundings as worry translated into HOLY SHIT terror. Sid closed his eyes and waited for the end as old memories of smoke and fire rose up. Another team was dying; his only consolation was that he was going with them.

Xolin hugged the ground. She'd never been comfortable with the thought of death—even her self-sacrifice on Triforia had been borne of of necessity. And at least then, she'd chosen it and could fight to the end. Here, now, all she could do was feel the pressure building and then release as everything vanished around her. All she could do was wonder in fear as what would happen after she crossed over. All she could do was *think*.

Trok shouted in a mixture of frustration, fear, and denial. Had he messed up? He'd followed the instructions *explicitly*! Okay sure, yeah, he wasn't fluent in the constellation network, but he'd figured it out, right? This had to work.

It HAD to.

He held on tightly and prayed to whatever spirits would listen.

Epsilon decided to meet the end with dignity, pulling herself up to a sitting position, and letting the power flow over her. She'd done her best for the cause; now she would rest.

The world was ripped away.

FLASH!

* * *

When Epsilon came to, she was sitting in her seat onboard her private shuttlecraft, same as every other loop.

She…she'd been convinced she'd been about to die. Instead, she was sitting here, about to start yet another endless loop.

She screamed.

* * *

Sid came to in a bed. His bed, he quickly noticed. At first he was confused; sort of that groggy morning amnesia where for a split second you forget what happened the night before. And then it hit him—the time loop, the fight with Epsilon, the flash-

Sid almost leaped out of bed, flying over to his computer terminal. Activating it, he impatiently waited for it to boot up so he could check the date, "Come on, come on..." He tried not to get his hopes up, but he couldn't help it. This loop was different, they hadn't come back at the right time. His heart raced in anticipation…

...And fell as all his hopes were dashed when the date finally came up—and it was today. Damn. Trok hadn't succeeded.

Maybe it was time to give this up.

But then, so why had he been in bed? To date, every loop had sent him back to breakfast. Sid checked the time, and his eyes widened in shock—it was two hours earlier than it had been last loop.

"Well I'll be damned" he breathed, "He actually did it". Not nearly enough to for anything practical of course, but it was a damn fine proof of concept. One or two more loops, and they might actually be able to pull this off. Sid grabbed his morpher off his nightstand, "Team meeting in the war room, ten minutes. Be there".

* * *

"Spirits. It worked! It actually worked!" Trok exclaimed, giddy as a school girl. It was taking all he had not to vibrate.

"Can you set it back further?" Sid asked him anxiously. Neither had taken a seat in the war room; both were far too wound up for that kind of shit.

"I...yeah, I think so" Trok replied, rubbing his scalp, "I just...I need twist the hourglass a bit more. I need to do some more calculations so we don't overshoot. But...*yes*, we should be able to do this!"

Sid laughed in bewilderment, "Your a madman, you know that? This is insane, and it's *working*".

"Desperation breeds innovation" Trok grinned, "By this time next...uh...today, we'll be months back in the past".

Sid briefly tried to make sense of that mess of tenses, but quickly decided against it, "Not bad for only...what was it, twenty-eight loops?"

Trok stared at him in confusion, "What are you talking about? We did forty-two".

Sid eyed him incredulously, "No...we...didn't" he said slowly, suddenly second-guessing himself, "I counted. Even if I was off by a few, it wouldn't be *that* big of a discrepancy".

Trok was about to reply, but their conversation came to an abrupt end as a bleary-eyed Xolin entered the room, "Someone mind telling me why we decided to have a team meeting at the crack of dawn" she muttered in annoyance.

"Well, technically in space-" Trok started, but Xolin cut him off as she slumped into one of the seats.

"Don't even start with me" she warned him, bringing up the console holo-display in front of her, "So what's up? Antipode attack? SPD files turn up something? Something with Nikki?"

"It worked" Trok told her excitedly.

"Yeah, didn't you notice?" Sid asked, "We went back two hours earlier than the last loop".

Xolin blinked, staring at them blankly, "Okay, I'll be honest, I haven't had my morning tea yet, but nothing you two said made any friggin' sense".

The two other rangers glanced at each other with concern, "Uh...Xol?" Sid asked, "Do you not remember?"

"Remember what?" she huffed in irritation. Whatever game this was, she was quickly losing interest.

His excitement vanishing, worry began to seep into Trok's expression, "The time loops. We've been looping dozens of times trying to get the alien relic we found to send us back further. ...You really don't remember?"

"...No, I don't" she said, a little weirded out. Part of her was still convinced this was some sort of stupid game, but the looks on their faces finally convinced her—Trok could never keep a straight face for that long.

"This isn't good" Sid muttered, looking at Trok, "Why didn't she come back with us?"

Trok shrugged, at a loss, "I don't have a clue. It doesn't make sense".

Their attention was drawn back to Xolin, who had suddenly gripped her head as if in pain.

"...Xol?" Sid asked concerned, "You okay?"

"Yeah" she nodded numbly, "Forget what I said. I'm here now".

"Wait...you remember?" Sid asked hopefully.

Xolin nodded, "Yeah. Guess I looped a little bit later than you guys. Weird".

Frowning, Trok felt an unsettling puzzle beginning to form in his mind, "Wait. So are we actually going back in time, or are we just sending memories back and inadvertently killing our past selves in the process?"

Sid put a hand on Trok's shoulder and shook his head sagely, "Dude, don't. That way lies madness".

"I'll tell you, twelve loops is quite enough for me" Xolin said blandly, "I'm ready to have this over and done with".

The other two did a double take. "Wait—what?" Sid managed.

She was taken aback by their reaction, "...What? Did I count wrong?"

"Trok and I have been looping for way more than that" Sid told her. She shot a look of surprise at him.

Trok's face paled as the implications sunk in—twelve, twenty-eight, forty-two. "Uh oh".

Forcing himself to take a deep, steady breath before he completely freaked the shit out, Sid asked evenly, "Trok, what did you do?"

"Uh..." Trok muttered worridly, "It's...it's okay, I can fix this". He wasn't entirely confident, but…hrn. His mind raced to come up with what possibly went wrong, "I think we desynched somehow. The machine might be bleeding into alternate...well, not timelines, exactly, but possibilities within itself, at least".

"That sounds...bad" Xolin said, "Can we stop it?"

"If we destroy the artifact, this'll all stop, right?" Sid asked Trok.

The horathean put his hands up in protest, "Woah, woah, wait. We can't destroy that thing!"

"Why not?" Sid asked him tersely, "You told us that if we destroy it, everything will snap back, right?"

"And then we lose our chance to undo all this!" Trok exclaimed, "We can't give up when we're this close!"

Xolin turned to him, worried, "I'm with Sid on this one, Trok. I think we're messing with stuff we're not supposed to. Loops are one thing but...this is crazy, and I'm a little scared".

"Yeah" Sid agreed, "This ain't right".

No. No, they couldn't do this. Not now, not when they were so *close*! "No, guys. Come on. I can fix this, I *know* I can" Trok said, now far more confident, "We're almost there. We can't give up now!"

"Trok..." Sid said, "I just don't think this is a good idea. What if we screw everything up even worse next time? The more we mess with this, the greater chance we won't be able to undo it".

"We won't" Trok said emphatically, "I promise. I know what to do next time. I know how to fix this. Next loop, we can bring Sel home!" Okay so, really he didn't *actually* know what had gone wrong or quite how to fix it, but he had ideas. Close enough, right? They could do this. They could really do this.

Xolin and Sid shared a look, frowning. Realizing he needed an extra voice on his side, Trok added, "What do you think, Peggy? We can do this, right?"

Xolin and Sid blinked—*who*?

"...Peggy?" Xolin asked uncertainly. The two got their answer when a bubbling noise came up behind them. Turning around, they saw what they least expected—a swabby sitting in one of the other chairs around the table. She had a colonial gown on and a bad blond, curly wig.

"...What?" Sid managed to blurt out.

Trok eyed him in confusion, "Yeah, y'know, Peggy? Peg-leg? Our pink ranger?"

Sid and Xolin shared another look, this time of bewilderment, before Sid muttered, "...This is a bad idea". This wasn't just limited to the loop anymore, was it? With the existence of a pink ranger he'd never known about until now (Sid tried to ignore the insanity of it being a swabby), that would have had to have been a timeline fork months ago, if not earlier. Everyone was diverging into different timelines—if things ever snapped back to normal, who would they even end up being? Was he even the same Sid still?

Frustrated, Trok closed his eyes, rubbing his nose. They couldn't...*do* this! Not when they were this close! No, they were going to finish this. "Look" he said, aggravated, "If you guys want to stay here, that's fine. Peggy and I will do this. But you said it yourself; the Antipodes are going to end the universe in the near future. We don't have time!"

"Trok-" Sid started.

"No!" Trok cut him off, "I know what I'm doing, alright?!"

Xolin spoke up, "Trok, we're just worried alright? We don't know what we're dealing with. I think we should just-"

"Just what, destroy it? Give up?" Trok was becoming increasingly angry.

"I'm saying we should find another way" she emphasized.

"So we should destroy it" Trok asked again for confirmation, "Give up on Sel".

"No, that's not-"

"Just like you gave up on Sid until he showed up to bail us out?!"

Silence fell over the group. Trok knew he'd gone too far, knew he'd been unfair, but he didn't care. He was angry, furious even. He couldn't give up, not now. Not when he was so close. Trok stormed out of the room, Peggy following, though she gave one last concerned look back before she left.

"...Xol?" Sid asked her softly.

She kept her gaze on an undefined spot on the table, looking like she'd had the wind knocked out of her, "...Who am I to tell him what to do?" she asked quietly. His words had been harsh but...they weren't entirely untrue. She'd basically told him to give up on everyone else, and then had been proven wrong. And while they'd basically made up, thing had been awkward since. If he really felt that way...why bother, right?

Realizing the situation was becoming critical, Sid took charge, "I'm going to go make sure he's not going to get himself killed, or worse. I could really use you".

She nodded vacantly as she summoned what was left of her willpower, "...Yeah. Yeah, alright". The triforian stood up and followed Sid out.

* * *

With only Peggy helping, Trok's work went by a bit slower, but it was only a matter of time until they unlocked the hourglass again. But they had to hurry, Trok knew, because any time Epsilon would show up again.

He was frustrated. Xolin and Sid had just given up, even when he was about to figure this out. They were ready to let Sel go, let the universe die. But he could fix this; and soon they'd have Sel and Isdilian and Iota back and it could be just like the good old days again. They could fix all of this.

The presence of two other beings behind him registered on his suit's sensors. He turned, seeing the red and blue rangers. Xolin hung back a bit, letting Sid take the lead.

"Are you here to help?" he asked with a guarded tone.

"I'm here to help keep you safe" Sid said, "I don't want you to do this, Trok. Please".

"I know what I'm doing" Trok grunted, tapping more constellations on the column.

Sid shook his head, "No, you don't. That's the problem. None of us know what we're doing here. We're kids playing with somebody else's loaded gun. Please".

Trok didn't stop, and before Sid could plead again, a familiar female voice spoke up, haggard and angry.

"RANGERS!" Epsilon bellowed, Dragon Lord at her side, "Stop it. Stop the goddamn loops *now*, or I will break you one by one".

"And then we just loop again" Sid bluffed, turning to her, "Face it, you're not in a place to bargain or threaten".

"Well see about that" Epsilon seethed. She nodded to Dragon Lord, "Kill them".

Behind Sid and Xolin, the central pillar opened up, "You can't beat time, Epsilon" the green ranger said as he grabbed hold of the hourglass, "And you never make it here early enough".

"NOOOO!" she shouted in desperation and fury, lunging past the two rangers. NOT AGAIN. NOT AGAIN.

"TROK, DON'T!" Xolin shouted turning to him just as he grabbed the device.

The green ranger paid no need as he grasped it in his hand. If a small twist had sent him back two hours further, then twisting it further proportionally should have given him the date he wanted—any minor discrepancies in the timeline could be ironed out after the loop ended.

The device was twisted.

"TROK, NO!" Sid shouted, a split second too late. A light brighter than anything he'd ever witnessed shown out through the ruins, obscuring everything. A second after that, a powerful shockwave sent everyone flying. Sid landed face-first in the snow, and for just an instant thought he'd looped again. But when he realized he was laying in a snowbank and the ruins were still surging with power, he realized something very different was happening. The ground shook, the sky quaked. A beam of pure morphin' power erupted into the air, and everything in the vicinity seemed to be charged with energy—even his suit's sensors were having trouble keeping track of it.

"TROK!" he shouted again, trying to approach the green ranger, even as the force of power slowed him down like a strong wind.

Trok's mind raced—this wasn't what was supposed to happen, was it? Why wasn't he teleporting? The green ranger rested against one of the arches, having been thrown there by the shockwave. He just...stared in confusion and worry as the hourglass floated above him in uncaring wrath.

No. No, he could fix this. Trial and error, he told himself. Trial and error. He stood up, grasping for the hourglass.

The red ranger pushed on regardless—he could see Xolin hanging on for dear life against the ruins, and Epsilon struggling to push forward as well.

"Sid?!" a familiar voice piped up beside him, "Where-what's going on?!"

Sid turned to see the black ranger standing beside him and bracing against the energy output. "Oh, hey Nikki". He turned to see...things happening around him. The snow morphed and shifted, objects formed and vanished. One second there was a snowbank, the next it was a snowman. One of the evergreen trees transformed into a cactus, and then into a large redwood. Ahead of him, the ruins shifted and reconfigured themselves. Sid gulped, "Just uh...witnessing the collapse of all space-time. You know, nothing big" he said plainly.

"WE HAVE TO STOP TROK!" Xolin shouted back at them, then resisted an urge to vomit, "...I think my breakfast switched from pastries to oatmeal".

Sid knew they had to end this, and fast. How long did they have before one of them transformed into a hat rack, or somebody's ottoman?

"Nikki, come on, we gotta get up there!" Sid called to the black ranger—then realized she was about half the size she'd been a second ago.

She frowned, looking down at her lack of legs and sudden new fish tail, "Uh...can't. I seem to be a mermaid now".

"...You're taking this awfully well" Sid replied.

She shrugged, a little concerned about her own passive reaction, "Probably a mixture of shock and childhood fantasy being fulfilled. I'll probably start screaming in a couple minutes. Go! Stop whatever Trok's doing!"

Sid pushed forward. As each successive wave of power washed over him, he'd change. One second he was a 1940's monochrome cartoon character, the next he was some sort of claymation abomination.

"Oh good" he muttered, "The nightmare of my own existence" he turned to Xolin, "Xol, come on!"

"Beep Boop" Xolin, now a 1940's computer, said.

"Great. Just great" Sid deadpanned.

Trok, meanwhile, was continuing to fiddle with the device, twisting it back and forth, trying to figure out how it worked with increasing panic, which only served to reinforce his frustration, "Come on, come on! I know you work, why won't you work?!"

"TROK!" Sid bellowed, finally making his way up to the green ranger's position, and now some sort of alligator person, "DESTROY IT! NOW!"

"NO!" Trok shot back, clutching the device protectively as he stepped away.

"SPACETIME IS UNRAVELING, YOU IDIOT!" Sid exclaimed, "GIVE ME THE DEVICE!"

"I CAN FIX THIS!" Trok shouted back.

Sid shook his head, "No, you can't! If you could have fixed this, you would have by now. Know when to cut your losses! It's *over*".

"We've come too far already!" Trok said emphatically, desperate, "We're so *close*. Don't you want to see Sel again?!"

Sid's form slackened, "...More than anything. But not at the cost of reality".

"I just need-"

"NO!" Sid cried, stepping forward, "End it, NOW!"

Trok stepped back "NO!" he shouted, before slashing the device against the air. Reality seemed to ripple and tear, forming a portal of some kind. For a split second Trok hesitated, but as Sid lunged at him, he decided to jump through, Sid following.

* * *

"TROK!" Sid shouted again as he exited the portal, now extremely angry, "WHERE ARE YOU?!"

He'd ended up in some sort of jungle, though when or where was anybody's guess—though he was now back to normal, thankfully. Ahead he caught sight of the green ranger vanishing through the underbrush and Sid gave chase, rushing through the foliage. As the two entered into a clearing, Sid called out again.

"TROK!"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"ROAR!" came a third bellowing voice. The two turned, seeing a full-grown tyrannosaurus-rex leering down at them. Ugh—this was too far back. Thinking fast, Trok slashed the air again with the hourglass, forming another portal. Ignoring the dinosaur, Sid followed suit, leaving a very confused dinosaur behind.

* * *

Trok opened portal after portal after portal. Each place the rangers found themselves in was more exotic than the last—some sort of asteroid colony base, a dead world at the end of time, ancient Aquitar, and somebody's Chuck-E-Cheese's.

The pizza was terrible, Sid thought.

Trok zapped them into a hallway; probably some kind of hotel going by the ornate decorations—lace curtains, fancy carpet, etc. The green ranger vanished behind a door, Sid following.

...And then Trok came out a different door in the same hallway, Sid still following. Trok dived behind a third...and came out the first door—Sid coming out a completely different door. Disoriented at first, Sid sighted Trok and rushed after him, who dived into yet another door.

And that was how Sid's life became a Scooby-Doo sketch, as the impossibility of everything quickly ratcheted up, with the two rangers desynching with the time-stream as multiple pairs started chasing each other through the doors. Seconds later they were joined by the tyrannosaurus, a clown car, and a special cameo from Capricorn, who seemed *very* confused about suddenly not being dead.

He was promptly eaten by the tyrannosaurus.

Forgetting the doors, Trok ran down the hallway and down the stairs. As the two of them rounded the corner, Sid let out an exasperated sigh at the open space they now existed in.

An MC Escher painting.

Again.

God Damn It.

They rushed up or...er, down? Whatever. They rushed whatever the steps, brushing aside the hapless pedestrians. "Excuse me, pardon me, coming through" Trok muttered as he plowed through them, Sid close on his tail. Behind *Sid* was a nine-ton tyrannosaurus-rex. Entering the outdoor patio portion of the scene, Trok slashed open another portal (was it just him, or was the hourglass getting hotter?) and jumped through, Sid following.

* * *

Zordon looked down at his assembled team, "Now that you are a true Power Ranger, Tommy, you must follow three basic rules-" His train of thought was derailed as suddenly, behind the viewing globe a glowing portal ripped itself open and an unfamiliar green ranger stumbled through. He was about to keep running, but paused when he saw the entire room was staring at him. Two seconds later, a red ranger rushed in behind him and nearly collided with the other ranger.

Sid coughed, clearing his throat in the uncomfortable silence.

"...Can we help you?" Zack asked them, not sure how else to proceed from here.

Trok said nothing, instead opening up another portal and rushing through.

"Nope!" Sid told him cheerfully as he followed suit, "Forget we were here!"

* * *

It was a void, empty of anything except Trok. He slashed the air with the relic, but nothing happened. Frustrated, he slashed again, but still nothing. Again. Again! Aaaaargh, why wasn't it working?! The hourglass felt uncomfortably hot in his hands, but still he tried again and again. It *had* to work! It HAD to! He didn't have any other options! So close! SO CLOSE. NOT NOW. Tears formed at the corners of his eyes.

WHY WASN'T IT WORKING.

"Trok" Sid said coolly, now standing behind him, "It's over. Give me the hourglass".

"No!" he said imperiously, clutching the relic tight as he became increasingly unhinged, his voice cracking. "I can bring her back. I'm GOING to bring her back. I can set everything right".

Sid shook his head sadly as Trok slashed the air again harmlessly. His anger evaporated, "No, you can't. You have no idea how that works. We literally have no idea what we're doing".

Trok let his arms hang at his sides limply, standing away from Sid, "...All I want is for her to be home. For all this to have never happened" he said, his voice quieting as the sobs came.

"I know" Sid replied.

"No, you don't get it!" Trok exclaimed, his voice clearly breaking as he turned to Sid, "I *watched* her get taken and I couldn't do anything! I was *there*, on the ship! And I got so caught up on that, that I didn't notice the incoming SPD fleet, or the virus taking over data on the ship's systems and I just...I just...we were so close..."

There was silence for a moment, save Trok's soft sobbing as Sid let this all sink in—this is what Trok had been feeling all this time. They really hadn't had a moment to decompress since getting the Megaship back but...still, Sid didn't see this coming. "...I get it more than you think" he said at last, softly. Flashes of smoke and fire and blaring alarms...he pushed them away. "I get it better than anyone".

Trok realized what Sid was talking about and chastised himself. Stupid, *stupid*! "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"When my team—when I lost them, I lost myself for a long time. I kept playing the same scene over in my head. All the things I could have done differently. If I'd just...reacted differently, they'd still be here. And it hurts, knowing that if things were just *slightly* different..." Sid trailed off, looking off in no place in particular.

Trok wept, "I just...I want everything to go back, you know? I want Sel home, and Isdilian, and everything. I don't want to be a rebel or fight this war or...I just want to go home".

Sid's heart broke, "...Things can never go back to the way they were, Trok. It's not possible".

"If I could just-" Trok tried, but was denied by Sid.

"Xolin was right when she said we shouldn't be messing with it" he said, "We have no right to revoke other people's lives just to make ours easier. We're not gods, Trok. We don't have the right".

Trok exhaled, the kind of exhale that's almost like a wheeze, that indicates that the dam is about to burst, "But what about Sel's life?"

Tentatively, the red ranger approached green. Trok didn't back away as Sid replied, "I promise you, to whatever gods exist, we *will* find her or do our best trying. But we'll do it the right way, okay? Because we can't just erase what's happened. We can't just unmake our own lives—all it does in the end is cheat our own development, undo who we are. Because today it might be Sel, but tomorrow we might decide to undo my past. Or Xolin's family. Or yours. Or we might just undo the first Confederate war, or Earth, or Dark Specter, and at some point, everything just stops having meaning".

When Trok didn't respond, Sid grasped the hand holding the relic—not with the intent of tearing it away, but one of comfort, of solidarity, "You know, one thing I've learned? You can't live in the past. If you do, you ignore your future. You ignore any chance of things getting better again. I lost years of my life that I'll never get back because I couldn't find a way out".

Trok dared a glance at him, "How did you get out?"

Sid smiled, even though Trok couldn't see it under his helmet, "It was you, and Xolin, and Sel. Slowly, agonizingly...when I first came aboard, I wanted nothing to do with you guys. But now I...I think when this is over, I want to figure out who I am. I want to be Sid again. And while I will never, ever forget my old team, I love you guys with every bit of my heart".

Whatever control Trok had left vanished and the green ranger nearly crumbled as he began openly crying. Sid gripped him in a tight hug. The two stood there for a moment, silent as all the everything Trok had kept bottled up for months while he'd worked day to day finally came flowing out. A short distance away, Xolin had caught up with them and watched the whole thing. A pang of disappointment in herself hit her—she'd used to be the one to keep Trok on track. She used to be his anchor. But she'd messed up so much in the past few months.

...No, she'd always messed up. That was all she was good for, messing up. She couldn't even sacrifice herself properly—Trok had to come back and show her how to do it right. Xolin was useless today, as usual.

The two other rangers finally separated. "You okay?" Sid asked him. Trok nodded and Sid added, "Should we?"

Trok glanced down at the hourglass in his hand, "...You swear we'll get her back?" he asked.

Sid locked eyes with Trok, even with their helmets. His voice was firm as he grasped Trok's shoulders, "Trok, we're going to save this universe or die trying. Believe me when I say that, alright? I can't promise you victory, not yet, but I can promise you our commitment".

He let go of Trok, who centered his own weight. The green ranger looked around at the void, then back at Sid, "...Thank you. And...I'm sorry".

The red ranger nodded back, "So...you ready to go home?"

Trok nodded, then raised his arm up with the intent of smashing the relic on the non-existent floor.

A bit of worry washed over Sid, "...Man, I hope you're right about this, because I *really* don't want to be stuck in the void for all of eternity".

Trok paused, "You have a better idea?"

Sid sighed, before bracing himself and hoping he wasn't making the biggest mistake of his life, "...No".

Trok threw the relic down and it smashed into a billion shards.

FLASH!

* * *

When the light faded, Sid found he was surrounded by white nothingness and panicked for just a second before he realized he was looking down at the snow. His first thought was 'oh thank god'. His second was 'I'm an idiot'.

There were five of them now standing in the snow, just outside the silent and unassuming ruins—Peggy and Nikki were gone. Sid, Trok, Xolin, Epsilon, and Dragon Lord looked around, trying to confirm that everything was back to normal.

"...Everyone got the correct body parts?" Sid half-joked, "All limbs accounted for?"

"I...think so?" Trok said. Xolin nodded in confirmation.

Epsilon drew a haggard breath, steadying herself, "What...what did you *do*?!"

"Technical difficulties" the red ranger quipped as the team of three assembled around him, "We destroyed the device. It's over. Go home".

She took a brief second to take in the quietness of...everything. The storm was over, the loops were over. She was free. She'd failed in her mission, but she was *free*. There was no excited jubilation, just quiet thanks.

But still those three remained—a distinct thorn in the Antipodes' side. But now that they were all gathered here, she had an opportunity. She might have failed in her original mission, but if she could destroy the last threats to The Project, then time travel would be a moot advantage anyway.

"You rangers have cost me, dearly" she said, drawing out an injector of some kind. Sticking it in Dragon Lord's back and shot the concoction that was inside into the monster's body, "But I can still get a consolation prize—your death".

Dragon Lord crackled and glowed, and then began to grow, and grow, and grow. Before anyone knew it, she was forty stories tall and looking decidedly pissed off.

Epsilon retreated a few steps, "Good luck, rangers. You're going to need it!" With that, she teleported back to her ship.

The three rangers stepped back to avoid being stepped on. Sid made the call, "Zords!"

Dragon Lord prepared to extinguish her foes with one quick stomp. Before she could however, a metal leg knocked the wind out of her midsection, and she stumbled back. Landing in front of her now were two robotic titans—the black and gold Defender Megazord, and the silver and black Sentinel Megazord, now ready for battle.

Sid and Trok had taken residence inside the Defender Megazord. Trok was spent however—Sid knew this. He sat in the seat behind Sid's right, passive and self-reflective. The red ranger would be the one fighting this battle. He spoke to Xolin, who was piloting Isdilian's old zord, "Remember, she's slow but powerful. See if you can pin her so I can come in for the finisher".

"You got it!" Xolin replied, as the tank-themed megazord charged forward. It opened fire with its shoulder cannons in an attempt to catch the monster off-guard as it rushed in. One punch; two punch. The megazord got hit by the sword and stumbled back, but quickly rebounded and grabbed hold of the knight.

"Sid, now!" Xolin ordered, struggling against the monster who was trying to break away.

Sid gripped his controls, "Final Strike!"

The Defender Megazord flew at Dragon Lord, spinning on its axis, sword in front. It never made its contact; at the last second, Dragon Lord knocked the Sentinel away, before charging up her claymore and swinging down as the Defender came in. Turning around, she swung her sword at the rebounding Sentinel. Both megazords fell to the ground, smoking.

Sid's consoles sparked and smoked as the cockpit shuttered, himself struggling to keep himself in his seat. He had to get his zord back up, Dragon Lord was closing in. She delivered a solid kick to the zord, causing sparks to fly before she raised her blade, preparing to bring it down for a final blow.

Sid pressed the fire button. The megazord's head laser unleashed itself on the unsuspecting monster, giving Sid the chance he needed to get his zord back in the fight. The two traded blows with their swords, but the Defender wasn't powerful enough to keep the fight even, and was soon overwhelmed, stumbling back from another two direct hits.

Sid was saved by the Xolin's re-entrance into the fight, her zord opening fire from behind the monster. She'd swapped in her own Guardianzord, having formed wings and a pair of rifles for the Sentinel Megazord. Dragon Lord turned on her, charging in and ignoring every attack Xolin threw at her. Xolin tried to block the claymore with the zord's fists, and only ended up with scorched, smoking limbs for her trouble, a second before the sword came down on the megazord's chest. The Defender Megazord came to the rescue now, trying to grab the monster and pull it away. He'd swapped in the red Guardianzord, with axes now on his zord's wrists. Dragon Knight pushed him away, before Sid tried to slash her with the axes, unhooking them from the zord's wrists and lashing out with them like whips. She simply knocked them aside, and then charged up her blade again and spun on her axis. The resulting maelstrom of energy cut into the two megazords and they fell to the ground, sparking.

"Power levels are down" Trok reported, a little frantic, "Hull integrity is compromised, we can't take much more of this".

Xolin punched her console in a mixture of frustration and distress, "We're throwing everything we've got at this guy! Nothing's working!"

"She's too strong" Sid mused, searching his mind in vain for a solution, "...If only we had the Guardian Megazord, but that's a no-go without the Lights of Andromeda".

"I...might have a solution" Trok said hesitantly. When Sid looked at him, he explained, "I've been working on something, but I haven't had time to test it".

"Well don't leave us in the dark" Xolin said from her cockpit, "What's up?"

Trok began typing into his console, bringing up his programs in preparation, "So when the Peacekeepers designed the Sentinel line of zords, they built it with the ability to combine with the Defender line. They introduced the comparability when they refit the Defenders, but never activated it".

"Wait...we can combine both zords?" Sid asked him.

Trok half shrugged, half nodded, "Theoretically. I mean, there's no reason they *can't*, it's just the project never went beyond the physical capability. I basically had to write the software myself".

Xolin frowned, "So...do we do this?"

The green ranger shrugged, "It's your call".

The monster approached the Defender Megazord. Sid gripped his controls, "...We're doing this. Trok, start up the sequence".

"Already done".

Sid grinned as his holo-console displayed the new directive, "Alright. Defender Battlezord, activate!"

The two zords pulled themselves up, then leaped into the sky, the Guardian zords attached to them disconnecting and flying off. The Sentinel Megazord unfolded into several armor pieces as the Defender Megazord settled in between them, allowing the armor to snap on to the feet, legs, chest, arms, and head. On each side of the new helmet, twin shoulder cannons rolled into place. A moment later, the newly powered-up zord landed in front of Dragon Lord, ready for round two. It vaguely resembled, if not a knight, then some sort of greco-roman soldier.

Inside their cockpit, the rangers readied themselves, Sid in front and Trok and Xolin to his sides.

Dragon Lord readied herself as the Battlezord drew in, unleashing several blasts of energy from her sword. The explosions bounced off the zord harmlessly as it moved towards its target. Not walking, mind you; the behemoth was a bit too clunky for that. No, the Sentinel's treads rolled its feet forward at high speed as the zord rolled off each attack against it.

"I think I've had enough of that sword" Sid said, summoning the Battlezord's own twin claymores. Dragon Lord met the Battlezord's blade with her own, and for a second it looked as though she'd once again checked the rangers—until the other blade came down, snapping the monster's claymore in two. Dragon Lord stepped back in shock—the first visible emotion she'd demonstrated.

"One punch!" Trok said, pushing forward. The Battlezord rolled forward, its massive fist slamming into the monster, causing her to drop what was left of her weapon.

"Two punch!" Xolin ordered, as the other fist hit the monster. She fell back, rolling onto the ground but managing to rebound fairly quickly.

"Artillery Strike!" Sid commanded. The guns on the Battlezord rolled open and unleashed a torrent of firepower on the enemy. She was tough, no doubt about it, but it was still enough to distract her as the rangers prepared to pull out the finisher.

"Imperial Defense!"

The Battlezord raised its blades up, placing them together into a single sword that began to glow a brilliant gold as it enlarged in length. Then, together, it brought its weapon down—right on top of the enemy. As it hit the monster's midsection, the Battlezord then split its swords apart, cutting away in opposite directions. Dragon Lord sparked and sputtered, even as she tried to step forward in a valiant attempt to keep fighting. But it was over, and soon she finally gave way to the power of gravity, and exploded into a ball of fire as she hit the snow.

* * *

Alpha made his way down the empty hallway of the base. It was off hours, so most of the personal he'd...hired from SPD were squirreled away in their quarters, resting aside from the skeleton crew that constituted the night shift. He actually much preferred the night hours—fewer people meant he could make his rounds around the base without having to deal with as many people. This fortress was his, but with so many of the natives of this universe here, it didn't always feel like it. It was overwhelming.

Ah well. Soon, this would all be over.

Sensing another presence, Alpha turned behind him to see his associate—the Man with the Briefcase. Knowing he only ever appeared for business reasons, Alpha figured this meant bad news. "...She didn't get the relic".

The Man sighed as he approached Alpha, adjusting his glasses, "The rangers destroyed it before she got the chance. Don't blame her; she's had quite the trying experience. I'm sure she'll send a debrief soon, but I was in the area and figured I'd alert you early".

"I appreciate it" Alpha said, as he resumed walking, The Man following in step, "And I don't blame her. I should have sent Beta or Delta—she was right, she's not built for heavy combat missions. Her place is more important here".

"Problems with the techs?" The Man surmised.

Alpha scoffed, "She's the only one who can keep them to their deadlines, it would seem. No matter, she'll be back soon enough".

"And the rangers?" The Man asked.

Alpha paused, thinking, "...They *are* becoming a persistent threat. Building alliances, disrupting our work...Beta's been wanting a shot at them. I think, perhaps, it's time we gave her that opportunity".

"I shall tell her to start on it immediately, as soon as her current mission is finished" The Man said.

Alpha nodded as The Man turned to leave, "See that you do. And thank you".

"The pleasure is mine" The Man said. As soon as Alpha had turned the corner, The Man smirked, "Fool". No one suspected anything. Yes, the rangers had just *happened* to discover the location of the ancient ruins of a civilization that had attempted to master the underlying fundamentals of time, right at the same time he'd alerted Alpha to the site. No, SPD had never actually discovered the place, despite what the rangers had been driven to think, hence the lack of SPD forces in the area.

The creators, the Yaani, had been arrogant fools, and they had suffered for that. But their remains had now served The Man well, just as they had then. While it was unfortunate that the rangers had destroyed the power source of the ruins, he'd understood that that was going to be a likely outcome. Regardless, they'd done their job by fighting over it with Epsilon, and by activating it. The fabric of reality was a little bit weaker now, a little bit more...malleable. This linear path of existence was an aberration, a mistake.

He'd waited so long, and the time was almost right.

He would bring back The Dawn.

* * *

"So, something that's been bugging me" Xolin said.

"Hm?" Sid was only half-paying attention, as he was currently busy resetting the system clock in the megaship's loading bay. How the only lasting side effect from all of this was that every room on the ship was on a different timezone was beyond him.

"Peggy" Xolin said, "The pink ranger. She existed, right? Where is she now?"

Sid shrugged as he finished resetting the clock. Next stop: engineering, "Probably back in her own timeline or whatever. Why?"

Xolin rubbed her arm as she contemplated his question, both of them entering the hallway, "I don't know, I just...she was so real, and Trok remembered her. What if he looped right and WE looped wrong? What if, when we destroyed the device, we just...erased her? What if we'll always be missing a pink ranger that we don't even remember?"

Sid stopped in his tracks, giving Xolin a concerned look, "Woah, no. Don't think that way. That path lies madness".

"But-"

"No, seriously" Sid shook his head, "Don't. If she was supposed to be with us, she'd be with us. Just...let it go, alright? It's best not to think about time travel shenanigans too hard, none of it makes any goddamn sense".

"I...alright yeah, you're right" Xolin finally conceded wearily.

Sid put his hand on her shoulder, "...You alright? You look...down".

All sorts of bad feeling bubbled up for a moment, but she pushed them down. They weren't his problem, "...No, I'm just...tired" she half-lied, "Long time loop. I'm going to go take a nap".

Sid shrugged, not entirely convinced as she left, "Alright. Holler if you need anything". What had he been doing? Oh, right. Clock problems.

Goddamn clock problems.

A beep on his morpher shook him from his thoughts. Curious, he checked the device, finding he had an incoming message. Who even knew his address? Who would WANT to contact him? Clocks could wait—Sid made a bee-line for his room and opened up his computer terminal. Two seconds later, he was met with Iota's helmet.

...No, not Iota. Not Beta either, or Epsilon or Delta. Her suit was black, in contrast to Iota's silverish-white.

"Hello, Sid" she said cordially.

Sid's eyes narrowed, "...You have five seconds to explain who you are and what you want before I terminate this link" he said coldly.

The armored figure didn't lose her civility, "My name is Gamma, I am—was an...associate of Iota on the Peacekeeper initiative. And I believe we require each others' assistance".

* * *

_**To be continued...**_


	30. 3x04: She's a Pirate

It's funny, she thought, how time worked differently for her now than it had for...well, as it had for Nikki. The real Nikki. She knew why of course; beforehand her predecessor had had a biological body, whose brain ran on biochemistry. Now though, her current form was a hologram, in essence a computer with a hard drive. Instead of cells of neurons, she had information traveling at the speed of light—virtually instantaneous. Time, then, seemed so much slower than it had in her memories. She could come to solutions faster than anyone around her, even predict better than they could.

Of course, the flipside to this was that she could also turn herself off, go into hibernation until it was time. It helped with the boredom. When she was bored, she'd start thinking, and the last thing Nikki wanted was to think—about anything. About the old days, about how she'd left things off with Sid just a few short weeks ago, about how she wasn't real but a fake—oh, damnit.

She sighed, slowly bringing her higher-level systems back online and pulling herself out of her internal mindscape. Might as well see if they were there yet.

"We're here".

Nikki blinked as she resumed her physical form, turning to B'rnix next to her in his cramped ship's cockpit. The varox nodded to her.

"Huh" she noted, "I timed that really well. Shall we?"

"Well..." B'rnix cringed, "We're not *actually* there. We are, but we're not".

She gave him a confused and slightly agitated glance, "The hell's that supposed to mean?"

B'rnix tapped the fighter's windshield, pointing outwards, "We're here, but we're still waiting for landing authorization".

Nikki's confusion deepened, "...What do you mean 'waiting'?"

"Well, there's a queue, you see" B'rnix replied.

"Again, for what?" asked Nikki, "How much traffic could a single mining port have?" They'd been to half a dozen pirate strongholds over the past few weeks, and none of them had had a waiting list. Really, they'd all been either seedy rural out-of-the-way ports, or hidden fortresses. Either way, none of them received all that much traffic aside from their own.

To her surprise, B'rnix laughed, "Oh my dear, this is no simple mining port". He pointed ahead once more, and Nikki shifted to get a better view. Ahead of them lay not one, not two, but several dozen large asteroids, each over a mile in length, strung together in a tight network by bridge tubes and various space-station outgrowths extending out from the surface. The station's—no, the city's lights cast a warm glow all over the various asteroids as a multitude of ships zipped through, back and forth. Around them sat a thick asteroid field, and beyond that an azure blue gas giant, looming in the distance.

"Welcome to the free port of Ard Axa!" B'rnix said in a rare display of genuine triumph, "The king of piratedom, the crown jewel of the seven nebulae, and home to one of the largest black markets you'll ever see".

She had to admit, she was impressed, "...Not the largest?"

B'rnix shrugged, "Well, there's Onyx, of course. And Port Space Royal. Also Bookala".

She blinked, "...Wait, Bookala? You serious?"

"You would be surprised" B'rnix replied, before his dashboard chirped, indicating he had an incoming message, "Ah, here we go. Docking bay six, we're in". He immediately gripped the controls of his ship, banking away from this position and heading into the mass of rocks ahead, weaving towards one of the smaller interior asteroids, which housed a large docking bay right in the center. A few moments later they entered and landed.

"Well, shall we?" B'rnix asked as he got up.

Nikki nodded in response and followed him out the door hatch. Before she did though, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. There stood Iota—or rather, a figment of him, a memory. Since leaving the Megaship, his recording had been appearing in her subconscious, as if a constant reminder of his duty for her. Because of course he was. Dick.

With a snort and a frown, Nikki ignored him and followed B'rnix out into the station's docking bay.

"Arrr!" came a joyious voice. Nikki turned to the source of the noise, a large walking, talking treasure-chest monster that was coming down the ramp from the docking bay's upper level. His arms were outstretched, expectant, "B'rnix, ye old dog!"

The varox met the creature in a tight embrace before letting go, "Yorhor, it's good to see you!"

"What brings ye to my humble port?" the pirate asked, then eyed Nikki, "And what's with the lass?"

"Ah! My manners" said B'rnix, motioning to his companion, "This is Nikki, an ally and friend. Nikki, this is Yorhor; I flew alongside him in his crew years ago". He turned back to the monster, "We're here on business, I'm afraid".

"Business?" asked Yorhor skeptically, "...This don't have anythin' to do with that crazy alliance ye been buildin', is it?"

"Guilty as charged I'm afraid" B'rnix replied cheekily, "May we go talk?"

"Uh..." the monster mused unsettledly, before eyeing as a whole group wandered in behind him, armed as if ready for combat. Tenga, piranhatrons, a piano monster, a few humans, an ichythite, and even a grizzled old aquitian with a thick beard and an eyepatch now stood before them. Yorhor shugged weakly, "Sorry, we were on our way to an important er…'event'. Yer welcome to wait until we return, or…" a burst of inspiration twinkled in his eye, "if ye wanted to make some credits, perhaps..."

B'rnix almost accepted the offer on the spot, but in a rare moment of thinking beyond himself decided that with a guest being with him, it wouldn't have been...what was the word? Polite? Eh, "Not this time. We'll wait".

Nikki, for her part, glanced to her side, catching sight of Iota again, just...standing there, not *really* there. Just like always, he was always there, telling her what to do, where to be, what her objective was. She hadn't been asked when he'd placed a large mass of data detailing his plans and goals when he'd recovered her, he'd just done it. And ever since she'd first accessed her hidden storage, he'd just always...been there, a constant reminder of HIS goals, HIS plans. A constant reminder that she wasn't really Nikki—just a copy of someone who had died. She was a tool, for a scenario she had no say in.

Balling her hands into fists, she turned toward Yorhor, "...What kind of credits we talking about?" she asked, not even catching B'rnix's surprised body language.

* * *

**Power Rangers Peacekeepers**

**Season 3**

**3.04: She's a Pirate**

* * *

The hallways of the Vile transport lit up with fireworks. The goat-man...thing that had been holding the pirates' advance finally keeled over dead, having been shot in the chest via a lucky shot.

Yorhor gave a hearty laugh as he stepped forward, "Arrr, give 'em hell, lads! Drive 'em into the sea!"

Further down the dark and cramped corridor a security door sealed itself shut as two more green and blue swamp creatures took up position and began firing.

"Give 'em no quarter! Yarrr!" Yorhor commanded his men, then spoke into his communicator, "Lass, what's yer status on the doors?"

Nikki's voice came through loud and clear, _"Working on it. They've got a lot of encryptions on the security systems for just a transport"._

"Problems?" the captain grunted.

"_Nah. I said they had a lot of encryptions, not that they were *good* ones. Just tedious is all. Give me a second"._

Another voice chimed in, _"B'rnix here, we've taken the bridge. No sign of the ship's captain. Might be in the john. Or maybe they stepped outside for a smoke"._

"_Stepped outside"_ Nikki repeated flatly, _"In space"._

"_Don't discount the benefits of a good spacewalk"_ B'rnix replied, _"It really gets your blood pumping. Or was that bubbling, I can never-"_

Yorhor cut B'rnix's babbling off, "The blaggard's probably in the cargo hold. Lass, can you identify?"

"_There's definitely lifesigns in the hold, but I can't tell who, I'm still fighting security measures. Speaking of which..."_

The security door slid open behind the two swamp men, surprising them and giving Yorhor's men a chance to shoot down one of them. The other returned fire, but was quickly overwhelmed and didn't last long on his own.

"Come on ye scurvy dogs!" Yorhor shouted to his crew as he charged forward, "Into the hold!"

The invading force piled into the cargo hold, and the battle quickly turned into a chaotic free-for-all as the opposing crews began to dodge between crates, firing at each other. A lizard man in the employ of the Vile Imperium was cut down immediately by one of Yorhor's pirhanatrons, while two of his humans faced off against another goat-man soldier.

"Not one step back!" the enemy captain shouted as he came into view, "Not one step! Hold, men! For the Imperium! For Master Vile!" He was big; some kind of rock golem in a vague Mayan style, wielding two large hammers and was now heading for Yorhor. The pirate captain gave a battle cry and dove in, sword and pistol in hand. The two dueled, Yorhor being somewhat maneuverable, but definitely less of a heavy hitter than his opponent. Nevertheless, they seemed about equal until the golem got a lucky hit in, knocking the pirate off his feet.

"Yorhor, of clan Axa" the golem sneered, "Today your raiding on our shipping ceases, permanently!" He rose his hammer up, ready to strike, when he thought he saw something in the corner of his eye. The golem looked to the side, but saw nothing except-

Something smashed into his head from the other side. The golem stumbled back, but when he rebounded to turn to his new opponent, he only caught a glimpse of a black ranger before she vanished. He swung in her general direction, but no dice. She struck again from his other side. He flung his weapon at her, but met with the same fruitless response. She hit him again. And again. The golem roared in anger and was so concerned with the ranger he barely noticed as Yorhor's musket brushed up against the large emerald jewel that rested on his midsection.

"Wha-" was all the golem got out before his weakspot was shattered into a million shards. The golem staggered backwards, before his body simply disintegrated into dust. Within seconds, there was nothing left. Likewise, all around them the battle came to a close as the remaining Vile crewmembers were neutralized. A brief silence fell down around them, before Yorhor brought his sword up above his head, shouting in triumph. His crew followed suit, celebrating their victory.

For but a moment, Nikki was a little lost and bewildered; not entirely sure what to do right then. But before she could go anywhere, Yorhor grabbed her by the shoulder and brought her in to the celebration, throwing her right into the center of attention as befitted the savior of the day. It was then she realized she was feeling something she hadn't felt in a long time.

She was, dare she say it, enjoying this; a mission where she got to stretch her legs that didn't involve schemes or plots or the end of the world. She was in a place where Nikki as she had been didn't matter—who she was now, she could be free. Not even the specter of Iota standing off in the corner looking unimpressed could tarnish that.

* * *

Ard Axa didn't just have one 'Great Hall' of course. It was a huge metropolis, many, many miles wide and stretching throughout multiple asteroids strung together like a web. Many pirate clans took up residence here, and the territory had been evenly divided up between them. Even the many other clans who didn't make their base of operations here at least had embassies of course, either here on the main 'station' or on one of a number of smaller unlinked asteroids that orbited alongside the city-base. As such, each had their own nexus of business—their own markets, their own backroom dealing offices, their own great halls.

But this...this was *the* Great Hall. This was Yorhor's grand palace, his seat of power. Ard Axa was *his* station, and even the other great pirate clans would give him his due. He wasn't the leader of the clans, not really. But he was one of the pirate superpowers.

Not that he would have seemed from Nikki's perspective. She'd expected a more foreboading atmosphere; cutthroat dealing and mob-like threat. Instead, she got...well, she got a party. Instinctively, she blocked out the sound of some cat person with an eye-patch doubling over and emptying the contents of their stomach a bit down the table from where she was. It wasn't that hard—there was more than enough noise elsewhere to make up for it. A monkey creature swung from the mismatching chandelier, while another group of pirates across the room bust out laughing over somebody's joke—or attempt to tell a joke while completely smashed.

The Great Hall looked almost like a party theme, or an amusement park ride. It looked like the interior of a sailing ship—almost too much so, like it was a prop, completely built out of wood. All around Nikki the hold was decorated with loot from prior adventures—the aforementioned chandeliers were mismatched because one was a stereotypical ship wheel turned into a light fixture, while another was a fancy proper french one. Some sort of alien totem pole rested in the corner, and in the center of the hold in between the tables was a water fountain carved out of a giant aquitian healing crystal.

"So...you throw these often?" she asked Yorhor, sitting next to him.

The captain downed another glass from his giant mug, "You bet your ass! Me motto is that every good raid deserves a good feast!"

B'rnix looked up from his plate, "...You ever thought of anything catcher? It seems so...pedestrian".

Yorhor laughed, "Haven't seen me in years and the first real conversation you want to have is that me slogans are bad. Good ol' B'rnix".

The two knocked their mugs together and laughed, seemingly enjoying an old running gag. The varox looked down his glass to realize it was empty. Grumbling, he got up, "I'm going to go get more of whatever you call this swill".

"I will have you know *this* swill is the greatest jol'nor this side of the Mutara Nebula! I bathed in it for thirty-six straight hours meself and it be *perfect*!" the captain called after his former subordinate. When B'rnix gave him a rude gesture, Yorhor laughed and returned to his meal. Nikki glanced warily at his mug—suddenly *very* glad she no longer required food or drink.

"So what be your story?" the captain asked, unexpectedly.

"Hmm?" Nikki turned her attention away from the liquid, "Oh, nothing, really" she said, trying in vain to circumvent what was sure to be an uncomfortable conversation.

The pirate looked at her with a heavy dose of skepticism, "Lass, you be a sapient free-roaming hologram who also happens to be a power ranger and is in the business of helpin' a rogue varox agent. I would wager there ain't many like you, which makes you interestin'. So, what's your story?"

She looked down at the table, "No offense, but I'd really not like to talk about it. It's long. And...not a lot of fun".

Yorhor finished his beverage, slamming the mug on the table in victory, "Fair enough. If it be a sad story, the dinner table ain't the place to have it. Just tryin' to figure you out is all. I like collectin' stories".

"Why?" she asked him.

The pirate motioned to the room around them, "Every person, when it comes down to it, is unique. Sure, patterns repeat, but no two are the same. It's like an adventure that's always different. Like take Aralik over there" he pointed to an imposing pig monster in nordic armor currently playing some sort of beer pong with a couple of tenga, "To many he's Aralik the Slayer, or Aralik the Executioner, on a count of his ruthlessness. But did ye also know he makes the best pastries you'll ever know? A recipe handed down to him by his mother. He bakes to wind down after a long day".

"Oh, huh" Nikki said, not sure where to go with his, "...Neat, I guess". Her attention wandered over to B'rnix who had been stopped by what looked like a couple of old friends. They were now chatting away eagerly, "...So what's B'rnix's deal? I mean, he seemed happy to see you, so why'd he leave for so long in the first place?"

Yorhor eyed his former companion, sighing. "Long story short, he and another were in line to be me first mate. I chose the other, an edeltan. B'rnix took it personally and deciding that he had no future here, chose to stake his fortune elsewhere. But in truth, I didn't choose the lad for that exact reason. He was too adventuresome to simply settle as me second. He needed to find his own way in the world".

"Looks like it's all water under the bridge now" Nikki said.

"Hmm" the captain mused as if thinking. He changed topics, "Have you met Polly?"

"...Who's Polly?" Nikki asked.

Yorhor made a loud whistling noise—enough to actually scramble Nikki's internal settings for a split second, "Yo, Polly! Over here!"

A six foot emerald green bird creature wandered over, shuffling his feet in irritation like a moody teen as he approached. He sighed passive aggressively, "...Yeah? What's up?"

"Hey Polly, I'd like you to meet Nikki, a friend of mine. Nikki, Polly" the pirate said.

"Hello!" Nikki waved to him, putting on her nicest persona even though she was already certain they weren't going to get along.

The parrot rolled his eyes, "Hi. I can I get back to work now?"

Yorhor grumbled, but acquiesced, "Yeah, yeah".

As Polly slouched off, Yorhor shook his head, "He's me nephew. Me sister begged we take him off their hands for the summer, y'know, give him a job, get him out of the house. But if he ain't just the worst cabin boy I ever had the displeasure of sailin' with".

"That's usually what nepotism nets you" Nikki said dryly.

Yorhor laughed, slapping his knee, "That it be, lass. That it be!" inspiration struck him, "Say, ye really proved yourself out there today. How would ye like a place in me crew?"

Nikki's mouth opened slightly, somewhat dumbstruck. Her? A pirate? Never mind that this had come out of nowhere; she's never even considered this kind of career change. She couldn't of course, it was a ridiculous thought—she had her mission and-

Iota stood in the corner, unseen by all others. A phantom.

"...I...probably not" she said, "Cutting into Master Vile's supply lines is one thing, but I don't think I'd be comfortable with raiding on a general basis. I became..." she paused, reconsidering her words as she had to consciously remind herself, she never 'became' anything—she was created this way. Nikki—the real Nikki—had been the one to choose, "I'm a ranger so that I can protect people from that kind of thing".

Yorhor's smile vanished, "Arrrr, we ain't like that here. We don't prey on defenseless civilians; we're not bottom scrubbers like them Diva or Scorpius Clan scallywags. Here at Clan Axa, we don't punch beneath the belt; we like our fights like we like our alcohol—strong as shit and able to knock us on our ass!" He raised his mug in triumph, and several of the closest pirates brought up a cheer in response. As Yorhor sat back down, he continued, "Mostly we raid Vile's moldy old ships, or scavenge old ruins. Sometimes though, we like to shake things up—go after the Troobians, or some of the other pirate clans. Or hell, SPD if they're in the neighborhood causin' trouble".

Nikki, of course, was skeptical, "You really don't raid anyone else? No easy pickings?"

The pirate's brow furrowed, "...Times have changed, lass. The universe's changin'. I've been at this a long time. It used to be that the only people worth selling to were the evil overlords—Lord Zedd, Count Dragon, ye name it. Then something happened—the universe got smaller, more occupied. Everyone started colonizin' and buildin' alliances everywhere. Can't just pick a target anymore; you've got the Alliance, and the Confederacy, and the League. And with that came new sources of money. As it stands now, the civilian market is booming—they've become our best buyers. But they're also becoming more organized—you can't play them off each other like you could the old empires. Piss off one company, and you piss 'em all off and pretty soon you got a multi-national armada signing up to fight. So, it's better to make friends with the corporations than fight them".

"Sell things?" Nikki asked.

Yorhor gave her an incredulous glance, "Of course, lass. What do you think we do with all that loot? Hoard it? The rules of economics state that wealth must flow back into the market for it to remain healthy. So of course we sell it—we got expenditures to pay off as well. We also got some legit ventures we started up as well".

The surprises just kept coming, "Legitimate?"

"The age of the pirates won't last forever, lass. Maybe it won't end today or tomorrow, but in a generation or two I doubt me kind will have the kind of freedom we do now. Even now the walls are closin' in. Which leaves us two choices, and we choose to adapt. Mostly we're into loans and timeshares, though I've always fancied meself an information broker".

Well, okay, so 'legit' here didn't exactly mean 'selling watches', as Nikki was discovering. But still, good for them for trying to adapt. Not that any of his reasoning made a lick of sense economically, but what the heck.

Yorhor interrupted her train of thought, "So what do ye say? Interested in joinin' me crew? We could use someone with ye talents".

This was a ridiculous idea; she knew that. Every part of her was screaming at she had a job to do, that this was really stupid, that this…

Iota was still there.

She gave him one good glare, and then with not just a little bit of spite, grabbed Yorhor's hand in a tight handshake, "Count me in".

The captain howled with laughter, slapping Nikki's shoulder as B'rnix sat back down beside them, "Count what in now?"

As the varox took a drink from his freshly-refilled mug, Yorhor filled him in, "The lass has agreed to join me crew!"

A spray of liquid flew out from B'rnix's...um...faceplate? Wait, how'd he do that. "I'm sorry, what?"

"She's joinin' me crew!" the pirate repeated.

Despite not having a face per-say, Nikki could almost feel his flat expression as B'rnix grabbed her by the arm, "Can you excuse us for a sec?" he asked his former captain as he pulled his companion away.

"What?!" Nikki asked with irritation, wiggling her arm loose once they were out of earshot.

B'rnix wheeled on her, "Joining his crew?!"

"Yeah, what of it?" she answered defensively, "Think about it; Clan Axa's one of the biggest around, right? If we get them onboard, then they'd almost certainly be our focal point for our pirate alliance. That means one of us should stay here, orchestrating everything".

To her credit, B'rnix couldn't fault this logic. Still...something about this bugged him. It was too sudden, too...eugh. Whatever. "Fine" he said flatly, backing off, "We'll see how this plays off for now".

"So glad you trust me" Nikki grumbled before she nudged him aside so she could sit back down next to Yorhor.

"So about that meeting you promised" B'rnix said to the captain.

Yorhor visibly sagged, "Ye want to bring that up now? During a victory feast? When I be about to celebrate me newest crewmate?"

"It's important, trust me" B'rnix replied, slightly cross.

The captain spun the liquid around in his mug absently, "Fine, fine. Arrr, tomorrow morning, nine hundred hours, my cabin. Fair?"

"Fair" B'rnix replied.

"EVERYONE!" Yorhor shouted, standing up. His bellowing voice ended whatever conversations had been going on around him, and the room fell silent. The captain motioned to Nikki, who hesitantly stood up beside him. "I would like to announce the hero of the hour, and the newest addition to our hearty crew! Thanks to her help, we accomplished our raid today with minimal casualties! To Nikki!"

"To Nikki" the crew shouted, lifting their mugs in celebration, before guzzling down the contents. It felt unreal to Nikki, like a dream, or something that just shouldn't have happened. Maybe she should have slowed down. Maybe-

There was Iota.

No. No, she could do this. She could do this. She could find her own way in the world, and damn her predecessor, and damn Iota.

She was a pirate now.

"Polly, start the piano!" the captain commanded.

Nikki frowned at the sudden non-sequiter as confusion came to the fore, "Wait, wha-"

"Oh, don't worry" B'rnix cut in for her, "The captain just likes his theatrics. You don't mind patter songs, do you?"

She glanced at him, "...You can't be serious".

"Oh, I *never* joke about musical numbers" B'rnix replied, just as the song got underway, and Nikki soon found herself swept into the fray. It was around the time her chair was lifted up and spun around as the centerpiece of a large-scale dancing movement during the chorus that she realized this entire place was absolutely insane.

It was kind of endearing.

* * *

B'rnix had already been in the assigned meeting room for well over a half-hour by the time the other two finally stumbled in, cracking up over some story Yorhor had been telling.

"And then...then he said, 'that's not me wife, that be a blasted jellyfish!'" Yorhor roared with laughter, "Oh, I love tellin' that one. Never gets old".

"Ahem".

The two turned to B'rnix, who seemed slightly crankier than usual. Huh, that was odd—Nikki had mostly known B'rnix to be an irreverant sort.

"Sorry" she apologized, "We didn't mean to run so late, Yorhor was just showing me around, we lost track of time".

B'rnix sighed but relented as he circled around the central table. It was raised up on a platform that consisted of the back third of the decent-sized circular room they were in. In the back, on the platform, was a wall of console stations, flanked on each side by large windows that wrapped around half of the chamber they were in, showing that they were on 'top' of one of the asteroids, with a magnificent view of the blue gas giant that dominated the horizon.

"Are we ready to begin?" the varox asked the two newcomers.

"Aye" Yorhor replied, taking his seat at the holo-table, "Show me what you got, ye old dog".

As Nikki took a cautious seat a couple chairs away, B'rnix started up the display, entering the data he had on hand. They did what they had for every pirate lord they'd met with up till now—they let them know everything. Everything they'd hacked from the prison where they'd found Sid, everything Iota had stored within Nikki's hard drive, everything Sid and the others continued to fill them in on while they carried out their own mission. From there, they'd let the pirate lord draw his or her own conclusions. It had largely worked; of the dozen or so clans they'd met with, only a couple had turned them down. And it seemed Yorhor was right on schedule—his attitude had soured considerably as he continued to go over the facts laid out in front of him.

"...And this is confirmed?" he asked quietly as he skimmed back through everything after finishing, as if holding on to a thin ray of hope that this was some kind of prank.

"I'm afraid so" B'rnix replied, "We've been gathering clans under our banner; part of a larger plan to assemble everyone we can as part of a last-ditch effort to stop the Antipodes. We would be honored if you'd join us. You would give our cause much legitimacy throughout the pirate clans".

Yorhor did not look up at them, but nodded gingerly as he kept staring at the holo-screens, "...I shall call for a clan moot. No need to go to the clans one by one—we shall decide our future here and now".

"That's actually exactly what we were hoping for" B'rnix replied, "How soon can you have them assembled? What's the dress code? Black tie, business casual? Also, are you going to have those little mini-pigs in a blankets? Those are actually really good and I'm a sucker for finger food".

The captain gave him an odd look, "Didn't ye eat half a tray last night at the party?"

An uncomfortable silence passed between them before the varox finally shrugged half-heartedly, "...That was then".

"...Aye, there'll be finger food" Yorhor finally conceded with a sigh. He downloaded all of the information that had been supplied to him into his personal drive on his wrist, "It will take some time to send the signal out to everyone, but hell or high water, you'll have yer moot within three solar days. I need to tend to things. If you'll excuse me". The captain bowed as he stood up and headed for the door, "Ye two have free reign here at Ard Axa. Do whatever it is you need to do. And sorry lass" he nodded to Nikki, "Yer orientation will have to wait".

B'rnix interjected, "I think we'll be more than busy ourselves, anyway".

Yorhor nodded and left. Silence filled the room for but a moment.

"So you're a pirate now" B'rnix stated.

Nikki gave him a glance, "...Is that a problem?" she asked, not sure where he was going with this. She was still a little surprised by this turn of events herself, and as such more than just a little defensive about the choice she'd made that she wasn't *entirely* convinced of herself but felt she had to.

"No, no" B'rnix muttered as he went over the holotable's controls, "Piracy is an ancient and noble profession".

"...Noble? Really?" she gave him an incredulous expression.

"Well, I guess it depends on how you look at it" B'rnix replied, "I always thought it was. But then, I think the same thing about pottery-making, mailmen, and whoever decided on the days of the week. It's just...I never thought *you* would choose to be a pirate. A little unexpected, that".

"Why's that?" she asked him, defensive again.

He shrugged, "I don't know. It's just...you've never mentioned you were ever interested. There was nothing in your psych profile".

"*Her* psych profile" Nikki bit back, harder than she had intended, "I'm not her".

"But you share personalities" he corrected her, "It's just strange, is all".

She frowned, getting up from her seat, "Yeah well, maybe we're not as alike as you thought. There's things I need to get done. Need to get integrated with the crew".

B'rnix caught on at last as Nikki headed for the door, "...You know, decisions made out of spite rarely end well—especially when the person you're trying to spite is yourself".

She didn't reply as she exited the room.

* * *

Things progressed swiftly over the course of the next three days. Almost immediately house and clan lords began trickling in to the station. At first they were mostly lords who had already agreed to be part of the coalition, but all too soon unaligned as well as downright hostile powers began to appear on the station. Some of Yorhor's subordinates had voiced concern that leaders of his rivals were on-board, but Yorhor had been clear, he wanted *everyone*.

B'rnix hadn't seen much of Nikki since she'd stormed out of the room, all he knew was that she'd been kept busy orienting herself with her new position—getting to know the layout of the base and her new crew mates, as well as settling in to her new position as security expert. This had of course left B'rnix alone to do all the work for Sid's alliance by himself. He didn't mind per say, originally he would have come alone anyway—but the fact that she'd tagged along and then abandoned him when a helping hand would have been...well, helpful? Now that bugged him a bit.

Currently he was making his rounds, making sure each of the clans they'd already dealt with were still on-board—especially considering that one of them, House Yalri, was...not the best of friends with Clan Axa. Coincidentally, that was who he was going to go see now.

B'rnix pressed the door buzzer as he stood in the mostly-empty hallway. When there was no response, he buzzed the door again. And again. Aaaand again. Not known for giving up, he began pressing the buzzer repeatedly in rapid succession, before simply leaning into it and not letting it stop. This continued on for a good ninety seconds before the hall guard approached him.

"Can...I help you...sir?" he asked, perplexed by the situation.

"Ah yes good, help" B'rnix replied, still leaning into the buzzer that was creating an ear-splitting noise, "I'm late for a meeting with Crown Prince Valas of House Yalri. He said he'd be here at this time, but I'm not getting any response".

The guard looked at the door, then shifted back to the varox still using the buzzer, "...May I see your credentials?"

The varox sighed, handing the guard the security chip Yorhor had given him. The guard slid it into his wrist computer, which quickly verified his identity and security ranking. The buzzer was still going.

"If I open the door to let you check if he is inside, will you stop buzzing him?" the guard asked wearily.

"Hmm?" B'rnix asked in confusion, before realizing he was still using the buzzer, "Oh! Yes, my apologies. Got a little excited".

"Yes, I'm sure" the guard said, before deactivating the door's security measures. It slid open, revealing a darkened room.

B'rnix put his hands on his hips, visibly annoyed that no one seemed to be home, "How irritating. Telling me to meet here, and then standing me up. Really, are manners so hard to come by these days?"

The guard tried to diplomatically interject, "Perhaps he is simply running late—wait" he paused. He thought he saw something, barely visible in the darkness. To confirm his suspicions, the guard turned the quarters' lights on.

There in the middle of the room lay the lifeless body of a frog-like alien, pinned to the floor with a sword through his back. The sheer amount of amassed gold adorning his body made it clear to the guard who this was supposed to be—Crown Prince Valas.

"Oh, well that's no good" B'rnix muttered blandly, "That's downright inconvenient".

* * *

"He was found dead in his room" the gorilla-like humanoid alien said tersely as he laid the ornate sword down on the table in the station's war room so all could see, "This had pinned him to the floor". Gasps went up among the crowd of assembled representatives of the various clans. Not all had arrived yet, but there was more than enough for an audience. This wasn't a formal moot by any means, but as the facts became clear that one of their own had been murdered, the various representatives of he clans had all taken up residence here to try and sort things out. The gorilla alien turned to Yorhor with a look of disdain, "Look familiar?"

Yorhor grumbled with distress, then admitted with a disgruntled sigh, "...It be the sword of my clan".

More gasps. Whispers propagated.

The gorilla glared at Yorhor, "So can you explain to us exactly why you invited Crown Prince Valas of my clan only to murder him? Why you invited all of us here, if not to murder all of us?!"

The whispering became a loud roar of protests and outcries. B'rnix, standing to the side, waited in silence, worry increasing as the fragile would-be alliance was threatening to fall apart before it even started. But Yorhor shouted them down, "QUIET!" he roared, then turned his fury on his accuser, "You idiot. Why would I attempt an assassination with one of my clan's own weapons? At the very least I would have used someone else's, so as to draw blame".

"Are you saying you were framed?" the gorilla asked, skeptical, "Our clans have never been allies—and you yourself had a rivalry with the prince. What evidence do you have that it wasn't you, or one of your minions?" He circled Yorhor like a hawk, looking for an opening.

The treasure-chest monster watched as he was circled, "If you would like to check me station logs, be me guest. Me mates would have to have had security clearance to be in that wing—and would have been tracked".

A murmur went up among the crowd as they mulled this over. Visibly irritated, the gorilla man nonetheless complied, "Very well, we shall. But I would prefer to view the original logs—not anything you transmit to me. And my guards will accompany me".

Yorhor shrugged, "Aye, that's fair".

"*All* will view the footage" another alien in the crowd, a bookala, declared with angry intent as he pointed at the gorilla, "Trust Clan Yalri, or Clan Axa, I do not!"

The gorilla snorted with contempt, but did not bother with a response.

B'rnix continued to watch impassively, though inwardly his worry was growing. Of course he knew that no clan truly trusted each other, but the fact that this was already beginning to spiral out from a two-sided conflict into a multi-polar confrontation—and so quickly? Definitely unsettling. His one hope now lay with the station logs.

Speaking of, where was Nikki? Shouldn't the supposed resident security officer be here on this?

B'rnix's train of thought was brought to a sudden crashing halt however, when a tenga burst into the room, short on breath. Taking but a second to catch herself, the tenga crowed, "Representative Tsal is dead!"

Oh. Well, crap.

* * *

"Poisoned".

That much was clear as they stood around the fallen body, the middle-aged mantis-creature who was otherwise unmarred. He had been Representative Tsal in life, a high-profile diplomat of Clan Ulthor. Without a visible point of trauma, B'rnix had been forced to conclude something had been in his drink, and had quickly tested the mantis's dewpad.

Eugh, dewpads. B'rnix had always found them exceedingly unsanitary; for the mantis people of Sil'nar, they were the basic way to collect water or other liquids. Essentially, they were exactly what they sounded like; a large organic bowl made from several symbiotic plants that either collected rainfall or the plants' natural sap. In this case it was a liquor tree, and it had indeed been poisoned.

"Fairly strong poison at that" B'rnix commented as he looked over the results of the test on his wrist device. He stood back up, heading back towards the center of the fallen diplomat's chambers, onboard the Ulthor ship. The crowd was smaller—some hadn't bothered to come, B'rnix assumed they were either seeking shelter, or looking to leave. But there was still enough of an audience now to try and explain the situation, "A fairly complex one". He activated a holoscreen so everyone could see the chemical composition.

A spider monster clicked its fangs in trepidation as it looked over the holoscreen. B'rnix recognized it as another member of the Ulthor delegation—he'd made a note to memorize all the big names who had arrived. "This poison...it uses chemical compounds popular with Astasi assassins!"

The Astasi representative, another varox, female, howled in response, "Are you accusing us?!"

"I accused no one!" the spider hissed, "Unless you have something to confess?!"

"My blades are clean!" the varox shot back, "Unless you would like it to taste your flesh!"

"How do we know it's not Clan Axa who is responsible for this?!" asked a horned goat-like monster, "To simply throw us off the scent?!"

Yorhor slammed his foot down in protest, "Clan Axa does not hide behind schemes and lies! If we want something, we take it".

"Bold words from the butcher of Zakchum!" said the gorilla monster from earlier.

"What if we are all targets?!" worried a blue-skinned alien, speaking to a horned humanoid alien, "They will pick us off one by one!"

"Could it be the Vile Imperium?!"

"SPD, it has to be!"

"Obviously it's Clan Nithtar! Only they could be so eager to undermine their rivals!"

"Or Clan Diva! They didn't even send a delegation, now why would that be?"

"Some of these chemicals are produced by stingwinger venom!"

"ENOUGH!" B'rnix shouted, loudly enough that everyone paused in surprise. This was his one shot; the entire situation was about to spiral out into pure chaos and this entire moot would be a gigantic failure. They'd come too far for this to fail, and they *needed* a pirate armada; they needed as many fleets and soldiers as anyone could spare. And so, B'rnix took his shot, "The safest thing to do right now is for everyone to return to their ships. Lock down access, post guards where you feel you need to. Do not trust anyone until I have completed my investigation. And do not attempt to leave; we don't know if any ships' drives have been booby trapped". That last bit was a way to keep them from fleeing and having this all end in failure...but also, who knew, the killer might have actually done that.

"Is that a threat?" the gorilla growled.

B'rnix turned to him matter-of-factly, "No, it's a safety measure to keep you alive. But by all means, test it if you feel luck".

For a moment it seemed as though the gorilla would press the issue, but instead finally he relented with a snort, "...You have six hours. After that, I'm out of here".

The crowd began to disperse, everyone increasingly anxious and distrustful of everyone around them. B'rnix took a second to take a deep, calming breath as Yorhor approached him.

"I leave this investigation to you and the lass" he said.

"Not willing to help?" the varox asked him pointedly.

Yorhor shook his head, "Nay, that would only make your findings suspect. If you have need of anything though, you only need ask". The pirate gave a slight bow, before exiting the room as everyone else had moments before. B'rnix thought for a moment, staring at the holoscreen before shutting it off and heading for the exit.

He had to talk to Nikki.

* * *

He found her back on the station, deep in the bowls of Yorhor's sanctum in his security wing. She'd been going over recordings when he'd arrived.

"Hey" she said, near-monotone as she didn't take her eyes off the footage, "Why do they call Yorhor 'Captain'? He's the leader of his clan, right? Why not call him 'Crown Prince' like the other guy?"

"Because titles don't actually mean anything" B'rnix explained as he entered the small, darkened office. The only lights came from the multitude of holoscreens and other computer lights that lined the walls, "Valas was only 'Crown Prince' because his clan harbors a pretense of still being a royal family of his homeworld. Clan Diva has pirate kings and queens because they're a bunch of...well, divas. Yorhor, despite Clan Axa's stature, is a bit more humble. I think the guy just likes the imagery of being a captain more than that of a king".

"Hm" Nikki hummed in response.

B'rnix approached her, his tone slightly crankly, "I could have used you, you know".

She shrugged noncommittally, "Sorry, I was here. Trying to study the recordings".

"Anything useful?"

She shook her head, "No. The footage cuts out—someone knew what they were doing. There's a good five minutes of zip from every angle in the hall".

"What about the poisoning?"

Nikki summoned up a few more windows, then passed them off to B'rnix with a flick of her wrist, "Clan Ulthor was nice enough to send some scans. The dewpad was cursed with a time-specific spell, as far as I can tell. Once activated, it would poison the sap".

"Premeditated" B'rnix mused, "Whoever's doing this had this orchestrated from the beginning".

She nodded, but kept her attention on her own holo-windows, "The more I think about it, the more I'm thinking this wasn't just a clan grudge match. Whoever's doing this is trying to upset the meeting".

The answer was obvious- "Antipodes" they said in unison.

"Has to be" Nikki said, "The attacks are random and are very clear in who they are implicating. They're designed to drive wedges between various rivalries".

"Which means, of course, that we should expect more, unless we can stop them" B'rnix replied, pacing around the small room.

The holographic human's brow furrowed in contemplation, "...I feel like if they were going to do more, they would have by now. The first two were almost simultaneous—maybe that's all they were able to get?"

"Or maybe they're planning something bigger" B'rnix replied. Nikki didn't reply, instead she closed her eyes and seemed to sit perfectly still. "...What are you doing?"

"Seeing if I can't detect any anomalous energy signatures on the station".

"Anything?" he asked her.

She shook her head, frustrated, "No, besides, they've probably cloaked themselves from scans. I'll need to do a more detailed sector-by-sector search".

"Actually, I'd like for you to return to the rest of your team" B'rnix replied.

Nikki's initial confusion rapidly gave way to annoyance, "...My…? Wait, why?"

Oh boy, here they went. B'rnix braced himself for the storm, "If we're right and it is the Antipodes, it stands to reason that the pirate clans aren't the only thing they'll try to ruin. Likely they'll go after our other attempts at alliances. You're the best chance at keeping them from destabilizing the region further".

"Uh...and you can't go because…?"

"Because I am best used here" B'rnix explained, "I have far more experience with clan politics and can function as a mediator".

She eyed him, suspicious. Her eyes widened a bit as she seemed to hit on something, "...Wait, are you jealous?"

"Excuse me?" he asked, now suddenly confused by the sudden shift in conversation.

"Hah!" Nikki shot back, "You are! You're jealous! You got all moody when Yorhor hired me, and you've been pretty off-putting since. You're jealous that Yorhor chose me, and didn't choose you back then".

"That's ridiculous" B'rnix replied with a dismissive wave, "Don't talk about things you know nothing about".

Nikki leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms defiantly, "I'm staying here. I have a job here, a role. I can't just up and leave".

"You have a role *there*" B'rnix replied, "You have a team, you have a purpose".

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Iota. Why was he there? Why was he *always* there?! Couldn't he just leave her alone? "No" she said, "I don't. I rescued Sid, I had him track down Trok and Xolin, and last I heard, he'd succeeded. Once they find Sel, they'll be the ones that save the day, just like they always have. My..." she searched for the right word to define Iota's plans for her, "...obligation is finished".

Silence reigned for a moment. B'rnix shook his head, "You know, when I met you, I didn't peg you for a coward".

The coldest glare imaginable erupted from Nikki's face, "What".

Now on the offensive, the varox explained, "You don't really want to be here. You've *never* been interested in piracy—you're a superhero for crying out loud. But you'll do anything, *anything* if it means you can run away. Run away from your life, so that you don't have to consider the fact that you might not be who you thought you were. Run away from your friends, because you can't bare to face them. Run away from your destiny because-"

"It is NOT my destiny!" she roared back as she stood up, "It was some sick bastard's scheme, and he's dead now so who gives a shit?! Don't I get a choice in what I do?!"

"So you would refuse people who need help?" he questioned, "All so it makes you feel better? I thought you were interesting, that's why I kept in contact with you, that's why I let you tag along. You were a genuinely interesting person. Now I see that was all a facade, a mistake on my part".

"So sorry I'm a disappointment. So sorry I'm a disappointment to him too, or that I won't play your games".

"Childish whining". He was becoming irritated.

"Screw you" she said, her tone cold as ice, "You ran away too, who are you to judge me?"

B'rnix's tone changed from contempt to genuine anger; she'd struck a nerve, "I left to further my ambition. You ran away because you're a coward. Do not confuse us".

Her fists clenched tight, she almost decked him right there. Instead however, she noted Iota's ghost still standing in the corner and hesitated. B'rnix added, "You're leaving this station for the Defender Megaship, next flight out".

"The hell I am" she defiantly spat back. Nikki stormed out, ignoring Iota and brushing past B'rnix with a raging fury, marching into the hall.

"...I do love Tuesdays" he lamented to himself bitterly, "They are always so full of disappointment".

* * *

Nikki had fled the security room without a distinct destination in mind; she just needed to get out, to get away from Him. She just needed time alone, to think. After a short time she found herself in an unfamiliar hallway, and quickly discovered an auxiliary generator substation room. Nikki ducked inside, letting the door slide shut behind her as she leaned against the far wall of the walk-in closet-sized chamber, before slumping down into a ball.

She couldn't take it anymore; she hated it. She wasn't Nikki; Nikki was dead. Everything she'd thought she was up until a few months ago was dead, a lie. She was an AI pretending to be someone she wasn't. That was bad enough, but every time she tried to break off and figure out what she wanted on her own, she ended up getting reeled back in by others' schemes. HIS schemes.

Raising her head from her knees, she saw Iota's form standing before her. No, NO. He had no power here. Let him rot. She closed her eyes and willed him away; when she opened them again, he was gone.

Damnit. It was Iota's fault; it was ALWAYS Iota's fault. He'd put her in this situation, all so he could play his games. Yeah, sure, alright, so his endgame was to stop the Antipodes and find another way to save his universe that didn't involve genocide—but why her? Why was she only a tool, never allowed to be her own person. She was a means to an end.

Nikki had died; why wasn't she allowed to rest? Why was she forced to mimic a dead person? She couldn't even remember who she'd been before the data transfer, before she'd 'become' her predecessor.; she'd been denied even that. But then...she'd apparently been a local station AI, a class not exactly known for their intellect or personality.

Who was she? What did she want out of this? She didn't have answers and no one was willing to help because they all wanted her to be what THEY wanted and it was driving her INSANE.

All these moments and memories and experiences and feelings and emotions and values...they weren't hers, they were somebody else's, somebody who she didn't deserve to copy and ape. And yet, she didn't know any other way. She was defined by this. She was defined by being a fraud.

Well...except, there WAS a way out. There was a way to end this, to free herself. Reformatting herself would work—deleting all of the accumulated trash and resetting herself to...well, factory standard, she supposed. It wasn't the first time she'd contemplated this, of course. The idea had come to her repeatedly, but she'd always put it off; either out of obligation for the mission, or because she knew it was a one-way ticket that could never be reversed, and she didn't know who would emerge on the other end.

But now, as she sat there in a curled up ball in a darkened substation closet, trying her best to keep Iota's ghost within her suppressed, all she could feel was tiredness. She was exhausted, and she didn't care anymore, she just wanted it to stop.

Let it end.

So with very deliberate movements, she scanned her mind for the correct menu, the correct program, the correct activation code. She lifted her metaphorical finger over the metaphorical button...and hovered. Three times she almost pressed it, before suddenly losing nerve and retreating. Three times she gathered her strength and commitment, only to have it leak away at the very last second. Finally, when she could not stand it anymore, she closed the entire menu, and the metaphorical button vanished.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she finally broke; she couldn't do it, she just couldn't. Whoever she was now, she wouldn't be there when the program ran itself, and the thought of that was terrifying. She was trapped in limbo.

B'rnix was right.

She *was* a coward. Nikki wouldn't have been like this. She didn't deserve to be Nikki.

Why was she such a coward?

As she cradled her head in a fit of existential horror though, another part of her became aware of something happening elsewhere on the station. Her sensor readings were picking up some very anomalous energy readings down in the lower reaches of the station's main asteroid. At first she paid little attention, too distracted by her own plight, but as the data continued to stream in, she began to realize something was off. Almost on instinct, she switched to a more focused, detailed scan, using the station's own sensors to report in for her. There was a network of some kind...

"_B'rnix to Nikki. I hate to disturb whatever it is you're doing, but-"_

Nikki cut off his transmission, "You see it too?"

"_Yeah. Something nasty just spiked on deck seventy-one. Heading to investigate"._

"I'll...I'll meet you down there" she said, steadying herself with a breath as she pulled herself to her feet; there would be no use in showing up like such a wreck. Nikki quickly composed herself, and once satisfied with her current status, hurried out into the hall.

* * *

There were seventy-nine decks on the primary asteroid of Ard Axa. That said, it wasn't like your usual starbase—the entirety of the asteroid's interior had been long hollowed out into a virtual city. While the interior of the crust was lined with floors and stories that reached up to the ceiling, the interior was host to numerous buildings and streets and alleyways; it was a city within an asteroid, complete with a breathable atmosphere. Like an artificial cave, some buildings rose up from the ground, while others came down from the ceiling. Reddish-orange light cast a sunset like glow across the old, rusted cyberpunk metropolis.

Nikki, already morphed, found herself leaping from rooftop to rooftop on some of the smaller buildings, making her way to the closest node of the energy readings in the quickest route possible. The black ranger jumped off a ledge and barreled into an unoccupied and cramped alleyway, now only a few dozen feet from her target. Sensors detected that B'rnix was closing in as well. Not that she was super thrilled about that—certainly, she liked having backup over a situation she was still in the dark in, but things were now...awkward between them...and she was still rightly pissed.

At the end of the alleyway lay a door. After but a moment of hesitation, she slammed the door open, readying herself for an attack that never came.

It was a warehouse, though oddly empty of pretty much anything. The black ranger gingerly stepped into the room, giving it a brief visual sweep as she moved forward. Then, passing a pillar, she saw it—there in the center of the room stood some sort of cylinder device, a little shorter than herself and obviously very complicated in design. It was supported by both a central pillar and spider legs that had unfolded from the object's spokes. Nikki cautiously approached the device.

"...What in the name of-"

"Unfortunate, you found it more quickly than I'd hoped".

Nikki spun around and looked up—a familiar blue armor-clad figure stood on one of the railings. She hadn't been there before. Nikki's eyes narrowed.

"Beta".

The blue antipode seemed undeterred, "I mean, it was a given you'd figure it out eventually, but I really was hoping to be a bit further along before you came crawling".

"What is this?" Nikki demanded to know.

Beta scoffed, "It's a bomb, stupid. Part of a series".

"Doesn't look like any bomb I've ever seen" Nikki replied tensely, "Energy readings aren't anything I've ever seen either".

The antipode gave a giggle, "My team and I have spent a long time studying your universe's Morphing Grid. Project Omega gave us a lot of useful data besides just giving us our twin conduits. Tell me—have you ever seen glass shatter?"

The black ranger glanced back at the bomb, realization dawning, "...The network—you plan to shatter the Grid locally".

"Got it in one" Beta said smugly, "I couldn't hazard to guess what that'll be like—Epsilon's the egghead, but I can't imagine it'll be good".

Nikki quickly connected the dots, "The assassinations. That was your doing".

Beta paced across the railing, "Well, I started with those yeah, but in the end it was too tedious. They did their job, got everyone paranoid, send messages back to base. But why bother holding that pattern when I can just wipe everyone out in a single stroke?"

"...You're insane" Nikki replied, her body reflexively shifting into a defensive position.

Beta sighed, irritated, "No, you're just screwing up our plans. Can't have you uniting factions. They didn't *have* to die...Nikki, was it?"

"Y'know, except for that 'universal armageddon' thing you kids have planned" B'rnix replied as he stepped into the room.

Beta turned to him, leaning against a beam, "Everything dies eventually. I just meant, they didn't have to die *today*".

B'rnix gave a sarcastic bowing gesture, "How magnanimous of you".

This wasn't getting them anywhere. Without warning, Nikki whipped out her pistol and opened fire on the antipode. Beta leaped out of the way, flipping over the railing and onto the floor behind the black ranger. Nikki spun around and instantly began countering Beta's quick strikes.

"Ah, so, we're doing this now" B'rnix said blandly as the two women struck at each other. Beta got a lucky hit in, throwing Nikki back, which the varox took as his cue to jump in with a solid swing that Beta blocked. After a short exchanged, Beta grabbed B'rnix's hands, forced them down, then jumped up and kicked him away.

Nikki opened fire with her pistol. The antipode barely evaded the impact, before quickly sweeping in and knocking the blaster from the black ranger's hand. They gripped each other's arms in a bid for control.

"B'rnix, disable the bomb!" Nikki ordered. The varox started to comply, but Beta spoke up.

"I wouldn't if I were you!" the blue antipode said as she and Nikki struggled, "Your Morphing Grid is an unstable force, and that bomb is just one part of a network already tied in. I've had to be very careful as to which bombs I activate when. If you just start tearing it apart without any regard, well...I'm sure the results would be cataclysmic".

"You'd die too" B'rnix countered.

"I would give everything for my people" Beta replied. A split second later, twin blades coated in azure energy extended from her wrists, breaking Nikki's hold on her. The black ranger jumped back as Beta prepared for round two. Noting that her opponent seemed taken aback by her sudden new weapons, Beta explained, "When your friends got those fancy Lights of Andromeda powers, we knew we had to keep up. We've been doing a lot of R&amp;D".

"So I see" Nikki grunted, preparing for the next round. B'rnix drew his own sword before launching himself forward on rocket boots, slamming into Beta's side. The two clashed weapons as the fight drifted away from Nikki. For a moment she considered checking the bomb herself, but no, right now they needed to neutralize the active threat. Drawing her daggers, Nikki lunged back into the fight.

A cross-slash cut B'rnix's blade in two, which was followed up by stabs to his gut, sparks flying as the blades cut through his side armor.

"B'RNIX!" Nikki shouted as the varox stumbled back and down. She closed in, striking at Beta before the latter could deliver a final blow, but she was at a definite disadvantage; her daggers were much shorter range than Beta's wrist blades. She didn't have to hold Beta for long though, because as soon as their weapons met, Nikki evaporated from view, giving her an opening to dodge Beta's left blade and hit her from the side. Reappearing, Nikki dodged the right sword and a kick, before vanishing again. Her follow-up attack was intercepted however; Beta grabbed a very surprised black ranger's boot before it impacted, and she instantly decloaked.

"Those were fancy tricks the last time we fought" Beta sneered, before twisting her opponent's leg and throwing her back in a whirlwind of body parts. As Nikki landed in a heap, Beta approached, "But you can't expect me to fall for the same trick twice". The antipode laughed as she tapped her helmet, "New sensor arrays. Your cloak is useless".

Nikki scrambled to her feet, barely standing before she had to intercept Beta who slammed her into a support beam. The blue antipode thrust forward on her own rocket boots, blades forward. Nikki caught them with her daggers, but in her trapped state it didn't take Beta long to disarm her—first the left, then the right. Then, grabbing the black ranger by the shoulder flung her over onto her back a few feet away—right next to her dropped sidearm.

Nikki, already starting to feel the effects of this fight, grasped for her weapon and clumsily fired at her opponent as the antipode simply deflected the amateur shots, before she simply kicked the gun out of Nikki's hands...and followed up with a satisfying second kick to Nikki's midsection.

"Nikki Manuel" Beta recited as the black ranger rolled away, pulling herself up into a crouch, "Hope you don't mind, I went to the trouble of reading your psych profile. All of your psych profiles, actually. Interesting stuff in there! Always knew Iota had a thing for messed up people, I just never really knew how bad".

Nikki knew full well she was in trouble. This entire engagement had been a trap; B'rnix was down and she was disarmed and way outmatched. And with that bomb right there...Nikki knew her only chance right now was to send out an alert, and keep Beta at bay long enough to construct the message. She dodged Beta's swipes, following up with a spin kick that actually managed to knock the antipode off-balance—though the resulting swipe from Beta's blade cut through Nikki's midsection. The black ranger backed off again as she realized Beta was *still* one step ahead of her: the bomb also functioned as a communications jammer.

"What's wrong?" Beta asked with a laugh as she swung at Nikki again, "Can't connect? Don't you get it yet? I know how you operate—I know how you work. Anything you think of, I've already thought of it first". Another two swipes that barely grazed Nikki, followed by a solid kick and Beta grabbing her foe and tossing her around.

"I have to say, you're putting up less of a fight than I expected" Beta taunted Nikki, "Nikki's case file was way more interesting. But then, I guess that shouldn't be a surprise. After all, you're not the real deal, are you?"

Oh. Oh no. Beta was NOT going there.

"You're just a copy, an echo. A faulty program pretending to be someone who's dead".

Rage bubbled up in Nikki's bit as she stood back up.

"It must be rough, trying to live up to someone you've never met-and failing every time".

Nikki roared, and lunged.

Beta continued as she easily parried and dodged, "How many things did the real Nikki accomplish in her short life? How many have you? I mean, besides being Iota's puppet?"

Nikki only saw red as she struck. What she got for her trouble was a severed arm—Beta's right blade had gone right through her left arm at the elbow. Her hologram flickered for a moment, the black ranger seemingly in shock at what had just happened. Time slowed. Another solid swing to Nikki's gut and the crippled black ranger was on the floor, face-first. Her rage now broken, she made a token attempt to get back up.

Beta was having none of that though. Her left gauntlet extended another sword, which she used to stab Nikki in the back, pinning her to the floor. There was no blood of course, she was a hologram after all. But she was now trapped, and unable to keep fighting. Beta chuckled as she kneeled in front of her would-be adversary, the latter's form still flickering.

"How pathetic. Whoever built you should have kept the warranty for your parts".

Nikki reached out at Beta in a futile gesture. The antipode simply shook her head and stood back up, beginning to type instructions into her wrist armor, "Don't worry, I'll make this quick. And then, I'll kill your friends". The sword pinning Nikki to the ground began to glow, and then produced a powerful electrical discharge that coursed through the black ranger's body. Nikki's world became a cornucopia of pain as every part of her began to break and shut down.

And then there was oblivion.

* * *

"_You need to get up"._

She didn't want to. This was...this was nice. She didn't have to think, didn't have to care. Nothing mattered.

"_You need to get up"._

She didn't *want* to, can't you see? She was tired, and sick of it all. All she wanted to do now was cease to be. She was quitting, done. They could program another AI if they wanted to, screw it.

"_You need to get up"._

Now she was getting irritated. Why did she need to get up? What good did getting up ever do for her?

"_You need to get up"._

"WHAT!?" she roared as she came to. This wasn't the real world; in the realm of data and numbers that was her mindscape, senses didn't exist. Anything she 'saw' or 'heard' well...it was more like how someone thinks of things—it was all representation.

Nikki found herself floating in the void. In front of her was the source of the voice that had been calling.

"You" she seethed, glaring directly at Iota, or rather, the data reserve he'd programmed within her.

"Hello, Nikki" he replied cordially.

"Don't call me that!" she bit back, "I'm not her". Her voice broke, "I'm not her. And damn you for making me think I was".

"I never made you think you were" Iota tried to explain.

Rage bubbled forth once more, temporarily replacing her anguish, "Bullshit! You brought me back. You programmed yourself into me! You employed me and never, not ONCE, let me know I was a lie! All so I could be your dutiful little puppet! Just like everyone else, just like everyone ever, you only ever saw anyone as a tool!"

The opposite figure seemed to shake his head sadly, "You are not a lie; you are here, now. You may not be who you thought you were, but you are still real. Nor was it my fault you became this way".

"Then why?!" she cried, "Why did you single me out?!"

Iota sighed, then seemed to pace a bit as he began to explain, "I needed someone with your...talents. I needed a repository for my knowledge, my theories, my plans. I needed them hidden somewhere no one would look. And I needed someone who could carry my plans out, someone who was intelligent and moral and loyal. Someone who could pull off what I couldn't, even in the case of my death". He looked up, at the endless expanse of numbers and code, "...Everything I ever did, I did for my people, my universe. I did it so this universe wouldn't have to suffer for our mistakes. So when they found you, pulled your program from the wreckage of the outpost, I made sure to acquire you, because you were everything I needed and more".

"So that's all I ever was?" she asked, distraught, "Just a means to an end? No free will, no self-determination, just a loyal robot to do your dirty work?"

Iota looked at her, "...You always had free will. I never tampered with your consciousness. I manipulated you, hid things from you, yes, but I never violated your programming like that. It would have been counterproductive to my aims—I needed someone who could *think*".

Nikki choked back a sob, "Bullshit. Then why is it I see you wherever I go? Why is it you're here now?! You're always there, in the corner of my mind, telling me where I should go, what I should do! You won't leave me alone!"

Her former mentor tilted his head in confusion, "...I never followed you. You summoned *me*".

A confused "...What?" was all Nikki could get out.

"You summoned me. Subconsciously, I suppose. A sort of guilt complex, whenever you strayed from what you THOUGHT you needed to be doing. Because on some level, you still felt you needed to do this, and you weren't".

"Bullshit". The anger had returned, the confusion having evaporated.

"If you don't believe me, check your mental records yourself" Iota replied.

She did. He was right—she felt foolish, having never checked herself. She supposed she had just always...well, assumed.

Iota continued, "...I needed someone willing to do this of their own volition, not a mindless puppet. If it's any consolation, I *am* sorry".

"You toyed with everyone like they were your playthings, took away their agency" she leveled at him.

Her former mentor turned his back on her, hands clasped behind him, "...I have done many awful things in my life. I am in no way what you could consider a hero. I have hurt people, killed them. I, like my former allies, believed it was necessary. But...I think perhaps Sid was right about a lot of things. Not all of them, mind you, but enough".

"...What are you saying?" Nikki asked him.

"I believe you and your team have what it takes to win—and I believe you can do it without compromising yourselves". He paused for a moment, "...I am deleting my recorded persona from your databanks".

Nikki blinked, startled by this sudden act of suicide, "...You're killing yourself?!" she exclaimed.

Iota nodded, "When this conversation ends, your memory banks will dump what is left".

"But why?!" She was somewhat aghast at this. Certainly, she hated Iota's guts but...self-termination of his last vestige? She couldn't help but feel just a little guilty.

"I am a figment, a contingency, nothing more" he explained plainly, "Merely a messenger. My purpose has been fulfilled, and now I step aside. Do not mourn; it is how I always knew it must end. If you are to save your universe, you must decide who you are for yourself".

"..But I don't *know* who I am!" Nikki exclaimed with a hint of frantic-ness, "I don't KNOW! I can't do this anymore. I can't...I can't..." she crumbled to her knees, cradling her head in her hands. "I thought I was Nikki, but instead I'm just a program with some dead girl's memories stuck in me. You say I'm not a lie, but I AM!"

Iota looked down at her, "...We cannot choose how we are born, or what we begin as. That is determined by a role of the die". She looked up at him as he kneeled down in front of her, "But I think you've been focused on the wrong question".

Confusion once more. "...What?"

"You've been so busy asking yourself who you are and what you want, you've missed the most important question of all".

"And what would that be?"

The former antipode glanced to his side for a moment, as if coming to an epiphany himself, "...The real question, Nikki Manuel, Outpost Station 67-B AI, is who do you *want* to be?"

She blinked, speechless. She had no immediate answer.

He explained, "You cannot choose how you are brought into this world. But you can choose who you will become from there. What does it matter if you hold Nikki Manuel's memories in your mind? Everything that has happened since belongs to you. Every encounter, every event. Even if you are not wholly her, she will forever be a part of you. What you do with Nikki's memories, how you choose to honor her, is up to you".

"You say that like it's simple" she said, though her fire and rage and anguish had faded to a monotone of stability.

"Life is never simple".

Nikki let loose a bitter laugh. She knew that all too well.

"It's done" said Iota, "I've deleted my subroutines from your hard drive. All remaining data has been unencrypted. There's a few surprises in there for you".

"Like what?"

The antipode gave an uncharacteristic shrug, "That, I believe, will be up to you to discover".

Nikki looked over the void of code again, "...So what happens now?" she asked hesitantly.

"Now, you live" Iota replied. Before Nikki could reply, everything went white.

* * *

B'rnix pushed himself back against the floor as Beta approached. He was injured; gut wounds were pretty debilitating, and as he clutched his midsection tightly, he knew he was pretty much done. As a varox, it was socially expected he'd die in combat but...well, that was always an abstract. Death happened to *other* people, or would happen to him down the road, some imaginary future point that would never come.

Until it did, anyway. B'rnix stopped pulling away. There was no real purpose in continuing to pull back, Beta was about to kill him regardless, best to die as close to being on his feet as possible.

A low humming, buzzing noise caused both of them to pause, momentarily confused by the sudden sound. A flash of light came from where Nikki had been shut off by Beta's EMP sword attack. Both turned, as electrical discharge went off from the sword.

And then, miraculously, a human form began to flicker into existence. Beta forgot B'rnix completely as Nikki re-materialized where she'd fallen. "What? That's...that's impossible!" she said, barely above a whisper in sheer disbelief.

As Nikki's form became solid, she was morphed once again into the black ranger. And now, with both arms restored, she pulled herself up, pushing the sword's blade through her midsection, impossibly. It was painful, clearly, and it took all of Nikki's efforts just to pull off a single push-up.

_Who do you want to be?_

Taking on arm, the black ranger gripped the hilt of the sword sticking out of her back, and with a mighty roar of pain and fortitude, pulled it free, out of her body. Somehow, impossibly, she staggered to her feet, barely keeping herself upright, but succeeding all the same.

"That's...IMPOSSIBLE!" Beta exclaimed in a mixture of fear and awe as she made a step back, "What _are_ you?!"

"...Me?" Nikki asked, looking down at herself, down at her hands, not entirely sure of the answer herself.

_Who do you want to be?_

The black ranger looked back up at Beta and assumed an attack position, "I'm the girl who's going to kick your ass".

"Unlikely" Beta growled, charging her blades, "I beat you once easily, and now you can barely function".

Deep inside, Nikki felt something, something that hadn't been active before. She searched her data and found...something. A gift from Iota. Taking the sword she'd pulled out of her, Nikki scanned both it and Beta's new toys. The program that was running took notes, and then began to change. A rush of power built up inside her, and then when it was ready, the words came too her.

"Phantom Mode".

Sleek, form-fitting armor slid from out of nowhere over her boots, wrists, chest, and back. Nothing bulky or heavy—it was very much designed to compliment her suit and fight-style. It was jet black, with violet energy lines coursing across it and breaking up the monotony.

Beta watched as the black ranger powered up, trying to surmise the capabilities of the new armor. It seemed to be at least somewhat functionally similar to her own powers, though still based around Nikki's need for speed and stealth. Enough of this.

"Time to cut the puppet's strings" Beta growled as she charged forward, her rocket boots allowing her to fly across the ground towards her opponent. She closed in and swung-

Nikki wasn't there anymore. Her scanners hadn't detected her movement. She should have been able to detect her cloak. Where-

Beta never got the chance to finish her thought, as the black ranger slammed into her side with twin violet energy wrist blades. Before Beta could react, she was gone again, and then hit the other side. Then another. Then another. She was simply too fast for the new black ranger. She swung around wildly, somehow by chance clashing with Nikki's next assault, their weapons colliding with one another. The energy discharge from the impact cascaded out as B'rnix watched with fascination.

Nikki leaned in, "Ain't...no strings...to hold me down".

Beta paused in disbelief, "...Did you just-"

She never got a chance to finish that sentence. With a cry, Nikki wheeled up, slamming her foot into the blue antipode's face, before rebounding and coming at the prone Beta with her two energy blades. Beta backflipped out of the way, prompting Nikki to extend her own blades like whips of light. Beta was grazed by one, and managed to parry the other, but got knocked back by a violet-charged energy blade to the face via Nikki's foot.

"Well, that's enough of this, then" Beta muttered, realizing she'd lost the advantage in this fight. She ignited her rocket boots and shot through the roof of the warehouse, leaving debris falling from above in her wake.

"She is *not* getting away!" Nikki exclaimed with a vengeance.

"Nikki, wait!" B'rnix called to her, but she paid him no attention as the armor on her back unfolded into a jetpack with a set of small wings. A split second later, her boots ignited and she was in hot pursuit of her quarry.

The black ranger shot through the air, her internal sensors quickly picking up Beta's trail as she fled the scene. Beta was fast—well in excess of mach one. Nikki engaged her jetpack—she had to match and succeed that speed. They weaved in and around and between the towering buildings of the skyline that dominated the interior of Ard Axa, under and over. Nikki's jetpack opened up twin laser miniguns which unloaded a volley at her foe.

Beta dodged them—barely, "Why won't you die?!" she exclaimed, returning fire and missing before continuing her retreat. She dove down low, into the lower channels of the asteroid, past all the streams of flying vehicles and into the bottom-level streets and alleyways. The two of them veered over and aside from oncoming traffic, before making a tight ninety degree turn to the right.

Nikki knew what Beta was trying to do—she was trying to lose her. Worse, it was working; for the moment she was keeping up, but Beta was better at this than she was. That ninety degree turn had almost left Nikki a smear across the wall. She had to find an upset, now. Glancing down at her wrist blades, she got an idea.

The first thing Beta felt was her foot get a little warm—then came the tug. Looking back, she saw that the black ranger had wrapped one of her whips around her boot. Clever little-raugh! Beta tried her best to shake the energy whip loose, but when that failed decided on Plan B: take Nikki for a ride. The blue antipode shot upward, away from the base-level street and back up into the maze-like metropolis—and right into a stream of flying traffic. Nikki kept hanging on, but almost met face-first with an incoming cab, only evading it through a well-timed redirect of her swing thanks to one of her rocket boots.

Okay, fine. Plan C. Beta halted in midair, letting Nikki come to her. The black ranger's helmet met with a powerful rocket-assisted kick, and Nikki let go, falling down. Sensing her advantage, Beta dove forward, slamming Nikki into the side of a building at the speed of sound. The tower's power flickered as a small explosion ripped across the area of impact...and tilted just a little.

However, Nikki had Beta right in her sights. Her jetpack's guns flipped over the black ranger's shoulders, giving her a point-blank shot which she took. Beta was knocked back, giving Nikki the chance to repay the blue armored figure by charging her blades and rushing her, using the building as a springboard. Beta moved to block, but quickly found that Nikki had vanished—and rammed herself right into Beta's side.

Why couldn't she detect the black ranger's cloak?! What had changed?!

Nikki rammed into Beta's other side. In desperation, she struck out in random directions, hoping to catch her foe, but in a three-dimensional environment that was destined for failure from the outset. Nikki struck from below, sending Beta soaring up, before vanishing and reappearing above her. Another powerful blow sent Beta tumbling, falling like a meteor into an alleyway below. Nikki followed suit, her jets taking her as fast as she could go. A purple aura surrounded her as she exceeded mach two, her energy blades out in front. As Beta looked up from the crater she'd created from landing, she could only find time to curse.

"...Ah, hell".

An explosion ripped through the alleyway, damaging the surrounding low-lying buildings, and sending a faint shockwave emanating outward, carrying debris with it.

Beta staggered out from the wreckage of the impact as the dust began to clear, clutching her side in pain. Her rockets were shot—she'd have to make repairs. Most of the rest of her systems were either down or only partially operating. Even her suit was in danger of being compromised—not good, considering she needed it to exist in this universe until they finally xenoformed it. All in all, she was done.

And there stood the black ranger, uncrouching and preparing for round two.

Okay, fine. Time for Plan D.

"I wouldn't come any closer, if I were you" Beta gasped as she stepped back. The antipode pulled a small device out of her belt, "You wouldn't want the Morphing Grid to crack like an egg, would you?"

"The resulting explosion would kill you, same as us" Nikki retorted, though it was noted that she had stopped walking forward.

"I told you" Beta replied, her voice haggard but resolute, "I would do *anything* for my universe".

Nikki relented, staying put as Beta tapped her wrist. A few seconds later, a personal transport on autopilot roared overhead before descending and opening up its back hatch. It didn't land, but instead extended the ramp so that Beta could grab hold.

"Until next time, little girl" Beta sneered before tossing the small device into the black ranger's hands. The flipped herself up into the craft as it veered off, leaving Nikki with the small device that displayed where the bombs were and that they were primed for detonation. For a moment Nikki freaked, until she realized that the bombs weren't going off, but that they were insurance; attempt to shoot Beta's ship down, and she would detonate the network instantly. As the ship exited into one of the asteroid's hangerbays, and then presumably out into space, the bombs shut down one by one as Beta's detonator left the signal range. They would be able to work their way through the network and dispose of the bombs freely. Even though she didn't need to breath, Nikki still let out an exhale, or at least a reasonable facsimile, before dropping to her knees in exhaustion.

* * *

Nikki leaned against the railing of the upper level of Ard Axa's main port, watching ships come and go. The moot was happening right that moment, but considering everything, she hadn't really felt up to it, leaving B'rnix to pick up the slack. Again.

_Who do you want to be?_

Iota's final question had been lingering on in her mind all day. The truth was, she still didn't know and yet...it felt like maybe everything wasn't quite such a hopeless paradox now.

Other things were bothering her as well, of course. Beta had gotten away. They'd managed to disarm the bomb network, but at the same time...Beta worried her. She'd countered everything she'd encountered during her prior visit, and had even studied Nikki's own data file. And even though she'd managed to stop Beta's plan, Nikki couldn't help but feel it was too easy.

"Just thought you'd like to know, meeting's done".

Nikki had been so caught up in her own thoughts, she hadn't noticed B'rnix come up behind her.

"How'd it go?" she asked him.

He shrugged noncommittally, "Well, finger food wasn't that great. They had those little pigs-in-a-blanket, but the wings were pretty dry. Didn't even have the little mini-tacos-"

"B'rnix" Nikki's voice was dripping with false irritation.

The varox sighed, idly rubbing his gut wound, "...Better than we feared, worse than we hoped. Beta did a number; hit some of the clans exactly were they hurt".

"How many did we end up getting?" Nikki asked as she turned her back to the railing, leaning against it as the braced herself for the answer.

"Fourteen clans" B'rnix replied, "Out of thirty-nine attendees. It's not all bad; we got some heavy weight on our side—Axa of course, but clans Ursine and Delbo have signed on too. But someone's going to have to stay behind and organize this".

He was giving her permission, she noticed. He was willing to step aside, let her find her own path. For a moment she was speechless, unable to think of were to go from here.

How about an apology?

"...I'm sorry" she said, "You were right, I *am* a coward, running away from myself. And those things I said to you were...unkind".

"Unkind, but not untrue" B'rnix replied with a sigh as he adopted a more sober persona than usual, moving to a position next to her, and also leaning on the railing, "Sometimes what we hate about other people is what we see in ourselves. You were right, I left all those years ago because I was a coward. I wouldn't have changed it for anything, but I was wrong to attack you because of it. If you want to be the one who stays, I won't stand in your way. Besides, there are a million other places I can make a difference".

"No" Nikki said, after a moment of thought, "You were right, this isn't me. I don't know what 'me' entails or who I am but...I know what *isn't* me at least. You need to stay here, you know this world better than I do".

The varox looked at her inquisitively, "...Are you sure about this?"

She let a bitter chuckle escape, "I'm not sure about much of anything anymore. But I think…maybe to find myself, I need to be myself first. Er...if that makes sense".

B'rnix laughed, "A few more weeks like this, and you'll be talking like me. I do rub off on people".

"Perish the thought" she replied. The two shared a chuckle.

"Welcome back" B'rnix said, in uncharacteristic earnestness.

"...Thanks".

"Arrr, there she be!" said Yorhor as he approached them from the other end of the walkway, "Been lookin' for ye, lass. Was afraid you'd left already".

"He knows you're leaving?" B'rnix asked.

The captain nodded, "Aye, told me before the meetin'. Hate to lose such a talented lass, but I won't keep what don't want to be here. And what about you, B'rnix? You leavin' too?"

"No" the varox replied, "I'd rather stay here; much more interesting than deep space. You've actually got bathrooms here. And an aquarium. And a McDonalds. What more could a cyborg mercenary ask for?"

Yorhor gave a hardy laugh, "...Welcome back aboard, son" he said with genuine warmth. He turned his attention back to Nikki, "So where ARE ye goin, anyway?"

"...Home" Nikki said, surprisingly fondly, before her expression darkened as the three of them looked out to the starfield beyond the hangerbay door, "My team needs me. They need to know what Beta's planning, and what she's capable of".

"Divide and conquer" B'rnix said, folding his arms, "A basic strategy, but effective. If she could do this much damage here..."

"Then they can wreak havoc everywhere" Nikki finished for him with a nod.

"Then take care of yourself, lass" Yorhor said with a twinge of worry, "And know ye always got a friendly port in the storm here, as an honorary member of the crew".

She looked at him, a faint smile on her lips, "That means a-" the sentence died in her throat as Yorhor put a giant foam pirate hat on her head with big bold letters that said 'Honorary Pirate'. A fake parrot bobbled on the right side. She glanced up at it, her face devoid of any emotion, before shrugging with a bland expression, "Eh. I'll take it".

* * *

"_She roughed me up pretty bad, but it could be worse, all things considered"._

At his desk, Alpha watched Beta explain the situation on his holoscreen. It wasn't a fancy office by any stretch of the imagination; just a small room of three metallic walls and a fourth made of transparent material that let him see out into the central core of the station, a massive cylindrical chamber with multiple levels of catwalks circling the central xenoformer machine. The office itself was fairly spartan, with just a desk and some chairs; after all, his life was transient. Why keep anything from this universe when it would soon be erased and reformatted?

"Are you in need of medical attention?" he asked her.

Beta shook her head, _"Not that bad, fortunately, just need some suit repairs. I'm on my way back now"._

"Mission status?" he asked.

She seemed to think on her words before she said them, _"Primary objective partially succeeded. I managed to instill chaos among the pirate houses. Many that would have signed have not, and may even go to war"._

"But you didn't manage to cut off the hydra's head" he said, referring to the fact that the bombs didn't go off and kill everyone. It wasn't an accusation, but merely a stated fact.

Beta shrugged, _"No, but then we wouldn't have been able to achieve our secondary objective, which I think we can agree, in the long run may be far more profitable"._

"So you intend to go ahead with your plan".

She gave a small laugh, _"Yes. I'm returning to base. As soon as my suit is repaired, I will be ready to enact phase two, if you're willing"._

Alpha nodded in agreement, "Your proposal is interesting, and sound. Consider yourself green-lit".

"_Consider it done. Beta out"._

Beta's form vanished from the screen, giving Alpha a moment to ponder the future before he decided to check in with his other scheduled meeting. Tapping a few controls, Isdilian's form appeared on his screen, morphed as the silver ranger.

"Sorry to keep you waiting" he told the ranger.

"_You had a new mission for me?" _Isdilian asked him.

"Yes, actually" Alpha replied. He forwarded several bits of information to his agent, "Six hours ago, our operatives successfully assassinated the head of the Royal House of Cybernetics—the emperor of the Machine Empire, as well as several of his inner circle. The crime scene makes it look as though it was the work of a conspiracy—three lesser rival houses have been implicated".

"_So what's the problem?"_

"It seems as though one or two witnesses got away with vital information that could undo our plans, and you are in the area. I have forwarded to you all relevant data that we have. Find General Quickspur, and terminate him".

The silver ranger nodded in obedience, _"Anything else I should know about?"_

Alpha forwarded a few more pieces of information—three dossiers, actually. "Yes. Last he was seen, was was protected by a Peacekeeper team assigned to him as part of their attempt to build an alliance against us. I believe you might know them".

Isdilian looked over the files. Indeed, the names were very familiar. The red ranger, Anthren. The blue ranger, Tesas of Aquitar. And the yellow ranger, Sitra, crown princess of Triforia. The team he'd helped train all those months ago. Under his helmet, he frowned, _"...What do you want me to do with them?"_

"What do you think?"

Isdilian hesitated—he knew these rangers. He'd hoped...no. He'd known that sacrifices would have to be made. He steeled himself, _"It will be done"._

* * *

_**To be continued…**_


	31. 3x05: Graduation

Impact explosions rocked the Machine gearship as it hovered in low orbit over Tronus VI. The planet, cloaked in thick yellow, formless clouds that obscured the surface, cast an eerie glow over the battle as it raged. To the gearship's upper ten o'clock sat a large SPD battleship, a gray, blocky structure that even now rained fire down on the gearship. Three smaller but not-insubstantial SPD attendant cruisers flanked the larger ship, and were now focusing their attention on the gearship's own escorts—two smaller machine warships. Between the two battlegroups, numerous deployed fightercraft were blowing each other out of the sky.

Onboard the lead gearship, sparks gushed from exploding pipes and computer terminals as the ship's hull began to buckle from the pressure. A stream of fire ruptured from one of the pipelines, forcing a couple of cogs to extinguish it quickly. Numerous other cogs and war droids rushed back and forth down the hall as panic set in—this ship was dying.

Four other figures raced down the hall as well. But their goal wasn't trying to keep a quickly-fading warship afloat. They were fleeing towards the launchbay. Also of interest was that one of them was a member of the Machine Empire; the other three were a trio of rangers in red, blue, and yellow.

As they rushed down the hall, barely avoiding a bulkhead shuttering, General Quickspur opened a channel to the bridge, "Report! Have we managed to send a signal out?!"

The reply was garbled and full of static, _"Long-range communications are still jammed, unable to transmit to command!"_

Quickspur grumbled as the group turned the corner into the launch bay, "Dagnabbit varmants. Knew exactly when and how to hit us!" An explosion ripped a portion of the bay's catwalks apart as the floor trembled beneath them.

"We need to go, NOW!" the red ranger crowed, pointing to one of the craft still operational, "This whole place is coming apart!"

The general looked over the launchbay of his doomed ship one more time as the rangers boarded the personal transport. Another explosion rocked the ship, and outside he could see escape pods beginning to launch. His ship was doomed, and many of his fellow machines would not survive. But with a heavy heart, Quickspur decided it was finally, regrettably, time to go.

* * *

**Power Rangers Peacekeepers**

**Season Three**

**3.05: Graduation**

* * *

The bridge of the SPD warship _Goliath_ shuddered from another impact. The room was spacious, with multiple stations circled around the central command station that was raised up a level. Instead of just one viewscreen, several lined the front walls and ceiling of the chamber, making it seem as though it were an open room, and giving a greater view of the battlefield. Ahead of them, the lead machine warship was beginning to break apart.

"Intensify forward firepower on the ship's weakpoints!" Isdilian commanded, just before one of the SPD escort ships exploded in a blaze of fire, its debris scattering in all directions.

"We just lost the _Intrepid_!" one of the bridge officers shouted, "The _Endeavour's_ losing hull integrity!"

Admiral Lacanth was an Ichthyite, a humanoid species with four emerald green eyes embedded in grey, clammy skin and twin tusks protruding from their mouth. The semi-aquatic humanoid looked over the damage that had been done to his bridge, as well as the chaos outside. This was madness; this Isdilian who had just taken over and usurped his authority (on command's orders, no less!) had led them right into a bloodbath.

"We're losing too many ships, we have to pull back!" the admiral pleaded with the silver ranger. It was true, they'd already lost three vessels, meaning the attrition rate was way too high. His entire battlegroup was being sacrificed on some sort of fools errand.

The silver ranger growled at him, "There will be no retreat! We have them outnumbered and outgunned. Ahead full!"

Another explosion ripped across the bottom of the hull of the _Orion_, another one of the escort cruisers. It listed slightly. The admiral watched helplessly as his men were slaughtered.

As for Isdilian, the silver ranger gripped the command station table even tighter—they had to win this. They HAD to. If he failed here, the setbacks to the plan would be enormous; they *needed* the Machine Empire to fall into civil war, or else Sid's forces would have a huge boon on their side. Sid and the others could never be allowed to consolidate their forces. More than that though, Isdilian didn't want to fail Alpha, his...commander? Father? Nouns didn't really apply here—all that mattered was the mission.

He knew this wasn't proper tactics. You don't just throw away assets in a meatgrinder, but honestly? It wasn't like he had to keep these people in reserve or anything. In this case, a Pyrrhic victory was just as good as a legitimate victory. Better, even, because the ultimate goal here was not to force the opposing side to flee the field; the goal here was for there to be no survivors. Isdilian's orders were simple—kill General Quickspur and everyone he had associated with. He had to keep him from ever revealing what he knew to anyone else.

"The lead ship's launching escape pods!" one of the officers, a bird alien, said. True enough, the dying vessel had begun expelling small craft from all directions, and most of them had begun aiming for the planet's surface.

Isdilian could not allow this, "Have the fighters target the pods. Make sure none reach the surface".

Admiral Lacanth looked at the silver ranger with a mixture of disbelief and horror, "...You can't fire on unarmed escape craft! That's a war crime!"

The silver ranger turned to him, "My authority comes straight from the highest eschelons of command, admiral, and my mission is to ensure no survivors, by any means necessary. Do not mistake your rank for command of this mission—today you are little more than an observer". Isdilian spoke to the rest of the bridge crew, "You will carry out your orders to the fullest. Failure to comply will considered treasonous dereliction of duty. Do we understand?"

The crew seemed to hesitate, but in the end none dared question the silver ranger's authority. Besides, any ethical concerns they had were at least somewhat mollified by the fact that they were targeting machines. The admiral's fist clenched in impotent fury, but did nothing as he knew Isdilian was absolutely right—he WAS just an observer today. An observer who was witnessing the destruction of his entire flagship battlegroup. Twin beams of light lashed out from one of the attendant gearships at the SPD warship, causing the bridge to shake again.

"Personal transport detected leaving lead ship's hanger!" one of the officers, a cat-person, said.

Isdilian's attention perked up—that was what he'd been waiting for, "That's our quarry. Shoot it down, then clean up the rest of the battlegroup".

Another officer, an alien with pangolin-like orange scales instead of hair, spoke up, "Critical hit on lead gearship's reactor! She's going!"

* * *

Quickspur's craft escaped the hangerbay just as it crumbled on itself. It was a bit out of the frying pan and into the fire though, as now the small shuttle was lost in the confrontation going on around them.

"What do we do?!" the yellow ranger, Sitras, asked, gripping the back of the pilot's seat tightly where Tesas, the blue ranger, was driving.

Quickspur braced himself as the ship shook, "We need to get out of this here mess and contact command! Where's the closest trajectory out of the planet's gravitational well?"

The blue ranger brought up a holomap of the vicinity as he began to calculate exit points, "Moving to intercept!"

Another shake, harder than the last one.

"What was that?!" Sitras asked.

Anthren, the red ranger, currently in the tactical seat next to Tesas, spoke up, "Two fighters have locked on! Brace for impact!" The entire cabin shook violently. Sparks exploded.

"Can you stop them!?" Tesas whined, irritated that his work was being interrupted.

The red ranger glared angrily at him, "This thing has two frontal disruptors, and you're the one with the pilot controls!"

Another hit. The controls turned to static for a moment. Another hit, and one of the ship's pipes blew. Sparks erupted everywhere.

"Left engine's down!" Anthren reported, starting to panic, "Hull integrity dropping!" Another blast almost threw everyone from their seats. Tesas tried his best to dodge the attacks, but his craft just wasn't nimble enough. This was it; this was how they were all going to die.

Just then, the lead gearship behind them erupted into a gigantic fireball as the vessel's core went critical and exploded. Debris flew out in all directions as the various surviving fragments of what had once been Quickspur's flagship floated away from each other. The chaos brought upon by this tossed the fighters for a loop, and the shockwave impacted the other ships, pushing them away ever so slightly. This was both a boon and a curse for the hapless shuttle as while its pursuers were jolted from their quarry, the shuttle's other engine burnt out as it was tossed forward.

Inside, the quartet could only watch with dizziness as the ship spun on its axis, already beginning to descend towards the yellow-orange planet below.

"Can you stop the spinning?!" Anthren crowed out. The tenga felt like he was going to vomit.

Tesas gripped the controls tightly, "Engines are out! Trying emergency thrusters, hang on!" A few more turns, and the planet came into view once more, this time staying there. The blue ranger's hands raced over the controls, "That's the best I can give you; I can't pull us up. We're going down".

"Scanning for landing options" Sitras reported in as she opened her own holo-console behind Tesas, "There's an old mining complex near one of the northern mountain ranges; sending coordinates now".

Tesas gripped his controls even tighter as their descent sped up; they were now entering the uppermost layers of the atmosphere, "Everyone hang on!" Thick, yellow clouds enveloped them, and soon they were gone from the battle and hurtling towards the surface.

* * *

"Status report!" Isdilian demanded as the bridge alarms went off. The officers who had been thrown out of their seats by the gearship's explosions returned to their stations. Off the port side, the last of their escort cruisers erupted in another blaze of glory. Soon after however, the last of the machine ships went boom as well, leaving but one capital ship standing over the battlefield, the SPD warship _Goliath._

"All targets neutralized" a blue-skinned alien reported, "...Also all escort ships. Moderate damage to our hull, damage to most subsystems, damage teams en-route".

Good, very good. Still, they weren't done yet, "Scan the planet for survivors" Isdilian said, "We can't leave anything to chance".

* * *

The holographic representation of Iota's supposed ally, Gamma, stood above the central table of the Megaship's war room. The rangers had not bothered taking seats as they were too unnerved by this sudden development. Sid leaned forward, using one of the chairs to support him, while Xolin opted to lean back against one of the wall consoles. Trok simply fretted, fidgeting absent-mindedly. Before them now stood someone claiming to be an ally of Iota. At best, the black-armored figure was telling the truth and they were dealing with yet another manipulative liar. At worst, she was a member of the Antipodes and trying to lure them into a trap.

"Okay, so, let's say for the sake of argument that we believe you" Sid began, "Which, for the record, we don't. But, HYPOTHETICALLY SPEAKING, why should we do anything you say?"

"That depends—do you have any intention of saving your universe?" Gamma asked.

Xolin crossed her arms with contempt, "Excuse you. We've been working on something for over a week now".

Gamma held back a snort, "Yes, your 'grand alliance', I know. How's that progressing? Will it be ready in a few weeks when Alpha's crew reformats your reality?"

That news bit shook everyone. Xolin stood up, unfolding her arms as Sid straightened himself. The former spoke with a hushed tone of disbelief, "...Weeks?"

"Correct" Gamma said, "We have reason to believe that Alpha's construction of his device is nearing completion. We are working as fast as we can to track down its location".

Sid's eyes narrowed, "...Wait, you said 'we'?"

Gamma nodded, "Myself, as well as my associate Zeta, and what remains of the Peacekeeper organization".

"The Peacekeepers?" asked Xolin in mild confusion, "I thought we were all that was left".

"You are all that remains of the vanguard; however, we kept a number of the newer recruit teams away from the failed offensive three months ago. They, and a small handful of survivors from the original eleven teams, allowed us to regroup...somewhat, anyway" Gamma replied, "We've been biding our time since then".

Sid changed the subject somewhat. The continued existence of the Peacekeepers was definitely news to him, but he found another topic more pressing at the moment, "…'Zeta'?" he asked, "How many of you are there?"

Gamma sighed, as if speaking of things she'd rather not, "There were nine of us when we arrived in this universe. Three, including Iota, are no longer with us".

"What happened to the other two?" Trok asked.

Gamma turned to him, "It's a long story, and one we don't have time for at the moment. What's important is that your attempts at an alliance are about to be unraveled by the Antipodes".

Sid frowned, "Explain".

More holoscreens popped up all around Gamma's figure. They were readouts and reports, all focused on Machine space. Gamma explained, "Eight hours ago King Ratchet, emperor of the Machine Empire and almost his entire entourage were struck down, ostensibly by a conspiracy implicating three rival houses. Already, the empire is beginning to dissolve into civil war".

"But you suspect foul play" Sid surmised, "Er...foul-er play".

"Correct. One of the witnesses got away, along with a ranger team we'd extended to them to help and solidify the alliance you'd struck. While General Quickspur was a good start, we were hoping to get the entire empire onboard. Our team managed to get an SOS out to us before they lost communications. We managed to track them to the Tronus system before we lost contact altogether".

"And you need us to go find them" Sid said, connecting the obvious dots of this story long before Gamma recited them.

"If you don't, then the Machine Empire will turn on itself, and you will have lost one of your biggest allies in the fight ahead" Gamma said.

Xolin looked over the map as she spoke, "...Who are the escapees?"

More holoscreens appeared, revealing the identities of their quarry. Quickspur as well as...oh boy.

"...We know these guys!" Trok said, grasping the holoscreen containing Tesas's dossier.

Gamma nodded, "Another reason we thought you might like to deal with this yourselves. Think of it as a chance to save your friends".

Xolin gave the hologram a flat stare, "…'Friends' is a little strong" she muttered, before being nudged by Trok gently, with an annoyed look on his face.

Sid sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he contemplated everything. It was like Iota had never died—more carrots being dangled in front of them as yet another antipode figure made them dance to her tune. Yet more manipulation. And yet… "...We'll do it" he said, knowing they really had no alternative, "But let's be clear here—we're doing this of our own will, not yours".

"...Of course you are" Gamma said, "I am forwarding all relevant documents to your ship. Good luck, Peacekeeper Team Twelve, we're all counting on you". With that, Gamma's form vanished, her communication link severing. For a brief moment, no one said anything.

"...We're totally her patsy, aren't we?" Xolin muttered with disdain.

All three of them sighed in unison.

* * *

When Xolin found Sid in the lounge, he was already in the middle of pouring himself a drink. They hadn't had much onboard when Iota had ran things, but apparently Nikki had gotten the SPD techs who had been taking the ship apart to flee in a hurry and had left quite a substantial and varied stash.

"...Drinking before a mission?" she asked casually as she entered the room.

"Not like I'll be drunk or anything" he replied as he took his first drink, "Besides, we're still a ways out and I need it. Want some?"

She knew she shouldn't, objectively. But reason all to easily crumbles to the overwhelming intensity of 'screw it'. "Yeah, what the heck. I'm about to bash my head into the counter anyway".

Sid pulled out another glass and filled it before handing it to her, "You know, for the longest time I figured, if there was one good thing, one singular good thing about what happened, it was that I wouldn't have to listen to Iota bark his bullshit orders at me anymore". He took another drink.

Xolin responded in kind as she turned around to look out at the stars that were speeding by outside the window, "Don't tell me you got tired of being a puppet" she said with a smirk.

Sid chuckled as he also turned, leaning against the bar counter, "God, he was so smug about it too. Like, he never hid he was playing everyone like chess pieces, and then he'd make you do it anyway". A frustrated expression swept over his face as he looked down at his drink.

"...She's just like him, you know" Xolin said quietly.

"I know. We're never free. There's always just *one more* gambit. One more layer of deception". He downed his drink, then turned back and poured his glass again, "I hate it. It feels like any time we get anywhere, we get sucked in even deeper".

Xolin contemplated her drink for a second, then on a whim pulled herself onto the countertop, using it as a seat. Her tone was morose, "You think we have any chance at all?"

Sid shook his head absently, "I don't know. Probably not".

"So why are we fighting?"

He shrugged, "What other choice do we have?"

The two let silence bask over them, embracing the calm before Sid broke it once again, "...What's Trok up to?"

It was Xolin's turn to shrug, "I dunno, probably working on something".

Concern washed over Sid, "...He's really become a work-a-holic since we got back, hasn't he?"

"Triforia changed him" she replied somberly, "Changed both of us". She cradled her drink tightly with one hand as she brushed her other through her hair in an attempt to keep herself steady, "We don't really talk anymore. All we do is fight".

Sid glanced at her, torn. He'd noticed they had been distant to each other since returning to the Megaship, but he hadn't known how to approach it. It was weird too—the Trok he'd known would have never held a grudge. For crying out loud, Sid had inadvertently gotten him banished from his clan, and while he'd spent the next week agonizing about it, Trok had just out of the blue forgiven him, just like that, no strings attached. It was something Sid knew he never deserved, but Trok was just...like that. Or had been, anyway.

Sid knew he should say something, do something that should fix this. He was the team leader, it was his job to keep them together but in the end, all he could do was...nothing. Nothing. None of it was under their control. Not one bit.

"I'm sorry" he said, quietly. And he meant it.

* * *

Isdilian was nursing a headache. The constant complaining from the admiral about his utterly destroyed battlegroup, the endless barrage of reports from the bridge crew that no longer concerned his mission, not to mention his continuing hunt for enemy survivors of the battle. And that was the hell of it; everything on the mission *demanded* that no one survived, that no one could bring word to the other machine houses who had really been behind the regicide. But how could you ever be really sure you didn't miss one? The fact that he'd yet to find Quickspur's corpse kept him searching, even though he knew it was likely Quickspur's escapeship had been incinerated by the shockwave caused by the destruction of the lead gearship.

And yet…

They'd found no less than three escapee landing sites planet-side so far, and had sent in marines each time after striking from orbit, just to make sure. Unfortunately, the atmosphere made it difficult.

Tronus VI was a Class S terrestrial world, much like Saturn's moon Titan in the Sol system. It was a cold planet, enveloped in a thick soupy atmosphere and whose surface was covered in seas of hydrocarbons. It had also been a major mining location for the Machine Empire, eons ago. Now it lay abandoned, but numerous mining complexes still dotted the surface.

Isdilian looked over the holographic representation of the planet below as it hovered over the table in the admiral's office. Just then, another blip appeared on the map.

"Report" he said, opening a channel to the bridge.

"_New targets on mining station thirty-six. Detecting one machine signal and three Morphing Grid signatures"._

Isdilian growled to himself. So Quickspur *had* survived. No matter. He spoke to the bridge again, "Can we strike from orbit?"

"_Negative—the shaft goes too deep, and we can't detect how far down they are"._

Of course. Isdilian grunted in frustration. He supposed he'd have to deal with this himself, "Very well, prepare another drop ship".

* * *

Anthren did not like this planet. The deep orange haze kept him from being able to see too far in the distance, though the red ranger could barely make out the hazy peaks of nearby mountains. The ground was slick and muddy—though from what, Anthren couldn't tell. Tesas could probably identify it, being the smart one, but he was busy. All Anthren knew was that it wasn't water; this world was cold enough that ice was hard enough to substitute as rock. It was probably methane or...some other weird chemical.

The complex they found themselves in the courtyard of was foreboding; machine architecture was never the most pleasant to organic senses, and the buildings that surrounded them were no exception—dark, industrial, overbearing. The ship they'd been piloting now rested in the middle of the courtyard of a fair number of mining structures, having been piloted in by Tesas, which had been no small feat considering all the aquitian had had to work with was a couple of emergency thrusters. By all rights, they should have been dead right about now. As it was, the ship would never fly again, with most of its lower hull having been scraped away by the landing, the wings ripped off in the decent, and the nose of the craft embedded in one of the mining complex's flight towers...which now rested on top of the rest of the craft. As for Tesas, he was sitting cross-legged on the ship's rear exit ramp, a laptop in front of him with a makeshift radio tower as he furiously typed away.

"Anything?" Anthren asked him as he turned away from the hazy horizon.

The blue ranger shook his head, "Planet's atmosphere is too thick. And even if it wasn't, they're probably still blocking us up above". He shut the laptop with a huff of annoyance.

Anthren scoffed, "I thought you were the tech wizard here".

The blue ranger gave him a stare of irritation, plainly clear even with the helmet covering his face, "I can't give you anything if I have literally nothing to work with. And I'll remind you you said that next time you need something from me". The conversation ended there however, as both of them turned their attention to the approaching yellow ranger and Quickspur.

"Anything?" Anthren repeated, this time to the new arrivals.

Sitras shrugged noncommittally, "Sort of?" she said, "We wrecked the control tower pretty good, so that's out. But Quickspur said there's probably another complex not too far from here where we could get a strong enough signal out".

"How far?" asked Anthren, this time to the machine general.

"Oh, 'bout sixty or seventy kilometers off that-a-way" he said in his characteristic western drawl, pointing off towards the mountains.

The red and blue rangers' shoulders slumped at the news, "...Seventy kilometers?" Tesas complained, "That'll take forever!"

"Ugh" Anthren rubbed his helmet, "Can't say I'm really enthused about crossing seventy kilos of hostile terrain myself".

"Well actually, there's good news" Sitras said helpfully, "Quickspur said all the complexes would be connected via rail. I did some sub-surface scans and...well..." she handed a data pad of information to Anthren who looked it over. Sure enough, there were numerous tunnels leading out in different directions, including the one they were going to need to go. Better yet, there was still power down there.

Anthren caught on quick, "So we can just take the train".

"How do we get down there?" Tesas asked, having gotten up and now looking over Anthren's shoulder at the data pad.

"There should be a direct access tunnel from the main complex building, I reckon" Quickspur said, looking around before laying his eyes on the central building, behind another two smaller ones, "Over yonder".

The three rangers glanced at each other knowingly. The train system was their only hope to getting a signal out to get rescued. The brief moment of team unity was shattered however, by Tesas's morpher beeping. The aquitian tapped it, letting a small holomap of the area pop up. Above them, somewhere, was an incoming object—and it was descending fast.

"They've found us" he said, "Dropship is incoming".

Right on cue, they could now hear the engine, and a shadow had begun to appear in the haze.

All four tensed, "We need to go, NOW" Anthren crowed as he hurried everyone to the central building. The other three quickly followed, not wanting to be caught by SPD forces.

* * *

As the landed dropship opened up in the central courtyard of the abandoned mining complex, the silver ranger stepped out, flanked by a number of SPD marines. The ship itself was standard Alliance style—gray, blocky, utilitarian. It was a fair bit larger than the ruined machine transport that lay next to it under a heap of rubble, which Isdilian took note of as he stepped off onto the planet's slushy soil.

"Spread out" he ordered as his troops began to secure the courtyard, "Give them no way to escape. Commander, where are they?" he turned to his immediate subordinate, an SPD marine in full body armor, same as his companions.

The commander checked the holomap on his wrist, "I'm detecting Grid energy inside the central building, and multiple life signs".

Isdilian turned his attention to the aforementioned building. For a moment, he hesitated. Deep down, he didn't want to do this—he knew the rangers protecting Quickspur. He'd helped train them, after all. They'd spent time on the Megaship.

The Megaship. It had almost started to feel like a home, even though he'd told himself never to get comfortable, never to let anyone get close. Yet, like an idiot he had, and now he was suffering the consequences. He didn't want to have to kill these rangers, and yet he knew he had no choice. With a deep breath to steady himself, he began to march forward, marines in tow.

* * *

Tesas and Sitras worked to roll the twin heavy doors to the central building's inner hall shut. Giant gears turned slowly as they pushed as hard as they could, finally connecting the two sides together as the wall sealed itself.

"They're coming" Anthren noted, looking at his morpher's holomap, "They're already inside the building; those doors won't hold them long".

"This way, hurry!" Quickspur called to them as he charged down the steps through the tunnel in the center of the room. The three rangers quickly followed suit.

"We need something to slow them down" Sitras said as they exited into the lower tunnels. It was a tram system of sorts, though definitely not for organic civilian use. It was dark and utilitarian, with only a small walking space for movement on the sides above the rails. However, there in front of them sat an old transport ready for use. The group piled onboard, and Tesas immediately began checking he systems. The craft was small, obviously intended as a pilot's seat, but other than that the rangers were at a loss as to its purpose.

"What's this even here for?" Sitras asked.

"This here's just the front cabin" Quickspur replied, "Normally she'd be linked up with whatever they needed her to pull—raw material transport from deeper in them there mines, personnel, you name it".

Tesas called out from the driver's seat, "We got power!" Right on cue, the lights in the cabin switched on, and the transport began to move forward, slowly at first but steadily gaining speed.

An explosion was heard above them, and the rangers knew that the SPD forces had come for them. Sure enough, troops began funneling down into the lower tunnel station within seconds, and opened fire on the escaping tram. The four ducked at the incoming laser fire.

"We need to lose them somehow!" Sitras complained, "A diversion!"

Anthren looked to Quickspur, who in turn turned to Tesas. "These tunnels had defenses built in just in case. You should be able to activate them from this cabin!" the general said, and Tesas immediately began working to do just that.

"Tesas!" Anthren crowed as a laser blast nearly took off his head.

The blue ranger roared back in frustration, "I'm working on it!"

Another blast hit one of the tram's many wheels. Sparks flew as the wheel disintegrated. Sitras looked down over the side at the problem, "Well work faster!"

Tesas grumbled in frustration; the last thing he needed was *two* bosses micromanaging him. Another blast shook the tram, "You're the mage!" he called back, "Bring down the ceiling on them or something!"

"Oh yeah, great plan brainiac; bring down the ceiling with us inside. Great move" the yellow ranger threw back at him with not a small amount of sarcasm.

"Less talking, more doing!" Anthren crowed at both of them, then aimed his sidearm out the side of the tram and opened fire, his first shot hitting one of the soldiers dead on.

Tesas tried a few more things, but none of them worked, this tech was just too old and broken. In another fit of frustation, his fist hit the control panel...and then it lit up green. His eyes widened as he realized it was working. "Got it!"

Sure enough, all around them in the walls panels opened up, and spider-like drone things crawled out, each about three feet high. Some of them sprouted wings, but all of them began converging on the SPD forces they were now leaving behind.

"Way to go Tesas!" Sitras shouted, sharing a high-five with the blue ranger.

Sighing with relief, Anthren put his pistol away, "Good work, team"

"Yes, good work team" Tesas grumbled as he folded his arms, though good naturedly, "Nevermind that I did all the work. Again".

The yellow ranger rolled her eyes, "Don't worry, I'm sure they'll give you a big fancy nerd metal back at base. Y'know, for being insufferable". Their bickering wasn't serious...a few months ago it would have been, but, well...a lot had happened since then. Now, it was more just a way to blow off steam. It was their system.

The blue ranger eyed her with incredulity "Insufferable? At least I can back up my ego with hard skill, _princess". _She gave off a mock huff in return.

Anthren paid them no mind. His attention was already being diverted to their destination. Those drones wouldn't hold SPD forever, so whatever they were going to do at the next complex they were going to have to do fast. Getting a signal out would take time—and there was no indication they'd be able to get one out even WITH the tower, and so likely the chance of rescue before SPD found them again was...not the best.

They might not be coming home from this one.

"Credit for your thoughts?"

"Hm?" Anthren toned, coming back to reality and finding his two teammates staring at him. He cleared his throat, a bit sheepish for losing his train of thought like that, "No, it's nothing. Just thinking".

By now the tunnel had changed from a well-built-up tube of iron and gears and into a cave of ice and rock—they were diving deeper into the network. Tesas didn't really have to drive thankfully, he'd left that to the onboard computer.

A few months ago, Anthren wouldn't have cared much about Tesas and Sitras's fates. If he was to die here, he only would have been annoyed that it wasn't in battle against the Vile Imperium, but instead on this backwater little chunk of rock on the other side of the universe. And yet, as much as he still always relished the chance to strike out against his peoples' oppressors, he found that he'd been becoming more and more at ease with his team. They had a system, a way of doing things. The last few months had seen everything around them fall apart as SPD and the Alliance had won the war. In the face of everything changing, they were the constants in his life. Despite himself, every day he was seeing them a bit more as family—and gathering by how they all treated each other, their former rivalries having slipped into a sort of 'tough love', he was pretty sure the feelings were mutual.

He had to figure out a way to get them out of here in one piece. Anthren almost laughed—what would Sid say if he saw him now? Something along the lines of 'I told you so'.

* * *

The Defender Megaship warped through space at Hyper-rush nine, sling-shotting itself deep into Machine territory as fast as it was physically capable of performing. On the bridge, the rangers, already morphed, awaited deployment with baited breath. Time was of the essence; not only were their friends in danger, but if they were too late then the entire Machine Empire would be embroiled in civil war, and their entire alliance against the Antipodes (such as it was) would fall apart right along with it.

Sid gripped the armrests in the captain's chair tightly, squeezing his fingers against the plastic material and leaning ever so slightly forward as if it would make the ship go faster.

"Closing in on their last known position, preparing to drop out of Hyper-rush in sixty seconds" Trok reported from his station.

Xolin also had news, "Uh...I'm detecting a warship in orbit of the planet. A *large* warship".

"How large?" Sid asked, turning to her with concern.

Xolin checked the specs herself. Her form sagged a bit as the bad news came in, "..._Leviathan_ class SPD carrier-destroyer". A carrier—at over three kilometers in length, an SPD capital ship was magnitudes larger than a pitiful little building-sized megaship. Certainly, megaships were powerful for their size, being zords that were powered by the Morphing Grid, but even they had their limits.

Trok turned and balked at her as Sid silently cursed before asking his followup question, "...How many escort ships?"

Xolin shrugged, "That's the weird part—there aren't any".

Sid tilted his head in confusion, "Say what now?"

"I'm telling you, there aren't any escorts!"

Sid shook his head in disbelief, "But how does that even make any-"

"Warping in!" Trok shouted, cutting the conversation short as the starfield on the viewscreen evaporated, replaced by a featureless orange world and a very large and angry looking warship dead ahead.

Sid shifted from 'wacky teammate' to 'war general' on a dime, "Launch zords, bring all weapons to bare! Let's blitz these sons of bitches fast and hard!"

* * *

"Incoming warp signature!"

Admiral Lacanth turned his attention from damage control to the Gray alien officer who had just spoken. His attention was then drawn to the viewscreens, where sure enough a new contact dropped out of Hyper-rush speeds just a few dozen kilometers from their position. It was small though, barely bigger than a personal freighter, or a transport.

"Grid signature confirmed! It's a zord!"

"Ship profile matches base of Peacekeeper Team Twelve! Megaship incoming!"

"They're launching zords!"

Dread filled the pit of Lacanth's four stomachs as all around the approaching vessel more zords appeared—at least half a dozen. Team Twelve—one of the last remaining known Peacekeeper teams in operation, and a known scourge against Alliance forces during the war thanks to aggressive and unconventional tactics. And yet, here they were, aiming right for them—one little ship and its escorts against a fully armed SPD capital ship. By all conventional rights, the Peacekeepers didn't stand a chance, so why were they aiming right for them!? What kind of nefarious strategy did they have up their sleeve?!

"Sir, orders?!" one of the officers asked.

The admiral pulled himself back to reality, "...Arm all guns, launch fighters! Take them out!"

* * *

"So do we actually have a strategy or are we just screwed?!" Xolin asked as the enemy ship opened fire. The Sentinel Megaship and Green Guardianzord moved to absorb the incoming fire, protecting the Defender Megaship and the other Guardianzords as they got in close.

Sid gripped the controls in the captain's seat tight. His mind raced as he calculated the battlefield. They couldn't hope to win a standard battle of attrition, but… "Yeah: keep them on their toes. We can't beat them, but if we can make it more than worth their while, they might think about pulling out. Xol, you're on tactical. Trok? Find me our targets in case we have to run the blockade".

"Fighters incoming!" Trok warned as he switched seats and began scanning the area.

"Prepare for Zord Blitz on my mark!" Sid ordered, "Mark!"

In midflight, the Defender Megaship transformed into megazord mode, flipping around above its escorts as it unfolded its shield and summoned its power sword, slashing down on the nearest incoming fighters as the rest of the zords broke to attack, pursuing their own quarries. The blade powered up, sending a wave of energy out as the Megazord swung that cascaded into six more of the fighters. The Megazord was hit in the back, to which the rangers responded by combining with the blue Guardianzord, forming wings as the zord aimed its rifle.

"Azure Sniper!"

Several more fighters were shot out of the sky. Meanwhile, the Sentinel Megazord had summoned the yellow Guardianzord to it, and unleashed a maelstrom of chaos as the new combination opened every gunport it had and opened fire.

"Comet Impact!"

Now combined with the green Guardianzord, the Defender's new hammer arms unhooked from the zord, forming twin maces that crashed into more of the fighters. Immediately, Trok's zord detached and reformed over the Sentinel, while the red Guardianzord folded itself ontop of the Defender, axes swinging wildly. As a new wing of fighters moved in, the megazord again switched Guardianzords, removing Sid's in favor of the black Guardianzord. The fighters closed in, and the megazord vanished, only to reappear in their rear, sword swinging. As they fought however, the warship moved its primary weapons into position, the behemoth of a vessel banking to face its enemies. Before the rangers knew it, they were beneath the front of the vessel, and its twin main cannons were charging, even as the smaller batteries were already wearing down their defense shields.

"Double-Knuckle Mode!"

The two megazords swapped arms, giving the Defender a chance to block the incoming twin laser cannon beams by bringing up its much tougher limbs like a shield. As the barrage ended, the two megazords switched back, as both returned to megaship mode, weaving in and around the massive battleship, keeping close enough to the hull that the weapons couldn't lock on to them. The zords picked off numerous cannons as they made their pass.

"Defender Megazord!"

The Defender switched back into its humanoid form, landing its metal feet on top of the ship's hull as it broke into a sprint, shoving its power sword into the hull and cutting all the way down the spine of the vessel before returning to ship mode as it veered off for another pass.

"Defender Battlezord!"

The two megaships now combined together into a singular robot.

"Imperial Defense!"

The Battlezord drew its two swords, placing them together as they charged up before bringing them down on the back of the ship, cutting right through the hull like butter.

* * *

Sparks erupted all over on the bridge of the _Goliath. _Panels short-circuited, vents burst, the lights flickered. They were getting pounded. The admiral braced himself on the railing as the ship suffered another blow. Between the battle against the machines and now, their fighter compliment was down by over half. Their escorts were long gone, and the ship itself was beginning to break down—there were hull breaches from the prior battle, and now their own weapon screen was being taken out bit by bit. And now the enemy was targeting the engines?!

Another shake.

At that moment, Admiral Lacanth knew he couldn't let this madness continue. His forces were already depleted, they couldn't keep this up, and he'd be damned if he let his entire crew die just for the sake of some unregistered ranger. He might get court-martialed for this, but he didn't care; his crew came first.

"...Get us out of here" he said, regret and yet determination filling his voice.

"Sir?" asked the Gray alien officer.

The admiral spoke louder, "You heard me. Ahead full, calculate the nearest jump point and bring Hyper-rush engines online. Jump when ready".

"Yes sir!" came the worried reply, though he could not mistake the relief that underpinned it. To hell with the silver ranger, to hell with the Machine Empire, and to hell with this planet.

* * *

Sid let out a sigh of intense relief as he watched the massive warship jump to FTL, away from the planet. Checking the ship's energy reserves, he'd noted they hadn't much left. All of those combos and finishers had drained their zords' batteries considerably, and it would take time to recharge. They had done fantastically against the (admittedly already weakened) capital ship, but only by overexerting themselves on the gamble that the enemy force would deem the engagement wasn't worth the bloody nose. He'd been right of course, but he only ever had to be wrong once for everything to go badly. He nodded to Xolin, who began recalling the other zords back to base, having them minimize their size and teleport back to the workbay where they were stored.

"Trok, anything?" Sid asked the green ranger.

The green ranger frowned, "Sensors are picking up a *lot* of debris in the area, both SPD and Machine".

"...We got here too late?" Xolin asked, worried. Sid tried not to show it, but he was worried too—if they were too late, then all of this, everything they'd worked so hard for, could all go south real quick.

"...I don't know" Trok muttered, "...Wait. I'm picking up a faint Grid signature on the planet's surface!"

Sid nearly jumped at this news—there was still hope! "Where is it!?"

Trok shook his head, "Too fuzzy to get a precise location, but it's planetside. We'll have to get in closer before I can lock on".

"How close?" Xolin asked him.

"Real close, like, beneath-the-cloud-layer close. Atmosphere's way too thick to get anything clear from this high up".

Sid nodded as he once again gripped the nav controls, "Alright, bringing us in. Trok, keep me updated".

* * *

The tram rolled into the next station, just as utilitarian and narrow as the last. The vehicle came to a halt right behind another unused tram, and the group of four hopped out.

Sitras glanced around at the oppressive atmosphere of the train tunnel, "...You guys don't really worry too much about the décor, do you?"

Quickspur gave her a curious look, "...Why would you say that? Place looks plenty nice to me—maybe a bit garish though".

The yellow ranger frowned, again looking around, not entirely sure if she was crazy, or he was. 'Garish' was not the words she'd use.

"...Uh, guys?" Tesas warned, his attention drawn to a light down at the end of the tunnel they'd come from—a light that was getting closer, "We got company!"

"Already?!" Anthren gasped.

Quickspur was already halfway up the stairs to the main floor, "Come on, ya varments! Times a'wastin!"

Glancing at each other, the three rangers hurried with the machine general up the stairs and out the door.

* * *

"It's in there?" Sitras asked as the group arrived at the entrance to the communications tower building.

"Ya darn tootin'" Quickspur replied as he used stuck his hand on the door's security handprint scanner. The doors slid open, and the general moved inside.

Tesas frowned, "...Wait, how did you work a *fingerprint* scanner?"

"No time!" Anthren crowed as he and Sitras passed him into the building.

Tesas followed them in, still protesting, "No seriously, why do the machines even *have* print scanners?!"

"Ick" Sitras grumbled as she shook her feet in a futile effort to get the half-frozen methane and ammonia sludge off her ranger boots, "Couldn't we have landed on a nicer planet?"

"Hate to inform you, your highness, but this job isn't all five star hotels and resorts" Anthren replied, only half-serious.

The yellow ranger rolled her eyes; the other two only referred to her princess status whenever they wanted to make fun of her. In times past it had been derogatory whenever she complained—now though, it was becoming something of a pet name, "I think there's a bit of a gap between resorts and...whatever you call this planet".

"Shit?" Tesas offered, with a small snort.

Sitras took a moment to mock think it over, then smiled, "Yeah, shit works".

The interior of the tower was about what anyone would expect from a machine structure—dark, foreboding, full of pipes and oddly-placed gears that by all rights shouldn't have been doing anything just sitting there on the wall like some cheap set piece but spun anyway, even if they weren't connected to any other gears. Quickspur made his way to the back of the room where a large computer console sat—the primary communications terminal. He activated the holoscreens.

"Blast it" the general grunted after a few seconds of frantic typing, "These systems haven't seen use in eons. Gonna take some conjiggerin' to get it workin again".

Tesas frowned, "...Not sure that's a word..."

"...Better work quick" Sitras warned with a worried voice, her attention drawn out the door to where an imposing-looking silver ranger and a squad of four SPD marines were outside and quickly approaching. The other two rangers flanked Sitras, all three taking up defensive positions as they blocked the doors.

Isdilian came to a stop a few paces away, his subordinates stopping alongside him.

Wait. Anthren had seen that ranger suit before. "...Isdilian?"

"You're the one hunting us?" Sitras asked, equally confounded, "Why?"

The silver ranger hesitated for a moment, regarding the three trainee rangers with uncertain emotions. Couldn't they have just died in the ship-to-ship battle? Or back on the machine homeworld? Or never been involved in the first place? Still, "...My reasons are my own. You three are ordered to stand down and surrender both yourselves and the machine general Quickspur. Comply, and I will see that you will receive comfortable accommodations for the remainder of this conflict".

Yes, *technically* he was supposed to terminate these three, along with the general, but as long as the rangers were simply out of the way, what did it matter? The general would still have to die, but he didn't really care about the cowboy-themed robot. He even had some faint, fleeting hope he'd be able to turn them, just as he hoped that maybe, just maybe, his own old team would switch sides as well. It was not to be however.

"What happens if we don't?" Anthren asked, defiant.

"What do you think?" Isdilian replied, the coldness in his voice removing any doubt to his intentions.

"Don't do this, Isdilian" Sitras pleaded, "We're supposed to be friends, right? We're supposed to be on the same side! Why are you working with SPD?!"

"Because he's turned traitor" Anthren growled, narrowing his vision on his new opponent.

Isdilian summoned his shield and pulled the sword out from the back, pointing it at the three rangers. He hadn't wanted to do this, but they had given him no choice, "Kill them".

"Sitras, NOW!" Anthren commanded as the SPD squad aimed their laser rifles. Before they could open fire, a plum of smoke erupted from the yellow ranger's position and cascaded outwards, engulfing everyone and taking visibility down to near zero. Some sort of electro-magnetic interference came with the spell, making all sensors useless. The guns all went off, but not a single bullet hit their target.

The rangers were already moving; Sitras took the two on the left, while Tesas took the two on the right. Neither group of marines did very well, and all four were unconscious on the ground within moments.

Isdilian was a different story entirely; he blocked Anthren's sword with his shield, then returned the favor. The two traded blows, before the red ranger was knocked back, just as the air began to clear. Tesas struck next, followed very shortly by Sitras from the other side. The silver ranger kept blue off balance, giving him time to parry yellow's sword strike before cutting into her chest. Isdilian returned his attention to a rebounding blue ranger and charged up his left with white energy foot before delivering a devastating tornado kick.

Isdilian surveyed the remains of his team, frowning. He knew he shouldn't have relied on simple E-Squad marine grunts. Minimal power armor for mass production, substandard training (for rangers, that was)-they were built to be the elite force for a normal army. But Isdilian wasn't facing a normal army.

Anthren closed the distance again, and again the two traded blows. The red ranger did slightly better this time, grabbing his other sidearm in blaster mode and opening fire once their swords had met. Isdilian blocked the attack with his shield, before slamming it into the red ranger and following up with a charged up strike from his sword. The silver ranger then swung around in a wide arc, catching the other two in a white energy wave. All three rangers dropped, sparks flying from their suits.

But as the silver ranger closed in on the struggling red ranger, his sword pointed at the tenga, a blue energy whip lassoed itself around the blade, and before Isdilian knew it, the weapon had been yanked out of his hand.

"What?!" Isdilian roared in protest—but his attention on the blue ranger was short lived, as the yellow ranger's knee slammed into his helmet from the other side. He charged up his fist and swung around back at Sitras, who narrowly dodged the strike, giving Anthren a chance to knock the shield from Isdilian's other hand. Now weaponless, the silver ranger was forced to parry the red ranger's blows, and then blue's, and then yellows as they all attacked in synch in an attempt to overpower him.

Clever. Some of Sid and the others' training had obviously rubbed off on them, and inwardly Isdilian had to commend them for their tactical thinking. When he'd last seen them, they were virtually incapable of even speaking to each other without bickering—now here they were wordlessly cooperating in synch. Amazing what a few short months could do.

Sadly for them, they were not even close to being on Isdilian's level.

Isdilian grabbed Anthren's arm, twisting it before kicking his side and sending him flying into Tesas. Sitras attempted a pyromancer spell of some kind, and he dodged a ball of fire before striking her dead on with a charged up fist to the abdomen, before cutting her down with another wide sweep kick.

Tesas's energy whip once again lashed out, this time wrapping itself around Isdilian's wrist. His ranger suit sizzled as the energy clashed with the armor, but the silver ranger simply grabbed the whip with his other hand and yanked, sending the aquitian flying towards him—and right into a well-placed punch.

Satisfied, Isdilian almost casually walked forward, towards the entrance to the communications tower. He passed Anthren as the latter stumbled to his feet, smoke emanating from his suit and using his sword as a cane. The red ranger steadied himself and struck out at the silver ranger, who simply kicked his legs out from under him as he grabbed the tenga's arm and twisted. Then, with his free and charged-up hand, grabbed Anthren's sidearm blade and snapped it in two as the ranger fell to the ground.

Then he continued into the building...and came to an abrupt stop as he found he was...sinking? He looked down and sure enough, Isdilian's boots were starting to drop into the metal floor as if it was an extremely thick and sticky liquid. He looked behind him, seeing the yellow ranger using all her power to try and keep the spell going. Annoyed, the silver ranger pulled out his own sidearm blaster and fired, knocking Sitras on her ass. The spell now broken, the silver ranger charged up his boots with energy and broke free before landing on solid ground again.

Pitiful.

Up ahead Isdilian sighted the form of General Quickspur, currently busy with the computer terminal laid out before him. He raised his blaster at the machine. "Time's up, general. Turn around".

Quickspur did as he was told, turning to face his would-be killer, "I've already had all the time I needed. My message got through loud and clear, along with all the evidence I had bundled up—you failed, you two-bit ninny. By this time tomorrow, everyone will know the truth about the emperor's murder".

Isdilian smirked, "Unlikely. Did you forget my ship is still in orbit, blocking communications? If your ship couldn't even transmit, what hope does a surface-based mining instillation have?"

This time it was Quickspur's turn to grin, "That would be a problem if that ship of yours were still in orbit, but it ain't, son".

The silver ranger dropped his guard slightly, relaxing his aim as surprise, shock, and anger washed over him, "What?!" He quickly scanned his own sensors, quickly finding that the machine general was telling the truth. How...why…

...The admiral. He'd left him to die. Isdilian began to literally shake with rage. He'd failed. The entire operation against the Machine Empire, weeks in the making, was now up in smoke, all because some lowlife admiral had turned tail and ran at the first opportunity. There would be consequences. He'd make sure that admiral would suffer repercussions for this.

As the silver ranger slowly lowered his gun as he contemplated his failure, Quickspur drew his own sword, "Did you know, King Ratchet was a personal friend of mine? Worked with the man for years, even before he took office. I knew him when he was just prince". Quickspur's tone was subdued, distant, as if he was trying to hold back an emotional tsunami, "His little boy...Clanker...he was my godson. And your allies had them all killed in cold oil, and all for...what? More war?"

Isdilian said nothing as Quickspur's tone swiftly rose in anger, "You turned on your own team—your friends, your *family*. Why? Does honor really mean nothing to you? Loyalty?"

Because it was the mission. Because it was what he'd been made for. Because it was the right thing to do. Because sacrifices had to be made. Because it didn't matter. "They aren't my family" the silver ranger said at last.

Quickspur glared at him, "No, I suppose they ain't". The general lashed out in a flash, striking at Isdilian with a rage and fury. Isdilian narrowly avoided the general's first attack, before summoning his sword back to him and matching his own blade with Quickspur's. The two clashed, and for a second it looked like Quickspur had the upper hand, until Isdilian rolled back and flung the robot up over him and out the door. Quickspur rolled out into the slushy dirt outside, managing to get up just as he saw the silver ranger's boot come down on him from above, barely managing to parry it with his sword. Quickspur stayed on the defensive, denying Isdilian contact as he blocked each attack with his blade.

The general quickly realized he likely didn't have the skill to outmatch his foe—but he also knew he didn't have to. All Quickspur had to do was wait—and sure enough, he was soon joined by the rebounding blue and yellow rangers. Isdilian swung around, striking them with his sword, just as the red ranger came in from the side with a kick. Avoiding it, Isdilian charged up his sword and shoved it into the ground. A shockwave of silver-white energy exploded in all directions, knocking all four of his opponents into the air.

The silver ranger pulled his sword back up and then willed his shield back to him as he surveyed the battlefield. Quickspur and the three rangers were getting back on their feet, but he could tell the rangers were starting to get tired. It wouldn't be long before they'd be out of the fight.

"Numbers will not save you" Isdilian said, as he returned his sword to its holding place behind his shield. Then he transformed the combined weapon into its cannon mode, and aimed at Quickspur. A single shot fired out, and the machine general was back on the ground. The silver ranger approached, weapon still aimed at the machine.

"You're insane" Quickspur managed. He was on the ground, his chestplate damaged and sparking from the clean shot. Internal circuitry could be seen within the hole as electrical discharge swarmed up and down his body.

Isdilian said nothing as stood over the machine and charged up the Sentinel Cannon, preparing his finishing move on the helpless general in front of him. Quickspur knew this was the end—but at least he'd saved the empire and avenged the Royal House of Cybernetics. He could at least take solace in that.

It was then that a loud, deafening roar suddenly overcame everything, and the silver ranger stopped his attack as he looked up and around for the source of the sudden noise, trying to ascertain if there was a new threat or not.

Up above a ship roared past, just a few stories above their location on the ground. It moved fast, only being over their position for a second or two at best, but Isdilian would recognize the outline of the Defender Megaship anywhere.

Goddamnit.

Sure enough, while he was distracted by the arrival of the Megaship, Isdilian was easy prey to a flying kick from Sid as the latter landed on the ground in front of Quickspur in a defensive position. The silver ranger fell to the ground and rolled away. By the time he got up again, Xolin and Trok had landed as well, and were in the process of helping the other rangers.

Seven on one weren't the best odds, Isdilian realized. Not that he had much choice.

"Talk about timing!" Tesas remarked as Trok helped him up.

Xolin pulled Sitras up, "Never thought I'd be so glad to see you guys" the latter said, both extremely relieved and bewildered by the sudden appearance of their old mentors on this backwater rock.

"Izzy, buddy!" Sid exclaimed with false cheerfulness, "Fancy meeting you here, haven't seen you in forever! You're lookin' good. What's up?!"

The silver ranger looked at the red ranger that had just arrived, "Sid" he said in reply.

Sid's eyes narrowed, "Traitor".

Glancing around at the assembling force against him, Isdilian turned back to Sid, "You shouldn't have come here" he said, and he meant it. He didn't want them here—he needed them alive. *Sel* needed them alive. He'd still hoped he could get them over to his side, given time. That the Antipodes would leave them alone. But no, they'd just had to stick their noses in.

"That's funny" Sid replied casually, "I was pretty sure that was my line considering you just found your way into the wrong end of a ranger teamup. Bad news for you".

"Where's Sel?" Trok asked, diverting Isdilian's attention.

He replied, "Safe. That's all you need to know".

Sid laughed, his tone dripping with sarcasm, "Oh man, that's cryptic. Also full of bullshit, but cryptic".

"Where is Sel?" this time it was Xolin speaking. Isdilian gave no response.

Anthren came up beside Sid, still very on edge by the threat they were encircling, "Mind explaining to us why your friend's trying to kill us?" he asked his fellow red ranger.

Sid turned back to Isdilian, "That's a good question! Why *IS* Izzy trying to kill everyone? Care to explain to the class?"

Isdilian's eye twitched at the old nickname, as well as their INSISTENCE at getting in the way. Very well, "Your world is doomed. It makes no difference".

Sid had had enough, "Yeah okay, whatever Edgelord9000" he called to the others, "Take him, fast and hard!"

The rangers converged. Isdilian drew his sword. A wide swing from his charged up blade kept Sid, Anthren, Trok, and Tesas away, but from behind Xolin and Sitras reeled in, catching the silver ranger off guard. A frantic battle ensued, as Isdilian did his best to knock the girls away, before the others struck again. He did his best, but six on one was just not good odds for Isdilian, especially as all of them were much improved in skill from where they had been even just a year ago. Before Isdilian knew it, he was tumbling across the ground in a heap, and facing a full team, ready for another round.

They wanted to play that way? Fine.

Isdilian stood back up. Closing his eyes, he focused deep within himself, feeling his divine connection to the Morphin Grid itself. With the spark lit, the power flowed through his suit, silverish-white energy cascading across his form. It was brilliant yet transient—at one moment it would almost look like a suit of armor brighter than the sun, at the next it looked like a wild storm of flame and thunder, ready to consume its host. The silver ranger lifted off the ground, gravity no longer a burden on his form.

He would kill them all.

The other rangers stepped back in a mix of shock and horror, each of them feeling the heat radiating off their opponent.

"Trok, stats!" Sid ordered, knowing the horathean would be able to decipher the sensor readouts fastest. Well...maybe Tesas would be faster, but in the heat of battle Sid would always go with his sure bet.

Trok seemed a little frazzled by the sudden shift in the battle, "Uh...I don't...this is bad, guys".

"I need power levels, Trok!" Sid said, stepping back in preemptive defense.

"Power levels are off the *scale*" Trok replied, "I haven't seen anything like this since Sel went nova during the Thessalia incident".

"...The nanite swarm" Xolin muttered with her eyes wide, remembering that unfortunate adventure, when Capricorn had sent nanite-built anti-ranger robots after them.

Trok nodded, "Except it's *way* more contained. Sel was leaking Grid power—but Isdilian's in full control" the last bit he said in little more than a whisper, as the horrible implications set in.

"Oh" Sid replied, feeling his stomach drop as his blood went cold, "Crap".

Isdilian looked down at the tiny ants below him, so annoying and insignificant as he tapped into the underlying power of eternity. "What's wrong, Sid?" he asked, his voice no longer simply his own but that of legion, "No witty comebacks? No nicknames? No smug self-righteousness?" He began to charge pure grid power in his fists.

Sid's eyes widened as he gained a good idea of what was about to happen, "EVERYONE, *MOVE*!"

The barrage began as everyone dived for cover. The silver ranger once again closed the distance between him and the ground, but instead of landing hovered about an inch off of it. Then he shot himself towards Trok and Tesas, and before they knew what was happening, he was upon them with all his fury and anger. His sword was like the sun as it swung down, taking both rangers out as the others rushed in. The girls fell next, followed by the two red rangers. He then thrust his sword into the air—energy crackling like a lightning rod as an electrical storm came down upon his foes. They rolled out of the way.

"He's too strong to take head on!" Tesas surmised.

Sid's hands balled into fists as he gritted his teeth, his mind racing for solutions. They were in no way prepared for this kind of confrontation. Maybe if Sel was here; then even if she couldn't match him they could have at least summoned the Lights.

Isdilian charged towards Sid. Knowing he had no choice, the red ranger summoned his axe and met the godling's own weapon. But the silver ranger was too much for him, and even an attempt at assistance by Anthren did no good as both red rangers were cast aside. Isdilian shoved his sword into the ground and energy snaked out, coursing up the ranger's suits and causing them to explode. Sid and Anthren fell on their backs, their suits smoking.

Trok's hammer-mace wrapped itself around Isdilian's midsection, pinning his arms. "NOW!" he shouted to Tesas frantically, knowing his hold wouldn't last long at all. The aquitian nodded and darted forth, twin detonators in his hands. He slapped them on the silver ranger and darted away again, letting the explosives go off—and frowned when he found they had done literally nothing.

As expected, energy cascaded up Trok's mace, who dropped it when he realized what was going on, as part of an effort to hit Isdilian while he was counterattacking. The green ranger drew his blaster and opened fire as he charged in, only for the silver ranger to grab him by the front of his helmet. Isdilian rose up above the ground, carrying a struggling Trok with him, before filling the latter with a large amount of pure, chaotic Grid energy. It snaked across the green ranger's form as Trok screamed in agony.

"TROK!" Xolin shouted in worry, as Isdilian tossed the now-unconscious form of Trok aside into the mushy ice-dirt.

"Ashardan Tel'zar Istai!" Sitras commanded, summoning all her strength into an ancient, high-level spell as Isdilian came back down to the surface, "Ashardan Lista Dor!" The fire and lightning that surrounded Isdilian he simply moved through casually, bidding them into non-existence as he hovered closer to Xolin and Sitras. Tesas came in from the side, but he dispatched the exhausted blue ranger easily.

"Foolish girl" he said, still speaking as legion as he charged his fist, "Don't you understand? I AM the Grid! I AM magic!"

The ground in front of the two rangers exploded. Xolin shot forward with a guttural roar, lance in hand as she attacked the enemy ranger. Her speed didn't matter though, as Isdilian simply shot her with an energy bolt at point-blank. She fell back, a blackened charred mark covering much of the front of her suit. Sitras drew her sword, but he simply cut her down with his own.

"It's over" he said, bringing his blade up over the injured yellow ranger.

His blade came down.

The next few seconds passed slowly. Sitras flinched, sure she was about to die. But when the blade never made contact she looked up, seeing another body between her and Isdilian, clad in red, and Isdilian's sword poking out his backside. Her eyes widened in horror.

Anthren felt nothing at first—shock, he supposed. Even as the blade was pulled out, even as his legs gave out, all he felt was...numb. Cold. He dropped to his knees, finding it hard to breath.

"...Anthren?" Sitras breathed, as the red ranger collapsed in her arms.

"ANTHREN!" Tesas called, rushing over to his teammates' sides, "Anthren!"

Isdilian just stood there, a bit in shock himself. He'd actually done it; he'd killed one. The rubicon had been crossed. The blaze that covered him seemed to lessen somewhat as he contemplated this.

"Anthren, hang on, we'll get you out of here!" Tesas said as he began to shift, trying to pick his wounded teammate up.

"...No" Anthren sputtered, "Too...too late". Everything was going dark already—Isdilian's powers had fried his innards—everything was failing. It was funny, you know? Six months ago, he would have been worried sick of this exact scenario; dying on some forgotten world away on some pointless errand away from Vile space. Away from extracting justice for his people. And yet, now? Now all he was concerned about was that he couldn't protect Sitras or Tesas anymore.

"Sorry" he managed.

"...Anthren?" Sitras whispered, on the verge of tears as she shook his lifeless form, "Anthren, wake up! Anthren! PLEASE!"

"...No..." Tesas managed to croak out, as Anthren's ranger suit faded away, replaced by a lifeless tenga.

"You..." Xolin looked at the three, then back at Isdilian, rage bubbling up within her, "You killed him". Her voice was a whisper, full of disbelief. Any pretense she had at avenging Anthren quickly died however, when Sid slammed into Isdilian from the side, sending the unprepared godling tumbling.

All Sid saw was smoke and ash. All he smelled was burning. All he heard were alarms, his ears ringing from the blast. Bodies. Dead bodies everywhere. And Isdilian was to blame. He had someone to blame. Someone to blame. Rage. Sid roared, striking Isdilian with his axe again. The latter rolled away and reignited his flame.

"SID!" Xolin called out to him in distress, all thoughts of vengeance now on the back-burner. It was clear Sid was on pure instinct now as he let loose an almost animalistic roar.

Isdilian had rebounded, and now, leaping into the air, came down on Sid with his sword like an angry god.

He was too slow.

As the silver ranger came down, the battleizer formed around Sid's body, and the red ranger brought the gauntlets up in defense. They caught Isdilian's blade, and the collision of power sent a shockwave through the entire complex. Dust kicked up, the ground shook, unprotected circuitry sparked and shorted out. For the briefest moment, both could have sworn they saw—or felt—a yellowish golden aura protecting Sid.

The Lights! But…that would mean...

Sid glanced back to Xolin, "EVERYONE. SHIP. *NOW*!" His tone was unlike anything Xolin had heard before. He'd never been like this, not ever. She found herself actually afraid, and for once questioned nothing, instead hauling the two other rangers to their feet and pushing them toward the Megaship, which was now landing not too far away, at the other end of the courtyard. Along the way, she grabbed Trok's body—thankfully still breathing—and hurried to the ship as the titans went to war. Quickspur, damaged but still somewhat intact, hobbled behind them.

Sid pushed Isdilian's sword away with one gauntlet, then punched him away with the other. Launching up with his rocket boots, he then followed up with a spin kick. The attack never made contact as Isdilian replied with a destructive blast of energy that sent Sid flying. He never crashed though; Sid's wings unfolded as he swung back around, and unloaded his missiles on the silver ranger. Isdilian blocked by surrounding himself with an energy shield, though the shield didn't survive the impact, and Isdilian was forced back several feet. The smoke cleared, and Isdilian found Sid slamming into him and pushing him right into the side of a building.

Xolin got everyone to the ship's loading ramp when she heard one of the buildings behind her collapse. She turned around, just in time to see Sid get knocked out, his body being flung away. The red ranger collapsed onto the ground several dozen feet away, rolling to a stop as the battlizer vanished, too damaged to continue.

"Get inside!" she shouted to Sitras and Tesas, handing Trok to the latter, as the former still held Anthren.

"But-" Tesas was about to argue, but one look at the other blue ranger was enough to silence him.

"DO AS I SAY! Get ready for launch!" she ordered, before summoning her lance again and launching back into the fray. She gripped her lance, summoning the other ranger weapons to her as well, and in her hand she now found the Defender Cannon. Even as Isdilian hovered over to Sid, she crouched and took aim, summoning almost all of the energy she had left into a single shot. For a split second, she thought she felt...more, and indeed her attack was laced with a golden energy. The blast struck Isdilian dead on, and he recoiled in pain.

"ENOUGH!" he roared, channeling as much power as he could humanly carry into his fists, creating a ball of energy with unfathomable power. Xolin's shoulders sagged—this was how she was going to die.

But the attack never came. The energy dissipated almost as quickly as he'd summoned it, as Isdilian buckled over in sudden pain, groaning in agony as electrical discharge surged across his body. His flames flickered and died.

"...He can't control it!" Xolin said, amazed at her sudden good fortune, "It's too much power for him!"

Sid hobbled over to her, "Remember what Iota said! This is just like Sel's fits—he's burning himself out!" He took the cannon from her and aimed, firing at the injured foe and causing him even more pain. Though he was nearly empty of energy, Sid prepared another shot, but Xolin stopped him.

"Come on, we gotta go!" she said, pulling him back to the ship.

"NO!" he pulled back, aiming the gun again, "HE DIES *NOW*!"

"Sid, he will *kill* us" she replied with deadly certainty, "As soon as his fit is over we won't stand a chance, and I've lost enough friends". She made eye contact with him, even with their helmets, with a nod telling him that he knew she was right.

Sid closed his eyes with gritted teeth, before finally dropping his aim. Reluctantly, he let Xolin pull him to the ship. As soon as they'd made it to the ramp, the Megaship launched itself into the air and headed for orbit. On his knees, and still suffering from the sheer amount of raw power he'd been sustaining within him, Isdilian was too slow to stop them. He willed himself to his feet, again charged up his suit, and fired a parting shot, but it was too late, and he was too slow and winded. He again dropped to his knees, his flaming armor finally dying completely as he let it expire, and called to base for a pickup...but not before slamming his fist into the muddy slush in a fit of pitiful anger.

Mission failed.

* * *

They'd burned his body, as was tenga tradition, returning his soul to the earth so that it could be reborn. His life would be commemorated by his nest, woven in to the tapestries they wove to keep their eggs warm. Xolin still had the one the old lady tenga had given her several months ago—she kept it in her room, on her bed.

It had been a small ceremony of course; just the rangers and Quickspur. Sid had given a wonderful speech.

"_When I first met Anthren, I'll admit, I thought of him as little more than an annoyance—yet another project handed to me by Iota. He was so full of hate and vengeance, I didn't give him much thought. All he wanted to do was go hunt Vile's forces on some sort of suicidal crusade to honor his people. He didn't really care much about anything else"_ he looked at Anthren's two former teammates, _"And then you guys proved me wrong. You came together as a team. And you didn't just survive—you thrived, and I can't tell you how proud I am"._

Sid had glanced back at the pyre they'd constructed in the cargo bay, by then smoldering, _"Anthren died giving his all for his team and his mission. He gave his all, everything he had, so that others would live—both his team and billions of people in the Machine Empire—people he didn't even know or had any reason to care about. Anthren died a hero, and I'm honored to have known him"._

None had stuck around after they'd given their last words. Quickspur had left; there was a lot of damage control to do back home. The two surviving members of Peacekeeper Team Twenty-Six had been provided guest rooms, where they would be staying as long as they wished. Xolin hadn't seen them since. She still wasn't on any real speaking terms with Trok either, and assumed he was down in the workbay, tinkering and building as that was all he did these days.

The triforian made her way to the lounge, opening the doors and letting the hallway light spill in to the darkened room. As the computer had said, Sid was here—bent over on the counter with his face in his arms.

"Hey" she said, softly.

"..Not...not now, okay Xol? Please" was the reply she got, in a broken tone. The last thing Sid wanted to deal with right now was other people. Xolin left the room a moment later, rubbing her arm absently.

Everything was broken, no two stones still stood together. She made her way to the bridge, currently empty and devoid of anyone except her, despite the ship being more populated than it had been in months. The only sounds that came from the room were the soft humming the ship made while at FTL.

It was funny; despite all her bluster to Trok back on Triforia, deep down Xolin guessed she still had felt like everything still had a chance of going back to 'normal', that this was just a bump and soon everyone would be together again. It was a defense mechanism, she knew, but all the same it felt so...weird to have it ripped away. Because, that was true now. Nothing could ever go back to the way it had been. Things would never be normal again.

Xolin took the captain's seat, putting her leg over the side lazily as she slouched back, staring blandly at the moving starfield on the viewscreen. She kept replaying the events over and over—she'd been right *there*, if she'd only reacted faster...

It occurred to her that it was the fourth day of the Tri-Lunar Festival back home, and she hadn't lit any candles or performed any of the rites this year. Honestly, she hadn't felt like it. It felt like it didn't matter, like any of it didn't matter. For someone who had prized her faith so much, let it define her...that felt weird. Maybe it was the realization that her religion, a fringe denomination, had been one given to her by her parents—parents she hated and who had long disowned her. Maybe it was that after all that had happened, all the horror of the last few months, she just found it hard to care. Maybe she was just...tired.

And so Xolin sat there, mindlessly watching the stars go by, lonely and entirely emptied of feeling even on a ship full of people.

* * *

She'd felt them, she was sure of it. Sel had been meditating (there wasn't much else to do...funny, considering all the games and media in her prison...er, 'room'), along the lines of how Xolin had taught her. She did it partly to pass the time, but partly because she found it decreased the frequency and severity of the attacks which had come to dominate her life. She was overflowing with power, and it hurt.

But this last time, she'd almost fallen asleep and...she'd felt them. Only for a split second, but she had *made contact* with the rest of her team somehow. She wasn't sure how or why, but she knew...she just knew, they were okay. She'd felt Isdilian too...maybe they were fighting. She hoped Sid and the others had given her 'brother' as good as they got, if not better. Maybe he'd have a black eye the next time they met—that would be funny.

Wait.

She wasn't a scientist by any means—no formal education, after all. She knew a lot of things because she'd read constantly, but she'd never really studied any particular field. But it occurred to her...if she was really some kind of Morphin Grid conduit, was it possible…? She'd once been in the dreamscape, the fragmented memories swept up into the Grid, the underlying subconscious of the universe. At the time she'd thought it had been an aberration—an opportunity afforded to her only because she'd been sucked up by an evil eldrich god.

...But what if it hadn't been? What if...what if as a conduit, she could reach it on her own? It would explain why she'd felt them, and she couldn't come up with any reason why she shouldn't be able to, considering.

Sel glanced at the door. If she couldn't leave physically...what was stopping her from leaving spiritually? She pondered for a moment, mulling this over. In the end, she reformed her position and began a new round of meditation.

Perhaps it was time to test this hypothesis.

_**To Be Continued...**_


	32. 3x06: Insurrection, part 1

The ice belt of the Yethar system was not a well-charted place. Being on the edge of a dim M-class red dwarf star system with no habitable planets or resources of interest, the region was simply a thick navigational hazard that was simply easier to avoid than to map out to any real degree. Which of course made it the perfect place to try and shake off enemy pursuers.

Peacekeeper Team Eighteen's megaship darted from one giant ice crystal fragment to another in a desperate bid to lose its opponent. The other ship was close, but nearly flattened itself against one of the ice crystals as the first ship banked a hard left. The second ship grazed the crystal, as the first ship dove between two colliding crystals, barely making it through before the makeshift blizzard of debris shot outward. The second ship was forced to evade, losing its quarry as it struggled to evade the chaos. As it escaped the blast zone, its one-time target moved into position behind it.

The hunter had become the hunted.

Now with a clean shot, Peacekeeper Team Eighteen opened fire, striking the engines of the other ship. It spun out of control, and dove into another ice crystal. Team Eighteen's ship shot past, putting itself on a trajectory out of the belt as its opponent—Peacekeeper Team Twenty-Eight's megaship—exploded in a blaze of fire and melted ice.

* * *

**Power Rangers Peacekeepers**

**Season 3**

**3.06: Insurrection, part 1**

* * *

When he was a kid, he'd dreamed of being a ranger. Even despite all the issues of his home life, all the issues with his father, at heart Sid had been just like any other child—someone ready for excitement, for adventure. After all, what person in their right mind *wouldn't* want to beat up bad guys while piloting a giant robot?

This, however. This wasn't anything like what he had imagined growing up. It was terrible. It was horrific. It was...tedious.

This was middle management old people work.

Sid sighed as he wandered down the hall of the megaship, scrolling down the data pad's holoscreen with his thumb. He was currently at an impasse; his quest for a unified alliance against the antipodes had hit a roadblock. Or several, really. They'd managed to halt the Machine Empire civil war before it had gotten underway, so both they and the triforians were still game, that was good. Likewise, B'rnix had sent word that a number of the pirate clans and houses had signed on as well—also good. But while Lasandra had been more than willing to help, she'd so far been unable to secure any Eltarian aid—not entirely surprising, considering Eltar's historic isolationism since the end of the twentieth century. Meanwhile, he'd also heard not so much as a peep in response from the League of Worlds, and he had no contacts there to begin with.

None of that would be crippling exactly, if the Confederacy wasn't dead. There were a handful of worlds still fighting of course; a couple of terran colonies had in effect put themselves under siege after Mirinoi had fallen. KO-35 and its colonies had *technically* been subjugated by SPD forces, but in truth the war had simply shifted to a guerrilla style. Then there was the occupational nightmare that was Horath, with all its high-tech citystates existing in caves with only nomadic clans on the surface, which made conquest...tricky. The other former members of the Confederacy had fallen, but as always remnants continued to make occupation tricky. But none of them were in any real position to help Sid.

He'd sent out feelers to some of them, obviously, but they'd all been much harder to convince than King Ihara had been. After all, how could you ever convince anyone to abandon what little they had left on a fool's errand?

He'd just gotten out of a meeting with an aquitian rebel cell who had irritatingly but understandably taken a 'wait and see' approach.

Y'know, too bad that 'wait and see' would end with the destruction of the entire universe—and that was the whole point of the Antipodes' plan. Sid sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose; he hated this. He hated always feeling like he was two steps behind. Every action he took, every move he made, it was all in reaction, as if the Antipodes were directing his actions for him. And if it wasn't them, then it was Gamma.

He hadn't made contact with the main remnant of the Mirinoi fleet—maybe he should try there. But that would have meant dealing with Admiral Drake, and Sid had been putting off that particular conversation. Sure, his dad and him had somewhat reconciled months ago but still things were...awkward.

Sigh.

...But maybe, just maybe, dancing around this was just his way of avoiding what had happened on Tronus VI.

Sid made his way into the cargo bay, his eyes still on the screen so that he almost ran into it because he wasn't paying attention. Backing up a step, Sid tore his eyes from the holoscreen and looked up, in disbelief at what he saw.

"...What the hell…?"

In front of him, spanning the cargo bay, was a half-built naval PT boat, constructed in the same aesthetic as the rest of their gear. Never mind that PT boats hadn't been a legit strategic asset in centuries.

"Um..." Sid uttered, his eyebrows arching in confusion.

Trok glanced up from the makeshift station he'd been working at, which consisted of a number of crates with holo-screen projectors littered about, "Oh, hey Sid!"

"...Uh...hi" Sid managed back, "The hell is all this?"

"The warship?" Trok asked, "I call it the War Cutter! Or, I would".

"Would?"

Tesas stuck his head out from behind a stack of crates, "We uh...sort of ran out of space. We need more room to finish it".

Sid frowned, "...It's a yacht".

"Uh-uh-uh!" Trok replied with a wave of his finger, "It's a yacht with _guns. _Also like, six solid inches of Neo-Plutonium armor".

Sid sighed, again rubbing his nose, "...Trok, when have we ever needed a yacht? Ever?"

"You never know!" Trok replied, only mildly defensively, "We're just trying to cover all the bases".

Sid glanced around at the rest of the cargo bay, only for the first time noticing the sheer amount of stuff that had been crammed inside. There were, for the lack of a better term, projects littered from end to end, "...What is all this?" he asked, moving toward a large set of power armor strapped to the wall.

"Oh, that's the Transtech Armor" Trok said, "It's a battle suit that can transform into a tank. Or, it could, we still need to find a power supply for it".

"...The battlizer wasn't enough?" Sid asked him.

Trok shrugged, "better safe than sorry".

Sid was already moving on though, to the next half-finished project. There were exoskeletons, aerial drones, power blasters, cannons, some sort of spider robot, an android with...kung-fu grip? Huh, okay.

"You've...been busy" Sid said as he took it all in. None of these projects were even close to completion, and Sid was pretty sure most of them would never see the light of day, but it was still impressive...if not really weird.

Trok's shoulders sagged a bit, "I just...I need to keep busy. Tesas too".

"I...yeah..." Sid replied. He'd felt the exact same way. Keeping busy; what else could anyone do considering? Sure, Trok could stand to focus on one workable project instead of this menagerie of horrors, but considering the jack-all Sid had gotten done despite the endless late nights as of late, who was he to lecture? An alert on his morpher drew his attention away from the circus of half-finished monstrosities, "What's up?"

It was Xolin, _"She's here"._

Oh, good, the moment he'd been dreading had finally arrived. Sid steeled himself, taking a deep breath as he gathered his nerves, "So she is. Meet us in the war room".

"_Understood"._

* * *

The room was spartan. Isdilian was used to it of course; neither he nor the Antipodes had any real need for aesthetics. Still, he couldn't help but find the chamber he was in to be a bit...foreboding. One of the station's many multi-purpose rooms, it was arranged in an oval shape with a central platform two feet above the rest that paralleled the room in shape. The chamber itself was made of a metallic alloy, silver in color, with a door to his rear. Around him stood all four members of the Antipodes; Alpha in front of him, Beta to Alpha's left side, and Epsilon and Delta at Isdilian's five and eight o'clock.

"You failed" were Alpha's first words, the red warrior's tone full of anger and disappointment.

Isdilian's fists clenched in frustration—there was no denying this. He'd failed, and it had cost them greatly. The entire Machine plot had had to be scrubbed. "I am sorry". He really was; this had been an abject failure—only one ranger dead out of six, and his actual target remained functional. He'd trained for this, prepared his life around this...but when it had come down to it, he'd simply choked.

...And yet, all he could see in his mind's eye was Anthren's body slumping to the ground. His one 'victory' in all this failure, and it didn't even feel like one. Anthren was dead; someone Isdilian had helped train was gone, and all because he'd been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Sorry doesn't cut it" Beta grunted with irritation, her arms folded, "We put a lot of resources and effort into kickstarting a civil war among the Machine Empire, and you let it slip through your fingers".

"It won't happen again" Isdilian replied.

Alpha nodded briefly, "No, it won't. You're benched for the moment".

To this, Isdilian visibly reacted for the first time since entering the room, "...Sir?" he asked, confused and alarmed. He'd expected punishment of course, but he was an important part of the mission. They needed him.

Alpha explained, "We were fortunate that the Machine operation was an offensive project. While its failure means that the Peacekeepers haven't been slowed down, at the end of the day it only returns us to square one. However, we cannot risk continued operations like this. Until further notice, Beta will take over operations control against the Peacekeepers".

"...Then what happens to me?" Isdilian asked, after taking a deep breath to settle himself.

Epsilon spoke up from behind, "You'll be coming with me".

"Is it ready?" Alpha asked her.

The orange warrior nodded, "We've run all the preliminary tests, and power levels are optimal".

"...What do you mean?" Isdilian asked her, turning around.

Alpha replied, "It means it's time, Isdilian. Time for you and your sister to fulfill your destiny. Time is short, and so we must begin promptly. You two are dismissed".

Still a bit shaken over his sudden dismissal, Isdilian was nevertheless reinforced by the fact that his primary mission now lay before him. With a slight bow to Alpha, he then turned and followed Epsilon out of the room. When the doors shut, Alpha turned his attention to Beta.

"I assume you have everything you need?"

Beta chuckled as she opened up a holoscreen from her wrist, showcasing maps and data, "I do. My next operation is already in motion; it won't take the rangers long to realize what's happening, and then they'll come running like dogs to a bell" her tone darkened, "I will tear them apart piece by piece".

"Excellent" Alpha replied, "I will leave you to it then". She bowed slightly and headed for the door.

Delta spoke up for the first time, the large green warrior having remained silent up till now, "What about the girl?"

"He's right" Beta replied, halting and turning back around, "She's been remarkably...recalcitrant, and we are running out of time".

"I still believe I can turn her to our side" Alpha replied, "If not, then I have Epsilon working on the contingency. Do not worry; one way or another, she will perform to expectation".

* * *

She was already there by the time Sid arrived in the war room. In many ways, it felt almost nostalgic. You know, the bad kind of nostalgia. The one that won't leave. What was that called? ...Oh, right.

PTSD. It felt like PTSD.

As Sid entered the room, it was just like old times as an armored figure sat on the other end of the circular table waiting for him as if she owned the place. Certainly there were differences; Gamma had black armor while Iota had been a silver color. But at the end of the day, it was all the same.

Back to square one.

"Hello, Sid" Gamma said.

Sid merely gave her a look of thinly-veiled contempt, "You said you had information for us?"

She gave him a curt nod, "Straight to business, I see".

"We're not here to play nice" Xolin said grumpily. She was leaning against a console between where Sid was and Gamma, her foot raised up and resting on the wall, "You are here because you provide a service. We are not friends".

"Hmm" Gamma mused, "Iota taught you well it seems".

Sid's eyes narrowed, "Information. Now".

Gamma's demeanor shifted from bemusement to irritation, "Very well". Quickly activating the table's holo projector, she brought up multiple screens, "As you know, a number of Peacekeeper teams survived SPD's purge".

"The cadet teams you kept in reserve" Xolin stated in confirmation.

Gamma nodded, "Correct. We lost our best and brightest, but all things considered it could have been far worse".

Sid frowned. She was dancing around the issue and he knew it, "Don't tell me you came all the way out here just to tell us you're thinking of a recruitment drive".

"I wish it were that simple" Gamma said, bringing up a star map. Two locations were singled out, "These are our two primary bases of operation; Outposts Kappa and Lambda".

"...What is it with you people and Greek letters?" Sid asked her. She ignored him as she continued.

"I am administrator of Outpost Kappa, Zeta is the same for Outpost Lambda. Iota operated as our field commander and special projects administrator, essentially keeping the conduits safe while we prosecuted our war against the Antipodes".

"So what's the problem?" Xolin asked her.

Gamma sighed, tapping a control and letting the map zoom in on Outpost Lambda, firmly planting it within what seemed to be a gas giant, "Relations between myself and Zeta have become...strained as of late, for reasons I can't quite fathom. He has become erratic, short-tempered, aloof. Often he won't respond to my communiques".

Xolin snorted, "Maybe he's tired of being your lacky". Sid let loose a smirk at that.

She continued despite Xolin, "Our strained relationship has begun to impact the organization as a whole. Within the last two weeks there have been three friendly-fire incidents between teams from opposite sides of what is rapidly becoming a cold war". A second map appeared, showcasing a small, red dwarf system, "Twelve hours ago, we lost contact with Peacekeeper Team Twenty-Six, one of ours, after it ended up in a scuffle with Peacekeeper Team Eighteen, one of his. We believe Twenty-Six no longer exists".

Sid's smile vanished. He might not of liked Gamma, but he knew the implications here—the Peacekeepers were some of the few forces Sid knew he could rely on when the battle came. If this continued to build, then he risked the loss of the majority of his ranger forces, which would be unforgivable, "Let me guess: Antipode involvement".

Gamma nodded grimly, "That would be my suspicion, yes. I suspect Zeta has somehow been compromised. I need you infiltrate and ascertain the situation. And, if need be, to extract him and any and all remaining loyalist forces. Normally I would have ordered one of my own teams in, but as it stands you are the most experienced and distinguished unit still in the field".

Sid's eyebrow arched, "...Is this a plea or an order?"

"Yes" Gamma replied, with just a hint of a grin in her voice.

Xolin and Sid's eyes met for a moment, an unspoken acknowledgment passing between them—they knew the dangers here. What if this was a trap? What if Isdilian was waiting for them? They had very little chance of standing against him at the moment. Yet at the same time, they couldn't just leave this be. Sid turned back to Gamma, "Alright. Say we do this; how do we get in?"

"I can provide you with a full list of codes and schematics" Gamma said as she opened more files, "I don't know how much has been revoked since I was last there, but there are a number of back doors, both physical and technological I had installed in case of hostile takeover".

Sid folded his arms as he watched the holographic information fly by, "...Goodie, a stealth mission. I love stealth missions. Also, I'm being sarcastic, in case that wasn't clear".

"I may have one more tool to assist you" Gamma said.

Xolin eyed her, "...And that would be…?"

At that moment, the doors to the war room slid open, and in stepped a very familiar human female.

"Uh, hi" said Nikki, trying her best to hide her embarrassment considering the situation.

* * *

In truth, she disliked meditation. It was always so tedious; she always wanted to be doing something else, and even the slightest distraction would shift her attention. Yet, as Xolin had taught her, it DID help. And as she'd practiced, the easier it had become.

Still didn't help that her body always became so restless though. A few minutes of sitting like this on her bed, and Sel suddenly wanted to stretch.

No. Bad Sel. Focus. This was important.

Taking another deep breath to calm herself, she started again.

She was here again; in the large rotunda room with the endless doors. It was always this room, always here. Idly, she wondered if others' mindscapes looked the same way, or if they got to pick their own style. The next time she was on Xybria, she'd have to ask someone.

Now, the real question here was...which was the door she'd gone through to find Andromeda? The first time she'd been here, they had all been locked shut, and during the whole Andromeda incident, things had been...well, hectic to say the least. But still, at least one of these doors had to lead to the underlying dreamscape, didn't they?

Picking a door at random, Sel tried to pull it open, only to have the usual lack of luck, despite her best efforts. She grumbled with a frown, before moving on to the next door, and again pulling fruitlessly. Long ago she had assumed these doors housed her missing memories, but after the whole dreamscape incident, she'd been forced to revise that theory, especially in the light of the realization that she A: had very little of missing memories to begin with as she'd been built rather than raised, and B: she was a conduit for the universe.

So that of course begged the question: what was *really* behind the rest of these doors? She'd tried to open them the first time she'd come here, and had nearly overwhelmed herself with what had seemed to be infinity.

She pulled on a third door; no luck. Damnit. If these doors really did represent her connection to All Things and infinity and whatever, then she had an almost zero chance of stumbling upon the right door by accident, didn't she?

She tried door number four, already starting to feel a bit of despair. Sel then tried a fifth door—and met with a violent shock. She cried out in a mixture of pain and surprise, falling to the ground as she studied her hand. She didn't have long however, as an even stronger pulse surged across her body, knocking her right out of her trance. Sel fell to the ground next to her bed, her body coursing with a painful energy overload. She screamed, her body contorting in agony as the overload took over. It seemed to last for an eternity, even though she knew it had only been seconds. It didn't matter.

When the storm finally ended, she lay awkwardly on the floor, limp and slightly smoking, her labored breathing the only sign she'd survived the ordeal. Her eyes were unfocused, staring off at nothing in particular; there was simply no strength left to do otherwise and at that moment she really didn't care.

The attacks were getting worse. Gone were the mild headaches and random discharges, her entire body was now wracked with storms that were increasing in both intensity and frequency each time they occurred. At first she'd tried to ignore it, deny it but at this point, she couldn't. There was only the terrible, horrifying truth.

She was dying.

Sel didn't know why, or how. But she knew that somehow, her powers, her being what she was, was quickly becoming fatal. As her breathing calmed, Sel shut her eyes, letting a few tears that had been bubbling up finally fall.

She didn't want to die.

It was funny, really. A mere year and a half ago, she wouldn't have really cared one way or another. How appropriate she had only gained a love for life here, so near the end.

"Another attack?" came a voice, knocking her from her thoughts. She opened her eyes and looked up—at some point Alpha had entered her room.

"The hell do you care?" she shot back, her voice sore. Her voice was full of nothing but contempt and malice. An aftershock of the attack seized up any further reply as another electrical discharge surged across her form.

Alpha crouched in front of her, his voice calm and paternal, "I think we've gotten off on the wrong foot" he said, pulling out a high-tech looking cylindrical device about twice the size of his fist. Cautiously, he bended over behind her, and she felt cool metal pressing up against the back of her neck. Almost immediately, Sel felt the fuzziness of everything begin to clear. The pain lessened, the excess energy vanished.

"What...what did you do?" she asked with relief, as Alpha pulled the device back to him. It was now crackling with Morphin' energy.

"I merely siphoned off some of your excess energy" he said, "It will stave off your attacks, for a time, until your power levels build again. I can help fix that. I can take that pain away, if you'll let us help".

Groggily, the former yellow ranger pushed herself to a sitting position, "What do you want?" she asked him, still somewhat antagonistic, but clearly having been pushed to the bargaining table. She'd hear him out, at least.

Alpha managed a good-natured chuckle, "My dear, I only want to save my world".

* * *

The Megaship had been a flurry of activity since Gamma had left, back to her own base. There were so many things that needed doing and so little time.

"Are we sure about this?" Xolin asked Sid, as Sitras and Tesas helped Nikki load her ship up with supplies, handing them down to her through the hatch in the floor that led to the shuttle she'd commandeered from the pirate base. Mostly they were computer and ship parts, in case something went wrong. But Nikki was also having several bits of her stealth tech installed into her ship. Well, 'installed' was a bit of a loaded word—with so little time it was a very hodgepodge affair. Still though.

"About what?" Sid asked back as he went over the list of supplies on his morpher's holoscreen.

Xolin rubbed her arm absently as she watched more boxes go down, "You and I are the best fighters on the team. Wouldn't it make sense for us to go together, especially if something goes wrong? Trok would be way more use with Nikki since they're the computer experts".

Sid shook his head, "I thought about it, but no. Our teams need to be as adaptable as possible. You need to keep Nikki safe and give her time to do her job if something goes wrong. And if something *does* go wrong, then at least we have a second chance with Trok and I" he gave a shrug with a small smile as he made eye contact, "Besides, we gotta make this look good. If it IS a trap, they'll be expecting me to come with one of our tech guys. It'll keep them from suspecting".

"So just to be clear, there's two layers here" Trok said, dropping the last of the packages off on the floor as Tesas moved to grab it and haul it down to Nikki, "Sid and I go and keep Zeta and whoever else occupied, while Nikki and Xol hack in from the back. That about right?"

"Pretty much" Sid replied, "Always give your enemies exactly what they want. And if Zeta really has gone back down the rabbit hole, we have Nikki bring the whole thing down and signal Gamma. She brings in her fleet and mops everything up".

"What about us?" Sitras asked, crawling back up out of the hatch, Nikki following her.

Shutting off his holoscreen, Sid turned to her, "I need you and Tesas to stay with the Megaship for now, in case they try to cut off our escape".

"But we can help!" Sitras protested, as Tesas followed the hatch back up behind Nikki.

Sid shook his head, "Sorry guys, but things are kind of...tense right now. Fact is, we *don't* know what's going to be waiting for us. It could be a trap".

"Isdilian could be waiting" Xolin mused darkly, "Or worse".

Tesas frowned, "All the more reason for us to go! Strength in numbers!"

"And how good were numbers last time?" Sid countered, his tone darkening significantly. The atmosphere in the hallway quieted, each ranger's eye contact falling away in contemplation. "I'm sorry" Sid said, knowing he'd gone too far, "But it's still true. We can't beat Isdilian right now. All we can hope to do is escape, which means the smaller the infiltration team, the better".

"He's right" Xolin said, her attention drawn to the wall. She didn't really want to meet anyone's gaze at the moment, not with Anthren's specter looming, "We can't afford to be careless".

"If we need you, we'll call" Sid said, "I promise". He turned to Xolin, "You ready?"

Xolin glanced over at Sid tentatively, nodding, "Yeah, Nikki?"

Nikki and Sid shared a glance for a moment. They hadn't said anything to each other in the small amount of time since she'd been back, and perhaps that was a good thing. There were just...so many things. Maybe it didn't matter anymore. She gave him a curt nod, then followed Xolin down into the shuttle.

"Be careful" Sid stressed as they vanished from view.

"I think I should be saying that to you, Decoy Man" Xolin threw back. Sid gave a one-off chuckle, before shutting the hatch. Seconds later, the computer confirmed the detachment of the other ship from the docking port.

"...We need to go too" Sid said, getting up and shifting back to business mode, "To the bridge".

* * *

With a flash of light, the Megaship emerged from hyperrush back into normal space, just above an orange-tinted gas giant. The four remaining rangers were on the bridge.

"We've got a green light from Outpost Lambda" Trok said. He'd taken the pleasure of sending their landing authorization request before arriving, "Docking bay two".

Sid replied, "Take us in, nice and slow".

The Megaship veered into the thick, soupy clouds of the gas giant, dropping through layer after layer.

"Who thought to build a space station *inside* a gas giant?!" Sitras asked, as the turbulence from the clouds began to jerk the bridge around, forcing each of them to grab onto their seat to stay upright.

"It probably works as a defensive measure—no one would look for them here" Tesas replied. He was a bit less worried than Sitras was, but still notably tense.

"Don't worry; the base itself is in a stable zone between cloud layers" Trok replied, "We're almost through!"

Sure enough, as the ship passed the next batch of clouds, the turbulence cut out and left the rangers with one hell of a view. Maelstroms churned and shifted both above and below them, lightning dancing at the places where the 'ground' and 'sky' met, where massive funnels twisted about. And there, directly ahead, lay a large man made object, hovering between the layers. It was wide, like a saucer, with a dome covering its topside. Below that, a hodgepodge of decks and sections haphazardly layered on top of one another asymmetrically.

A communication broadcast across the bridge as they approached, _"You're clear for landing, Megaship twelve., we'll take it from here. And welcome back"._

As tractor beams helped guide the ship in the rest of the way, Sid stood up from his chair, "Well, we're in it now. Ready, Trok?"

The horathean turned from his console, nodding.

"Sid" Sitras said, stopping the former in his tracks as he and Trok headed for the door, "Look, we know you have your reasons but...Anthren died to protect us. Protect me".

"...We don't like being couped up in here" Tesas replied, "We want to help. Please".

Sid's gaze moved between the two, "...You want payback" he said, with a sad smile.

"We want to matter" Sitras replied, earnestly.

For a moment he thought it over; as much as they were still inexperienced, as much as he wanted to protect them, they were right—they WERE owed an opportunity. And besides, he could always use a Plan C. Sid pulled out a datapad from his pocket and handed it to Sitras, "Actually, I *do* have something for you".

Tesas scurried over to his teammate as she scrolled down the instructions. As realization swept over his expression, he looked up at Sid, "...You planned this".

"Like I said" Sid replied with a cocky smirk, "Always give your enemies what they expect, and that includes Gamma".

* * *

Sid and Trok casually stepped off the Megaship's boarding ramp.

"What was that about?" Trok asked the human, referring to the datapad he'd just given Sitras.

"Long story, don't worry about it right now" Sid replied, with still a little bit of a determined grin on his face.

The conversation didn't get any further than that though, as suddenly the two unmorphed rangers found themselves surrounded with a multitude of guns, loaded and ready to fire. A full team of five rangers—team thirty-four if Sid was correct—had them trapped. Team thirty-four was one of the teams recruited *after* the fall of the Confederacy, if the files Gamma had given Sid were correct. Thus, they were really little more than random people they'd given powers; they didn't even have the basic training like Sitras and Tesas's team who had been assigned during the war. In a fair fight, Sid could take them easy.

...Unfortunately this was not a fair fight, as he was pretty sure they could shoot him dead at this range.

The red ranger spoke, "Sid Drake and Trok of Clan Tesei, Zeta wishes to speak with you, privately. You *will* come with us. If you attempt to morph or escape, we *will* shoot to kill".

Trok hesitantly put his hands up, "...Oh. We got captured. Again".

Sid's grin fell into a frown as he sighed with frustration, his hands going up in surrender, "You know, in hindsight...I don't really know what I expected". He was pretty sure this was some sort of record in terms of how fast it had taken them this time around.

Such was the quiet suffering of the decoy.

* * *

The two women sat quietly in the cramped quarters of the personal shuttlecraft. It was a very hodgepodge, hand-me-down vessel, having been at one point karovian in construction, probably a private transport. But it was an old craft, and it showed; much of it was worn down, and the rest had mostly been replaced by odd pieces that didn't really fit or try to keep an aesthetic—pirates really didn't care about that. As it was, half the computer systems were edonite, and the rest were xybrian...except for one console in the rear that had been appropriated from an eltarian ship.

"Cloak's active" Nikki said, the first thing either of them had said for hours. They had just warped in over the gas giant, and were now hanging back, waiting for the signal. After checking the ship's status, Nikki leaned back in the pilot's seat. She glanced over at Xolin, who was currently turned away from her, idly watching the planet.

Nikki decided to cut the tension, "I'm sorry, for the record" she said softly.

"...Hm?" Xolin asked, turning around.

"Anthren" Nikki clarified, "I'm sorry. If I'd been there instead of running off..."

Xolin shook her head, "One more wouldn't have made a difference. He tore us apart like tissue paper".

"Still".

Silence reigned again until Xolin spoke up, "Everything's falling apart. Sid, Trok...I don't know what to do" she pulled her hand through her hair, brushing it aside as she exhaled a deep breath, "It's starting to feel like we'll never find Sel".

Folding her arms, Nikki shifted in her chair, "...Weren't you the religious one of the group? Faith and all that?" Inwardly she cringed; she really didn't know much about Sel and Xolin, and only knew Trok because of how much they'd clashed in the past. Now though, she kind of wished she'd paid attention back then.

Xolin let out a dry laugh, "Religious yeah, but I've always been a bit of a cynic. Besides, I'm not sure faith and I are on speaking terms right now".

"I'm sorry".

"Me too".

"...You ever think about what you'd do when this is all over?" asked Nikki.

Xolin gave the holographic woman an odd look, "...Since when did you start trying to make conversation?"

Nikki frowned, looking away, "I guess I deserve that. Look, when I first came aboard I was...well, I wasn't in a good place and I just didn't want to have to deal with anyone. I'm still not great but...things are different".

"Different how?"

"It's...a long story" Nikki replied, "But I want to be different. Better".

The triforian eyed her again, "...Can you do that? Just...be different?" Xolin had tried to be different, be better, for years, ever since leaving home. All she'd gotten for it had been a shattered ego. At the end of the day, she was just some kid who had run away from home and knew how to throw a good punch. She wasn't a leader or a mentor like Sid, she wasn't smart like Trok or Sel, everything she did only ever came up short...all she could ever be was displaced rage.

Nikki caught the glimmer of almost desperate but disbelieving hope in Xolin's expression, but just for an instant, "...I don't know. I can try though, right? Instead of asking who I am or what I want, I should ask who I want to be".

"...It's not always that simple" Xolin muttered under her breath. Nikki was about to respond when the computer lit up with the signal sent from the Megaship.

"They're in" Nikki said, grabbing her controls, "Time to get moving".

The shuttle's sub-light engines ignited, and the craft began to descend into the upper cloud layer, towards Outpost Lambda.

* * *

This was probably a bad idea, she knew this. Sel's wrists chafed a bit against the cuffs she'd been forced to wear outside her room. Apparently her room had been specially built to protect against her power surges, whereas it had been deemed to expensive to refit the rest of the base. Thus, her cuffs were designed to suppress her power while she was out and about—though notably not while she was within her room, as prolonged suppression would be dangerous for pretty much everyone. At any rate, she was essentially powerless at the moment.

Goodie for her.

The former yellow ranger awkwardly followed Alpha down the sterile white hallway like the prisoner she was, though she had to admit, it felt nice to finally be able to stretch her legs after all this time; she hadn't seen anything outside of that room in well over three months. She said nothing as they wandered down the hall, waiting for Alpha to make the first move.

Finally they came upon a window. She'd had a window in her own room, but it had always faced the reddish gas giant she'd known they were orbiting. Which gas giant, she had no idea—obviously. But now, at this window she stopped, letting loose a gasp in awe.

"...Impressive, isn't it?" Alpha said, stopping and turning to the window himself, "I pass this way so often, sometimes I forget".

Outside the window, stretching for billions of miles, a chaotic maelstrom bubbled and churned—a wide disc of dust and gas, swirling around an epicenter of pitch-black darkness. At first one could be forgiven for thinking it was some sort of eclipse or optical illusion, the thin but bright halo of light that surrounded the humungous spherical shadow that dominated the center of the disc, but all too soon one would recognize that wasn't a halo of light, but light bending *around* the cosmic abyss at the center. It was nightmarish, yet stunning all the same.

"Five hundred million years ago this was a Class O giant, over ninety times the size of your average main sequence star. But like all stars, it eventually ran out of resources to consume, ran out of energy. And so like all things, it died, becoming the empty, ever ravenous husk you see before you".

"A black hole" Sel whispered, more to confirm to herself then to respond to Alpha. This was her first time seeing something like this.

"They call it Erebus. I use it as a reminder; everything ends eventually. All you can hope to do is move on and prolong the inevitable".

Sel looked down at the cuffs on her arms, feeling her energy writhing underneath, feeling her clock ticking.

Alpha continued, "A hero knows he cannot win against inevitability, against the cold hard truth of entropy. But entropy is tomorrow, and the hero knows he *can* fight against danger today. He *can* postpone the danger for now, and keep hope alive".

Sel was conflicted. On one hand, she couldn't help but feel sympathy for this man, who was only trying to save his universe—from what exactly he hadn't clarified, but the way he talked about entropy had her thinking; accelerated heat-death, maybe? Runaway false vacuum? Yet on the other hand, she could never get away from thinking about how these people had treated her, or her friends. Everything was a scheme to them, they were only ever pawns to be used. How could she trust them?

...But if she continued to withhold help, would that make her a monster? Were those theoretical deaths on her hands?

"What are you trying to save your universe from?" she asked him.

Alpha gently placed his hand on the window, as if trying to grasp the hellish event horizon, "...Are you familiar with the concept of a false vacuum?"

Ah-hah. Second guess was it, then, "I've done a little bit of reading. It's a theory that the universe exists in a false equilibrium. What we think of entropy isn't the lowest possible state, so if or when it destabilizes and goes further...well, I'm not fantastic at math, but it's not good".

"You still know more than most" Alpha replied with a bit of admiration for the girl, "Your definition is crude, but correct. We...made a mistake. Our universe was old; star formation had long ceased, and what remained was dying out. In our attempt to reverse entropy, we created a worse monster—we created a false vacuum, one that expanded outward in all directions first at the speed of light and then speeding up exponentially, destroying everything in its path. Even as we speak, it continues to ravage what remains of our universe, as our people flee from system to system, from galaxy to galaxy. Eventually, everything will be consumed. Nothing will remain".

"So what do you need me for?" Sel asked.

Alpha sighed, "You have to understand, I came here with eight others. Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Iota, Sigma, and Theta. We were the best and the brightest our universe had to offer—some of us were even part of the team who started this mess in the first place. We tried everything, but nothing worked. Then, just when we'd given up hope, Epsilon came up with an idea".

"Which was?"

"If we could harness the power of another universe, we had a shot of reversing our own problems. But we needed a conduit, a physical 'battery' that represented the universe. More than that, we needed two—two batteries for the price of one. A paradox to be sure, but it would work".

"Isdilian and me" Sel stated.

Alpha nodded, his mood turning somber, "It was...Sigma and Theta's choice to sacrifice themselves" he said, as if trying to convince himself, "We needed a life force to make the connection, to 'thread the needle', such as it were".

"...You sacrificed them" Sel replied in dawning horror.

Alpha roared, turning to her in a rage, "They sacrificed themselves! We all knew the risks, but when it came down to it, they were willing to give their lives for the greater good!"

"Just like the classic narrative trope, right?" Sel replied evenly, returning to Alpha's earlier themes of storytelling and heroism. Once upon a time she would have cowered, retreating, but that time had long since passed; she simply regarded Alpha's anger with contempt.

Alpha seemed to calm down, but bitterness replaced the anger, "Do not attempt to lecture me. We have all had our sins to bare, you have not".

"Let me guess" Sel said as she put the pieces together, "Iota didn't like it".

Alpha resumed the story, once again watching the nightmare in the sky, "...Iota and Gamma turned on us when they found out what happened. He and Sigma had been...close. They never forgave us". He sighed in contemplation.

Sel frowned, "So...what, you expect me to believe Iota's whole goal was to keep me away from you and damn both of yours universe just for revenge?"

"You never wondered why he simply kept you hidden? Why he never utilized either of you to your full potential? Why he kept you in the dark?" Alpha's words gave Sel food for thought. She'd never liked Iota, but the idea that all of this was just some sort of blood feud was...appalling, especially considering what Alpha's crew had done to get a hold of her. They weren't her friends, she had to keep reminding herself of that. She was the one with cuffs on, after all.

"I'm sure Iota had plans" Alpha grumbled, continuing, "But he never shared them with us. Nor do I believe he ever had anything worthwhile; we expended all other options years ago".

"So where do I come in?" Sel asked.

Alpha regarded Sel but for a moment, as if coming to a conclusion, "...Epsilon has recently completed the missing link in our project. Would you like to see it? I believe it is a satisfactory solution to both of our plights". He motioned down the hall, inviting her.

Sel gave the black hole one last glance. Just like everything else in her life as of late, it was alien, hostile. She had no one else to rely on, no one else to turn for guidance. All she could do was trust herself.

What would Sid do? Xolin? Trok?

"...Show me" she said at last.

* * *

This was according to plan. This was aaaaalllll according to plan. Aaaaaalllllll of it. According to plan. There was nothing to worry about. Y'know, except the multitude of guns pointed at them.

Aaaaaalllll according to plan!

Sometimes Sid wanted to punch himself.

They stood in an office, average sized, though with a nice, large window showcasing the endless alien cloud formations outside. Ahead of them was a desk, curved like a bow and littered with consoles and holoscreens. Behind that desk was their target—a man dressed entirely in thick golden armor, his style much like the others of his kind. This was Sid's first time meeting Zeta, though the only way Sid found him surprising was his demeanor.

Up until now Sid's experience with the antipodes could have been described charitably as 'irritating'. Both Iota and Gamma were manipulative assholes who didn't even try to hide that fact, while the ones who were actually evil usually hid behind their minions fighting shadow wars on every front and getting kicks out of making friends fight each other. In other words, if Sid had to choose one word to describe an Antipode, he'd choose 'smug'.

…Zeta wasn't smug. He wasn't in control or contemptible. In fact, he seemed downright nervous, anxious. Uncomfortable in his own skin. Er...suit.

Zeta was awkward. Sid could tell this from the way the man sat in his desk, tapping his chair almost subconsciously. He'd fidget, or look anywhere but where the action in the room was.

"You shouldn't be here" he said, irritated, "Wasn't supposed to be this way".

"...You have me at a disadvantage" Sid said, a little confused, "What wasn't supposed to be this way?"

Zeta's voice scowled as he glared at the human, "Don't take me for a fool! Gamma sent you here to kill me!" He got up from his desk, fidgeting with his hands as he crossed the room in front of the window, pacing back and forth.

Sid frowned, "How did you-" he never got a chance to finish his question was Zeta cut in.

"What'd she offer you? Money? Power? A front row seat?!"

"….Gamma didn't offer us anything" Trok said, "She had us come here to check things out. She said you'd been behaving...erratically, and wanted us to make sure the other Antipodes weren't messing around here".

"Hah!" Zeta roared in giddy but nervous realization, "I should have known! Of course, of course. There's no way Iota's team would have gone rogue through bribery, she tricked you!"

"Wait, wait" Sid said, cutting the man's mile-a-minute ranting, "Back up. Who tricked who?"

"She tricked *you*" Zeta repeated more slowly, "It's what she does. It's what they all do".

Sid tensed at the news—well, if it was possible to tense any more than he already was considering the number of ranger weapons currently trained on his body. "Are you saying Gamma's a double-agent?"

"Curious, isn't it?" Zeta replied, still frantically pacing, "The Confederacy gets into position for its big offensive and then suddenly The Alliance just *happens* to know exactly where everyone is and have access to every ship computer and orbital defense's back door?"

"But...wasn't that Isdilian?" Trok asked.

"Please. The boy was there to keep an eye on you, but he was only a mid-level grunt in the Peacekeepers. A coup of this level had to be done at the upper echelons of power—someone in a position to command armies".

That made a scary amount of sense to Sid. And it would explain why over the past few weeks, it felt like the Antipodes were always one step ahead of his team and their efforts. Well...except- "But...Gamma let us know what was happening with the Machine Empire. Why would she sabotage her side's own plan?"

Zeta snorted, as if this was elementary, "Isn't it obvious? That wasn't their real plan—you weren't supposed to leave that engagement alive".

Holy shit. Isdilian ambushing the three cadets. It all made a sort of twisted sense.

As Sid's mind reeled, Zeta continued his own train of thought, "Now, the question is, why play it this way? There have to be more efficient ways to kill me than to use Iota's kids".

Sid and Trok glanced at each other knowingly. Sid nodded, giving the floor to Trok. The horathean spoke up, "Uh...well, she *did* have contingencies in place in case the whole base was hostile".

Zeta paused, turning to Trok for a moment before speaking to the rangers, "Go. Leave us".

"Sir?" one of them asked.

"You heard me!" Zeta said irritably, "Wait outside. I'll be fine".

The contingent did as they were told, filing out of the office. Zeta waited until the door had slid shut again before resuming, "Explain".

The two rangers again seemed to trade nonvocal thoughts before regrettably continuing. It was clear they weren't totally onboard with the situation, but there was enough here to assume they'd been duped. Sid spoke, "Gamma has her forces on standby. If we signal them, they'll warp in to secure the area".

"She wants control of the entire organization" Zeta mused, "What's left of it anyway".

"...What do we do?" Trok asked, a little nervous himself now. Gamma would be expecting an answer from them at some point.

"We have to act quickly" Zeta muttered, turning his attention to the horizon, "I assume she gave you a coded signal?"

Sid nodded, "Yeah, a unique subspace channel, in case someone tried to fake a message".

"Excellent" came another voice, female, and vaguely familiar. The two rangers spun around on their axis just in time to see Beta shove her fists into their guts, electrical energy surging into their bodies. A second later, both of them were on the ground in a heap, "That's just what I wanted to hear".

"They hadn't given us the code yet!" Zeta protested.

Beta waved him off with dismissal, "It's fine, I'll send the data in their morphers to Epsilon to decode. Gamma was never the most tech-savvy of us".

Zeta calmed himself, becoming a bit more relieved, "So it's all according to plan then?"

Beta removed Sid and Trok's morphers from their wrists, "It was easy. Leave enough breadcrumbs, and eventually you will always succeed" her joy vanished as her business mind returned, "...Scour the base. I assume their friends are nearby—especially the holographic one. Lock down their ship while you're at it, just in case".

"Of course" Zeta replied with a slight bow, before quickly vacating his office. Alone now, Beta grasped the two morphers, looking down at the two bodies as ranger team thirty-four moved in to collect them.

It was time for this game to come to an end, once and for all.

* * *

When Sel stepped into the room, she found it was very different from the rest of the base she'd seen so far. It was still sterile, that hadn't changed, with every color being a variation of mute white, gray, or blue. But it was far less barren; machines littered the walls of the hexagonal chamber, with pipes and open circuitry lining the walls and leading in every direction. The floor was a series of metal platforms installed on top of even more circuitry and piping, leading down to a depression in the center of the room where two large devices, almost like mechanical eggs, sat. And all around them numerous computer terminals and various machines pockmarked the room.

"...What is this?" Sel asked as she and Alpha stepped into the room.

"Our magnum opus" Alpha replied, with a bit of reverence, "It is from here that we will save our people". As he spoke, the orange-armored figure Sel identified as Epsilon walked over to them. Alpha handed her the container of Sel's excess power he'd siphoned from her earlier.

"It's quite simple, really" Epsilon began as she took the container and installed it into one of the various machines. It quickly sucked up the grid energy, leaving the container empty, "As conduits, you and the karovian function like batteries for the universe. Batteries we can use" she motioned to the two eggs, "These pods function much like the canister that Alpha used on you. They will siphon your power off into the generator that this station is built around for use in our project".

"Will...will it hurt?" Sel asked, hesitant at all the foreboding architecture that surrounded her.

"Not as long as we keep it at a safe level" Epsilon replied. She brought up a few holoscreens on one of the computers, typing in some commands, "We'll only be extracting your excess energy. If anything, it'll probably make you feel better".

"Shall we give it a try?" Alpha asked the xybrian.

Sel rubbed her arm in hesitation, "I...don't know". What if this was a trap? What if she was helping them bring about something bad? Except, as she told herself, why would this need to be a trap? They already had her held hostage. In fact, they were willingly giving her the choice here when they didn't even need to.

The pod on the right suddenly began to open, steam rising from the cracks as the front slid apart. Out stepped Isdilian, stretching slightly as if recovering from a nice nap.

"Good work today, Omega-Theta" Epsilon told him as he walked up the ramps to them, "We've collected quite a bit of energy...and a lot of data to further refine the process".

"I live to serve" Isdilian replied, then eyed Sel. His dull, grumpy expression lightened considerably, "Have you reconsidered?"

"I just don't have a death wish" Sel clarified for him, making it extremely clear she wasn't entirely on board with this, and *definitely* hadn't forgiven him for everything.

Isdilian's hopeful demeanor lessened somewhat, but he still remained upbeat, "You're doing the right thing, Sel. It's for a good cause".

She glared at him intently, "Go preach to someone who cares". Sel turned to Epsilon as she walked away from Isdilian and towards the other pod, "Let's get this over with already".

The second pod opened up as Sel approached, exposing a form-fitting half-seat apparatus. Motioning her cuffs to Epsilon, Sel then rubbed her exposed wrists once they'd been freed. Epsilon then motioned for her to enter the pod, which Sel did with not a little hesitation.

At least the pod was comfy.

Epsilon quickly snapped her legs and arms into place as Sel watched with annoyance, "If this is a trick, I swear..."

"Not a trick" Epsilon retorted matter-of-factly as she buckled Sel in, "There's no need for tricks at this point—if we wanted to force you, we'd have done it".

No more words were exchanged as Epsilon backed away and then let the pod close around Sel, leaving only a small window she could see out of. She'd exchanged one cell for another...all while never leaving. But that was the whole joke of her life, wasn't it? She was just a tool, a prize to be sought. It was never about what *she* wanted, it was about what Iota wanted. What Isdilian wanted. What Alpha wanted. What that damned eldritch horror had wanted.

The machine started up. It was slow at first, but all too soon Sel felt a tingling sensation wash over her. She looked down, seeing grid energy coursing across her body and out through her limbs into the pod and out. As the sensation grew, it became...not entirely unpleasant. Actually, it was quite nice...kind of like a full-body massage...kinda. Or like a sinus headache that was suddenly deflated.

Kinda.

Yes, she realized those two feelings weren't really related in any way. Still, it felt good. Sel settled in, at ease as the machine did its work.

* * *

The cloaked shuttlecraft had evaded the station's long and short-range sensors, deciding to settle in on the station's underside. As a pirate vessel, the ship was well-endowed to be where others did not expect it to be, and nobody would have expected it to be here. Attaching itself to the hull, it shut down all non-essential non-cloaking systems so as to remain undetected for as long as possible.

"So just how *are* we getting inside?" Xolin asked Nikki.

Nikki was already working the ship's computer, typing away madly, "Short-range teleportation".

Xolin gave her a look of disbelief, "They don't have anti-teleportation measures? And won't they detect us?"

"Oh, they have several" Nikki replied, still typing, "But remember, I'm a computer program. All I have to do is figure out the wavelength of their anti-teleportation fields and match it. All the techs will detect is a benign and brief power fluctuation in the grid".

"Two birds with one stone?"

"A little bit, yeah" Nikki replied, "Hang on, here we go".

"Wait, wh-" was all Xolin got out before she and Nikki vanished in a flash of light.

* * *

The next thing Xolin felt was her feet hitting the floor of the room they now found themselves in.

"Where are we?" she asked as she took stock of her surroundings. The room was domed shaped, circular in design. It was empty for the most part, but gave a good view of the gas giant's skyline through the large windows that encircled the chamber. The rangers themselves stood on a platform of sorts, raised above the edges of the room, though there was another half-level below.

"...This isn't right" Nikki muttered, worry growing in her voice, "We should have been teleported to one of the secondary server nodes".

"You would have been, yes" said a voice—a very familiar voice to Nikki. The two turned, seeing a blue armored female figure standing at the entrance to the room. Nikki's eyes widened in fear as she and Xolin took up fighting positions. Beta laughed, "It *was* a good plan".

"How?" Nikki managed to sputter out. This was bad; this was *very* bad.

"Do you like it?" Beta asked, motioning to the room, "The Peacekeepers used to use it for special events. Graduations, celebrations, that sort of thing. Hasn't gotten much use in the last few months though, not with the organization having become something of a meat grinder".

"You...you control the Peacekeepers?" Xolin gasped, reeling from the sudden revelation as Beta moved into the room.

"Mmm...part of it, at least. Seems one of Iota's fellow traitors wasn't as much of a traitor as he thought. Why do you think SPD knew your every move? Why do you think we were able to cut your defenses down like nothing? We knew. We always knew. We herded you like cattle, right to the slaughter" Beta laughed, "Zeta's been feeding us information all this time. And his subordinates still think they're working to save your universe. Funny, isn't it? They think Gamma's the compromised one".

"Hysterical" Nikki deadpanned, "How did you bring us here? How did you know?"

"How did I know you were here?" Beta snorted in derision, as if the answer was obvious, "Please, I'm not an idiot. You weren't with the red or green rangers, and you weren't on the ship when we locked it down and scoured it, which meant that, obviously, you were hiding separately. The shuttle you would have taken from pirate space wasn't on the ship either, so obviously you were using that. And you're a master of stealth technology, so go figure".

Nikki frowned as she understood, "You used the anti-teleportation field as a trap. When we bypassed it, the station's own teleportation system was rigged to redirect any anomalous readings here".

Beta slow clapped, mocking her two opponents as she circled them in a wide arc, "Very good! See? You *can* figure it out if you put your mind to it".

"Villains talk too much" Xolin growled. In a flash, she'd morphed into the blue ranger and launched herself forward in a sprint towards Beta.

"Xolin, no!" Nikki called out in an effort to keep Beta from gaining more of an upper hand than she already had. Beta *wanted* them emotional and rash. But it was too late; Xolin's fist was already swinging at her opponent's head. She dodged, and the two traded blows in a frantic but beautiful dance. Xolin gripped Beta's arms together, only to find herself flying back when Beta launched them both into the air and then kicked Xolin back. She tumbled to the ground, sliding back to where Nikki was.

"Xolin!" Nikki called out. She tried to morph and help out, but quickly found she couldn't move, "...What?!" she gasped in fear, as her form began to flicker.

"Oh, that?" Beta giggled, "That's probably just the cocktail of viruses I uploaded into your system when the teleporter redirected you. They've already broken through your defenses; in a few minutes they'll probably start deleting your code. Sucks to be you".

Nikki roared in a mixture of anger and terror, trying in vain to move as her image began to falter.

"Oh just give up and die already" Beta said testily towards her, "Like your better half. Nobody likes a copy-cat".

Xolin lunged forward again, ramming herself into Beta's midsection while she had been distracted. Beta landed on her back, allowing Xolin to begin pummeling her head.

...Er, or at least that had been the plan. Beta caught Xolin's fist with her hand, gripping it tightly enough to hurt the former. Xolin grunted in pain as Beta looked on happily.

"What's wrong, blue ranger? No Lights to save you this time?" Xolin said nothing, instead merely yelping as Beta began to twist, "Ah yes, Xolin. The fighter. The triforian. I'll admit, you were one of the more interesting files. Then again, pity cases usually are".

"What-" was all Xolin was able to grunt out before Beta swung her aside.

"Ignore her!" Nikki called to her teammate, "She likes to get in your head—AUGH!" another jolt of pain silenced Nikki as more of her systems corrupted. Realizing this was a losing battle, she did the only thing she could do—a hard system reboot. Taking a second to pray to whatever gods existed that this would work, in the next instant instant Nikki vanished, her morpher clattering to the ground.

This was bad, Xolin knew that. She wasn't a genius, but it didn't take one to figure that Sid and Trok were out of commission, wherever they were, and with Nikki down for the count...crap. This was bad. She dodged Beta's follow-up strike, before rebounding and attacking again. Xolin was fast, but somehow Beta could match her almost move for move—just like last time on Eltar before they'd gotten the Lights.

"You're letting your team down" Beta said. The statement caught Xolin off guard, and Beta took advantage of that in the fight, "What *is* it like, being the fifth wheel?" Xolin barely dodged a blow to her head, before wheeling around and getting her kick blocked by Beta, "I mean, red's the leader, right? Because you weren't good enough. Green's the smarts—which is kind of funny considering Delta's kind of dullard" she grabbed Xolin's arm, twisting before spinning around and throwing her into the window, pinning her against the window. "Yellow was your up-and-coming star" Xolin pulled herself up, freeing herself and flipping over Beta before delivering a kick to her head.

Beta dodged, and Xolin merely ended up bouncing into the glass again as Beta continued, "You were the fighter, I guess, but really what good IS that? Everyone knows how to fight, even the hologram. In fact, she's smart too and could probably take your place if she wanted too. She's got that fancy stealth tech".

"Shut up!" Xolin shouted in a blind rage, throwing another punch. This attempt was clumsy, and Beta easily sidestepped it, letting Xolin stumble when her attack didn't hit.

"Your file said you'd be easy to rile up" Beta laughed as she roundhoused Xolin from the rear, "But I didn't expect you to be *this* predictable. You're the fighter, right? The dumb muscle. That's all you're good for, and you can't even land a punch".

Xolin roared, rebounding with another attack. She summoned her lance, leaped up into the air, and came down with deadly aim, her blade charged with frozen blue energy. Beta ducked, landing her fist right into Xolin's abdomen as her feet hit the floor.

"Maybe that's why your parents never loved you" Beta whispered with a cruel amusement, before again launching Xolin backwards, "Because you were never anything but a disappointment".

Xolin's weapon slid across the floor, out of her grasp, before it vanished in a flash of blue light. The blue ranger herself was doubled over on her knees, still reeling from the last hit, her mind swimming by all Beta was saying; all the things Beta was right about. All the things Xolin hated Beta was right about.

All the things Xolin hated about herself.

"Don't bother with that 'three people at once' trick, either" Beta said as she approached, "I know how to counter that too" she kicked Xolin right in the side. The blue ranger wheezed as she was tossed aside. Suddenly she was back in that fight ring, on that two-bit station where Iota found her; just some foolish rich girl who had run away and gotten in too deep. Another blow. Suddenly she was some idiot teen, arguing with her parents; a disappointment because she wasn't what they wanted. Another blow. Sid took 'her' spot as leader. Another blow. She was on Triforia, on that balcony giving up on her friends, and letting Trok down. Another blow. She was watching Trok pour his heart out to Sid after the time travel scheme had gone to shit. Another blow. Her aspects were separated and letting each other know just how much she hated herself. Another blow; she'd been too slow to stop Isdilian from kidnapping Sel. She'd abandoned the Megaship.

At the end of the day, Xolin just wasn't good enough. Ever.

_Grab my morpher._

The voice...no, not a voice, but not her thoughts either...*something* called to Xolin, pulling her from the beating Beta was giving her.

_You need to get up._

"Who..." she managed to croak out as she pulled herself off the floor. Beta was coming again; she'd pulled out a sword—the game was over. Beta was done having her fun.

_Grab my morpher, Xolin. There's a vent under the platform; use it!_

Pulling herself back to reality with whatever willpower she had left, the blue ranger narrowly missed Beta's attempted decapitation, rolling away from her would-be doppleganger and towards where Nikki had left her morpher when she'd rebooted. Using her agility, the blue ranger then continued to roll, swinging under the platform into the crawl space underneath.

"You can't run!" Beta called.

Directly ahead of Xolin, just as the voice had said, was a vent. Drawing her blaster, she opened fire, cutting through the grate and allowing her to drop down, demorphing in a flash as she went in an attempt to not make her stand out in a sensor sweep.

Above, Beta sighed with irritation. This whole scheme was so close to being done; why did that girl have to put a complication into it now? She opened her wrist device and began sending orders out to block Xolin's attempted escape. One way or another, this thorn in their side ended today.

...This is what Isdilian had had problems with? Pathetic.

* * *

She emerged from the pod relaxed. The most relaxed she'd felt since her earliest memories on the Megaship, really. Sel stepped out, gently stretching her limbs, pleased with...well, just about everything. She felt good!

"Good work today, Omega-Sigma" Epsilon said, her tone bored as she worked away on one of the computer cosoles.

Sel paused, curious, "Why do you call us that?" she asked.

The orange warrior looked up at her, "...Call you what?" she replied, not understanding...or caring, really.

"Why do you call us Omega...that, or whatever?" Sel asked.

"You and your bother are the result of Project Omega" Epsilon said, matter-of-factly, "You were each borne of one of our own. Theta gave up his life for your brother. Sigma gave it up for you. Remember that always; you are their legacy, their hopes".

"...Oh" Sel replied, not really sure how to respond to that. She lingered there for a moment longer, not...entirely sure where to go.

"Do you need anything?" Epsilon asked after looking back up.

Sel shrugged, "Uh...no, I guess".

As Epsilon responded, two SPD guards came in down the ramp towards Sel, "They will lead you back to your room".

Sel grimaced as she reluctantly allowed herself to be cuffed again, "...Isdilian didn't need an armed escort" she pointed out, grumbling with annoyance.

"Omega-Theta is a valued agent of our cause. When you're a valued agent, you may have extended freedoms. Now go".

Sel's frown deepened as she was led away, her good feelings leaking away as she left the room. The trip back to her room was uneventful, and all too soon she was back in her small little room, alone. Trapped. A prisoner. She sighed; sitting down on the bed as she took stock of her comfortable cell, deep in thought.

"A curious situation, yes?"

Sel about jumped out of her skin at the sudden voice. A second ago she'd been alone, but now at the other end of her bed sat a very familiar, very unwelcome figure.

"You!" she gasped, immediately leaping to her feet and taking up a fighting stance

"...Hello, Sel" said the Man with the Briefcase, "How have you been?"

"What the hell do you want?" Sel growled back, declining to answer his question.

"I'm merely checking up on you" the Man replied calmly, his hands on his briefcase that was resting on his lap.

"So what's your game in this?" Sel asked him plainly, "I get Alpha and the others; they're trying to save their universe. But you aren't them. You're...something else" Sel felt him in the grid; his relationship. Or rather...she *tried* to. He was...he wasn't there and yet...he was more. It almost felt like...like Eltar, all over again.

He *was* Something Else. Something deeper, older. And that terrified her.

He chuckled, "Is that what they told you?"

"...What are you talking about?" she asked him, relaxing her stance.

The Man stood up, pacing gently towards the door, "He wasn't completely lying. Their universe really is dying; a shame, really. But they long since gave up on trying to reverse the false vacuum event—and your universe's grid energy wouldn't help them anyway".

"Why not?"

The Man looked at her curiously, "Haven't you ever wondered why the Antipodes never demorph? Why you've never seen their faces?"

Sel had to admit; that *had* been a question lingering on the edges of her mind, "...Why?"

The Man smiled, "Because matter and anti-matter do not mix".

The xybrian's eyes widened in shock. "...They're from an antimatter universe".

"Very good!" the Man said, grinning an uncomfortable smile, "Thus, this universe's essence is antithetical to theirs. Thus..." he trailed off, allowing Sel to connect the dots for him.

"...It's no use to them" she concluded, "...So why are they doing this? Why go to all this trouble?"

The Man moved towards the window, gazing out at the gas giant that orbited the black hole, not viewable from Sel's room as it was on the other side of the station, "At the dawn of the twenty-first century, the people of Earth launched a great ark containing some of their best and brightest, trying to escape the bonds of a planet suffering the after-effects of Dark Specter's invasion. After a year, they found their destination".

"Mirinoi" Sel confirmed.

The Man nodded, "The Terrans decided they could not fix their planet, after all the abuse they'd inflicted upon it, so instead they flung themselves into the stars. They colonized a hundred different worlds, all with the intent of starting over, with beginning again. You can see it in the names; New Earth, Asgard, Exodus, Eden Prime, Genesis, Gaia. A hundred different new starts".

"What are you getting at?" Sel asked, though she was already starting to get a sinking feeling that she knew.

"Some of the worlds the Terrans colonized they terraformed. Nova Prime, formerly a dead, barren world, is today a lush, if cold, white and green world. They dropped comets into the planet, creating seas. They pumped air into the thin atmosphere. They planted trees, introduced animals, built cities. Within a century, it was unrecognizable".

"...You're saying that they're trying to...xenoform this universe" Sel said in disbelief, "Why?"

The Man explained, "Planets are easier to terraform than universe. Planets only need to be a certain size, exist within a certain distance of their parent star—anything else can be negotiated or overcome with enough technology and effort. But universes are trickier. They can operate by any logic imaginable. Some have five fundamental forces, like ours. Some only have four. Some have one. Some have twelve, and none of them work like ours. Some universe exist in more spacial dimensions, or less. There's an old saying; that there is more in heaven and earth than is dreamed of in your philosophy".

Sel was following along, "...So ours was the only one close enough to their own that they could use. At least that they found".

Another smile, still unsettling, "Indeed".

"...Why are you telling me this?" Sel asked, even as her mind raced through the unfortunate conclusions-that this universe would be rewritten, erased for the benefit of the invaders. Her energy would be used to remake the universe in their image.

"Because I have no desire to see this universe be remade. I have my own designs".

"...Yet you helped deliver me to them?" Sel asked, distrusting.

The Man shrugged as he turned from the window to her, "It suited me then. This suits me now".

An impass. He was always so annoyingly vague. Creepy and dangerous too, but vague, "...How can I trust you?" she asked.

Another shrug. Another smile, "Why don't you ask your brother?"

He knew. Of course Isdilian knew; that didn't surprise Sel at all. She'd have to find some way to get the information out of him without being suspicious, some way without—he was gone. Sel had only turned her head for a moment, and when she'd looked back, the Man was gone. She glanced around the room, as if expecting him to have teleported elsewhere, but to no avail.

All that remained was a small device on her bed. Gingerly she picked it up, looking it over. She wasn't the tech specialist Trok was, but she'd worked with him enough that she knew what this was—it was a power disruptor.

He'd left her with a way to stage a jailbreak.

* * *

Demorphed and now cloaked via Nikki's morpher so as to avoid sensor detection, Xolin crawled her way through the vents of the station, her mind still reeling from the absolute defeat she'd suffered moments ago. Her maelstrom of self-hate was only magnified by current events.

Stupid. Stupid girl! She'd let Beta play her for a fool, letting her dictate the terms of the battle, letting her get inside her head, and just...giving up. Stupid little girl.

The triforian paused, tired and not knowing where to go now. She came to a stop, resting herself against the wall of the vent as she curled up into a fetal position, replaying her mistakes over and over again.

_What's the optimal weapon to counter an aquitian longsword?_

Xolin didn't move. She knew the voice was Nikki's at this point, transmitting the message directly into her mind through...well, some grid tech she didn't understand. Trok had mentioned it once though—it wasn't really good for anything more than a few feet, and so he'd been of the opinion that it was more novelty than practical.

"...Why are you asking me?" she asked back.

_Answer the question._

Xolin sighed, irritated she was being interrupted during her moping session, "...A short-sword and dagger combo. An aquitian longsword has a long reach but is unwieldy, especially above water—those who use the weapon basically have to focus on keeping the enemy at bay. A dagger provides point-defense while the short-sword can be used to counter after the enemy attacks, when they're off-balance".

_How many branches are in the karovian school of zondai-zai martial arts?_

"What does this have to do with anything!?"

_How many?_

Xolin sighed again, "Eight. Happy? What's this all about?"

Right now, Nikki was really regretting not having gotten to know anyone from the team during her stay. It was making this way harder than it had to be. Granted, she was also regretting having been blitzed by a cocktail of computer viruses, momentarily leaving her a disembodied psychic voice, but one life failure at a time, please.

Thankfully, she *had* taken the time to at least read up on their profiles while she'd been away with B'rnix, just in case. Hey, she hadn't been involved with Sid and *not* gotten a few tips on strategy.

_You aren't an idiot, Xolin. An idiot couldn't have told me that right off the top of my head. Dumb muscle would just be focused on making punches. What's the third rule of Axio of house Shai?_ Nikki was racing through the net's databases as fast as possible to come up with these questions.

"...Deny your enemy battle as long as possible" Xolin replied, a faint grin forcing its way onto her mouth despite itself. It didn't last though, "If I'm so smart, why am I such a failure at everything?"

Hm. This was going to take a different approach than what she was doing. Nikki wasn't the most open-hearted of their little band...the other Nikki had been, long ago, but things were...well, they were different now. But, damnit, she had to try. She needed Xolin on her feet.

_Look, Xolin. I don't know what your life's been like, I don't know what you've failed at, but I can tell you right now? You're in good company. I'm an AI with the memory imprints of someone who died, and I've spent the last few years in some very dark places. Sid's never gotten over his old team, and I *know* he's nowhere near perfect. Trok? How many times has he let his emotions get the better of him and made things worse? Sel could barely hold a sword right in the short time I knew her. And we all messed up with all of this—if I hadn't logged off when I did, I could have stopped Isdilian. If I'd been there a few days ago, maybe Anthren would still be alive._

And maybe...maybe if Nikki hadn't been such an utter jerk to Sid when she'd come aboard...ah. She was still exceedingly confused by Sid. On one hand, she knew she hadn't been personally wronged by him, and she knew Nikki hadn't exactly been innocent in the decision-making progress (or any of the old team for that matter). On the other hand, she still felt everything the original Nikki would have felt...and that was very hard to let go.

Xolin mulled over Nikki's words. She wasn't...wrong, persay.

_Iota recruited each of us for a reason. We're messed in the head; I get that. But we're also damn good at what we do. And if that's not what you want to do forever, that's fine. I don't know who I want to be yet either. Maybe we can find that out together._

Corny? Yeah, probably too corny. Damnit, she'd been on a roll too.

Xolin smiled despite herself, "...Are you seriously asking me to be your friend right now?" she said, half laughing, half trying not to sob. The Nikki she'd known would have never done this. There was something very different about her since she'd come back.

Nikki pondered this. So much had happened in just the past few days. Before, she'd have laughed at this whole conversation...but then she'd been a dead husk of a person. Now, there was something new about her. She didn't have all the answers or...well, any answers at all, but what she did have was hope. And really, that was all she could...well, hope for.

You know what? Screw it. Let's make friends. She would have laughed at the absurdity of the situation. Y'know, if she had a physical body at the moment.

_...You know what? I think I am. But that all comes later. Right now, I need you to move. Most of my systems are still offline, which means you're the only hope we have right now._

Xolin's fists clenched. Steeling herself with a deep breath, she summoned all the willpower she had left and began moving again.

"What's the plan?"

_I need you to get to a terminal and hook me in. We need to find out where Sid and Trok are being held._

"And then?" Xolin asked.

_...I'll let you know when I figure that out._

* * *

"We have the code".

Beta turned away from the window in Zeta's personal lab, back towards the aforementioned golden armored warrior. He was at his work station, Sid and Trok's morphers hooked into a data-mining device in front of him. It was a small room, consisting of only his work station, and the two medical beds the unconscious bodies Sid and Trok were strapped to.

Beta smiled. Finally. Gamma was expecting the rangers to radio back to send in the cavalry. Beta had constructed a message telling Gamma that her team had been successful in shutting down all defenses, and that Gamma's forces only needed to secure the area, and now with the coded signal at last unlocked, Beta would be able to send the message without Gamma getting suspicious.

Gamma would expect an easy mop-up operation. Beta would ensure it would be anything but. By this time tomorrow, what remained of the Peacekeeper Organization would destroy itself.

"Send the message" she told Zeta.

"...What about the girl you let get away?" Zeta asked, concerned.

Beta shot him a glare, annoyed that Zeta was getting sassy at her, "She won't get away for long. We've got her friends here. I expect soon she will discover that, and come crawling. And when she does, we'll be here, waiting".

Under her helmet, she grinned.

"The beginning of the end is finally at hand".

* * *

_**To be Continued…**_


	33. 3x07: Insurrection, part 2

It was a small room, featureless except for the white walls. Beta stepped in, stopping in the center as the holographic interface activated around her, scanning her form and transmitting it millions of light-years away.

Ahead of her appeared her contact's holographic form. Alpha materialized, "Status?"

"Everything goes according to plan" Beta said, "Iota's brood did exactly what I expected they would".

Alpha nodded, "So our failures were not completely in vain. Good".

Beta recounted her success, "It just goes to show, if you put on enough of a performance, soon people will start paying attention. Both the red ranger and the hologram are smart kids—they'd know a pattern when they saw one. Between the incident with the pirates and the assassination of the Machine King, they'd both know our calling card—my calling card. So if the Peacekeeper organization suddenly and inexplicably began fighting itself, well..."

"I assume everything there is taken care of?" Alpha asked, cutting off Beta's self-pats on the back.

She shrugged, "Mostly. I've still got one ranger on the loose, and Gamma's teams are still enroute to our location".

Alpha looked at her with a hint of worry, "...You don't seem to be concerned about this".

She laughed, "Nothing to be concerned about. The triforian has to come up for air sometime" she said, "After all, she still has to save her friends. Pity she's probably in the middle of an emotional meltdown".

Alpha gave a grunt of acknowledgment, deferring not to reply to that. Beta did always enjoy playing with her toys; she had always been a bit scarier than the rest of them. Delta was just muscle, while Epsilon was more like Alpha, concerned solely about the mission. But Beta, well…

"See that things are taken care of, then re

* * *

port back" he told her, "We've begun the next phase of operation".

Beta's form snapped to attention, "...You mean..."

"Correct" Alpha said with a smile, "We've begun harvesting the two conduits. In a matter of days we will have what we need".

Beta exhaled as the weight of his words fell on her, "...We're almost done".

"Almost" Alpha replied, sharing her relief, "We are so close, Beta. So close. We just need a little more time".

She glanced back at the door, her urge to keep playing with Xolin evaporating. Beta just wanted this done now, "I'll have the situation here wrapped up within a couple hours".

Alpha nodded, "I'll leave you to it, then". With that he evaporated as the holographic transmitter shut down. Beta stretched her arms before contacting Zeta on her wrist communicator.

"Zeta? It's Beta. Change of plans".

* * *

**Power Rangers Peacekeepers**

**Season 3**

**3.07: Insurrection, part 2**

* * *

Private Aourn was just your average guard. A karovian, he'd enlisted in the military because it was family tradition. A number of transfers had landed him here, with the Peacekeepers as a guard—the ranger teams could not be tasked with mere guard duty, not with so few of them around. It was probably a good thing he'd been transferred here, what with the Karovian military forces basically non-existent now.

He was by all accounts normal. He had a normal schedule, a normal patrol route he stuck to every day. He was in his early twenties, doing normal early-twenties things. He was upbeat, always glad to say hello to people and strike up a conversation. Speaking of.

"Hey, you catch the game last night?" he asked to his fellow guard as he approached down the hall, both of them fully covered in armor.

The other guard sighed with irritation, "I told you already, Aourn. I don't care for aero-ball. Please stop asking".

"Dude, you don't know what you're missing out on!" Aourn said jovially as he continued his patrol route, "Catch you next time!" The other guard just sighed again as Aourn turned the corner. He made his way down the next hall, when someone—a girl, dropped down in front of him.

"Woah, what-" Aourn stopped, recognizing her, "Woah, wait, you're the girl we're supposed to catch!" he said, identifying her as Xolin of Triforia, "I gotta report this-"

He never got the chance, as another Xolin beaned him from behind. The hapless guard dropped to the ground, only to be caught before he caused a noise. The two Xolins picked him up by the arms and legs and pulled him into a nearby janitor's closet, where a third one was waiting. The trio looked at each other, before ceasing to exist, replaced by just the one.

"Kinda wish I could have found a girl's uniform" Xolin groaned as she began to strip the clothes off of her victim.

_Can't be helped_ Nikki told her, _We're out of time. The cloak wasn't designed for long-term use, it uses too much energy. And with the viruses I'm still dealing with, it's likely the longer we have it on, the easier it'll be for them to adapt and hack that system as well, letting Beta know where we are"._

Xolin still frowned as she began to put the suit and armor on herself, as quickly as possible, "Still, doesn't fit right".

_You'll deal with it._

"So what's the plan?" Xolin asked the voice in her head. No she wasn't crazy, thanks for asking.

_We need to find where Sid and Trok are, without arousing suspicion. Beta's got some sort of Grid sensor jammer in place which means we can't detect their morphers. That means we need to find a control console and get the information manually._

"So you can hack in?" Xolin asked as she strapped on the full-face helmet.

_Xolin, I've got a dozen fatal viruses I'm trying to purge from my core processes. I can't do so much as power a toaster right now, never mind hack the station's mainframe._

Xolin frowned, pausing as she tied her victim up against the back shelf, "...You expect me to do it?! I don't know the first thing about hacking, I can't-"

_I'm not asking you to hack. I'm asking you to access a console._

"But I-"

Nikki's patience was running out. _You *can* do this, and I'll be guiding you along the way. But right now I need you to get going. The longer Beta has time to plan, the worse it will be for us._

Xolin steeled herself, leaving the unfortunate guard tied up as she cautiously removed herself from the closet and resumed 'her' patrol, keeping her eyes open for a console.

_And Xolin?_

"Yeah?"

_We're all counting on you._

Great. No pressure, that.

* * *

It had been a few minutes since Beta and Zeta had finally left the lab, sealing the door behind them and leaving the unconscious Trok and Sid behind, still strapped to the tables. No doubt there were guards outside.

Sid had to give Beta credit; she'd just about outdone him at his own game. In just a few quick moves she'd managed to just about unravel his own plans with very little effort—likely she was the machiavelli of the group and it had been her influence this whole time, both with the attempt on the Machine Empire and...oh, that was right. It HAD been her who'd apprehended himself and Iota back when everything went south. He made a mental note not to make the same mistake in underestimating her again.

Of course, that had been why he'd opted to play dead while she and Zeta had divulged a good portion of their plan. Zeta didn't worry him; despite some decent acting when they'd first met, it was clear Zeta really was little more than a nervous wreck. He didn't know how well the antipode could handle a fight, though Sid assumed he'd be somewhere around Epsilon—competent but not overwhelming like Delta.

Taking one last glance at the door too make sure they were alone, Sid began to struggle at the cuffs that kept him pinned to the table. He didn't really expect to loosen them, but it didn't hurt to ascertain their strength.

Damn. Too sturdy.

Sid's mind raced through ideas, tossing most of them out as quickly as they came in as most of them required people or tools he didn't have. Annoying.

This was bad. Beta had the authorization codes Gamma had given them—it was very likely Gamma had already responded to Beta's bogus transmission and deployed what was left of her half of the Peacekeeper organization their way. Soon there would be a shooting war and then...well, then there wouldn't be any more Peacekeepers. Even now, with how little of the organization remained, Sid couldn't just sit back and let people kill each other.

"You're awake?"

Sid turned to Trok, who had spoken, "Yeah, been trying to escape".

"Any luck?" the horathean asked.

"What do you think?" Sid lobbed back as he gave his cuffs another pull. He noticed his and Trok's morphers on another table at the end of the room, currently hooked into the station itself—Sid frowned as he surmised that that had been how they'd hacked through to get the data they'd needed. "Whatever we do though, we need to do it soon. Beta figured out our plan. She has our authorization codes and tricked Gamma into sending her forces here...right into a trap"

Trok tensed at the knowledge, "How much time?"

Sid shook his head, "I was out of it for a bit, I don't know. Assume the worst". He struggled for a bit more before realizing Trok's form had slumped a bit, "...You okay?

"...We've been having to assume the worst a lot lately, haven't we?" Trok said with a tired laugh, "Like, I get it, not everything turns out for the best, but you think at some point we'd get a break".

It had been one event after another. Isdilian betraying them all and kidnapping Sel. Iota's death and the end of the Confederacy. The siege of Triforia, where they'd nearly died and where he and Xolin had begun their falling out, when Trok had begun to lose hope of ever seeing anyone again. The whole time loop debacle. And then...and then Anthren. Their own friends were dying, and no matter how much effort they put in to this, they weren't any closer to winning. If anything, they were even further behind as the universe continued to fall apart because of the Antipodes' schemes.

Sid tensed, feeling the weariness in Trok's voice, even as he tried to hide it. He thought back to when they'd first met, when Trok had just been some hyperactive wide-eyed kid bouncing around with a bit of hero worship. How different things had become. "Don't worry dude, we'll get out of here. This is just a routine capture scenario, we've run a hundred of these at least".

Trok steeled himself, "Right, sorry. I just...I got in to this to help people, you know? I wanted to be a hero, just like in all the stories. Have an adventure, see the universe. Anything to get away from home, after..." he trailed off. After his brother had killed their parents and framed him. After he'd been raised for a job he'd never wanted.

"I'm sorry, Trok" Sid replied sadly, "But life isn't like TV. There's no narrative that says you're destined to win, no tropes beyond random coincidence. All you can do is try for the best".

"No happy ending?" Trok asked, a small, grim smile manifesting even through his depression.

Sid snorted, "Happy endings are overrated anyway. Good riddance".

Trok gave Sid a bleak but puzzled expression, "...Come again?"

"What?" Sid shot back.

"How are happy endings overrated? Wouldn't you like for everything to turn out fine?"

Sid shrugged, "Well, yeah, sure, I guess. But that wouldn't be an ending".

Trok's expression of befuddlement only grew stranger, "Um..."

Sid laughed at that. Good, he had Trok's attention, "Dude, think about it. The hero saves the kingdom, defeats the evil wizard, gets the girl or whatever, etc etc. Happy ending all around. Then what?"

"What do you mean?" Trok asked.

"Well, I mean" Sid replied, "What happens after the ending? You're still alive, still gotta wake up the next day. Maybe the following year, that kingdom falls into the sea. Or you're at war. Is it still a happy ending?"

"Spirits, and I thought I was depressing" Trok muttered.

"I don't think it's depressing at all" Sid replied, "Can you imagine it if our stories just...ended? If one day I reached some arbitrary milestone and then that was it, if I never changed or evolved and just...stopped, that would be awful".

"...Huh" Trok said, mulling this over, "...I never thought about it like that".

Sid shrugged, "Shit sucks, dude. I can't sugarcoat it. Shit sucks so much right now. And I know, it feels like every time we fix one problem, another six rear their ugly heads. It's one step forward, two steps back".

"So how do you do it? How do you keep going?" Trok asked, with a bit of wonder in his voice.

A smile crossed Sid's features as he looked at Trok, "Because until we've lost, there's still a chance. And frankly? There's only one way anyone's story can really end, and I'm not ready to end mine". He struggled with the cuffs again, still not seeing anywhere he could lockpick...hmm, probably magnetic locks. Even as he idly struggled though, he seemed to come to a small epiphany, "...There's still people worth fighting for". It felt a little weird to say that, he wouldn't lie. But at some point...this family had replaced his old one. At some point, he'd found himself living in the present more than the past...though being on the verge of utter defeat constantly might have had something to do with that. He would never forget his old team, those scars would define him forever.

But maybe it didn't have to solely define him.

Trok let out a single dry chuckle, before meeting Sid's gaze, a tired smile on his lips, "...Thanks, Sid" he said with relief. Sid's declaration had been stated with such...earnestness, and it had surprised Trok.

"Anytime" Sid replied, "Now, you have anything that can reverse a magnetic lock?"

Trok blinked, "...I'm strapped to a table, unable to move".

"So that's a no, then".

"That's a no".

Sid sighed. He'd done a whole speech about reality and not giving up and they were still stuck here, helpless. Sometimes not having a narrative *was* a bother. "...Well, this is awkward".

* * *

There was a chime at Isdilian's door. That was odd; Alpha hadn't indicated he wanted to meet. The karovian checked the time—no, he wasn't late for his next charging session, and Epsilon hadn't indicated she needed him for anything. This was a completely and totally unexpected visit, and he didn't know who it was.

Curious.

Isdilian put the data pad of the book he'd been reading down on his bed before getting up and crossing his quarters to the door. With a hiss the door swished open, revealing someone he never expected to see standing there, despite all his hopes.

"...Sel?"

The xybrian frowned, "...Can we talk?"

Isdilian seemed flustered, unprepared. This was it! She was willing to talk to him! She was coming over to their side! He was *elated*; this was everything he'd ever wanted. A smile formed, "I er...sure, come on in!"

Sel turned to the SPD guard that had escorted her down the hall, "Leave us". The guard remained stationary until Isdilian nodded to the figure, at which point they finally backed off, remaining against the far wall. Sel stepped into Isdilian's room, letting the door shut behind her. Her wrists were still cuffed; that was fine as far as she was concerned, as she wouldn't be here that long.

This had been the easy part, working up the nerves to get here. Now...now was the hard part. Sel had never been good at lying, part of being a xybrian. Even if her telepathic skills had never fully kicked in, she'd always still been a little bit of an empath...or maybe that had simply been her latent connection to the grid. Either way, she'd never really felt the need. Not for anything major, anyway. It just didn't...it felt wrong. The only thing she could be was her and by lying she was by definition not her and it always felt strange and...well. She had to hold it together for this though.

"You want something to drink?" Isdilian asked her, heading over to his synthatron.

She shook her head, "No thanks. I just...have a few questions". She was nervous, he could tell. Probably not completely confident with the choice she was making. He could fix that.

"Such as?" He summoned a drink from the machine.

Sel paused, trying to figure out how to phrase this as she stepped further into the room, "...Alpha told me a lot of things". Good, start with a truth. Always easier to launch from. She knew that much, "And I've just been thinking". Good, yes, get him talking.

"What did you talk about?"

"The whole reason for..." she gestured to everything, "This, I guess. Why all of this is happening. What you're...we're doing".

He gave her a slightly concerned look, "I'm guessing you have reservations?" It was smart, Alpha having finally let her in on the situation. Honestly, keeping her in the dark hadn't been the best strategy. But then, he knew Alpha had to be careful. There had been too much betrayal from within already.

Sel paced, trying not to show her nervousness and failing miserably, so instead she just channeled it into making it look like she was simply conflicted. This was it, it was time to start lying. If the briefcase man was wrong, she'd really have no options to back out from—this was an all or nothing attempt.

Oh well!

"I do" she said, fidgeting even with her cuffs on, "Do you really think this is right? Killing an entire universe to save theirs?"

"Ours" Isdilian corrected her.

Well shit, he'd pretty much confirmed briefcase man's statements with a single word. Still, she had to continue to navigate the rest of this conversation, just to be sure, "Well I mean...not really. We're made of matter. They're...not".

He shrugged, "An unfortunate consequence of our work. We were birthed by the sacrifice of two of their own, so that our universe could be saved".

She found herself trying to reason with him. In truth, she couldn't understand his motives, "But...we were born *here*. This is all we know. Even the power we have is from this universe".

He smiled at her sadly, "I know. It's..." he sighed, "I won't lie that there aren't days where my resolve wavers. It's true, this universe is all we know. But we're also heroes, Sel. We were meant for bigger things. We may not be able to enjoy the fruits of our work, but through our sacrifice, others will".

"...Except for everyone we kill here" she countered, trying her best to keep the chills from his talk of sacrifice away.

"It's our only hope" he replied, "Alpha and the others tried, they really did, but this was the only compatible universe within reach".

"But what makes 'our' universe more deserving than theirs?" Sel asked, "They didn't do anything to deserve this".

Isdilian frowned as he finished his drink, frustration bubbling up, "It's unfortunate, but we can't help that. All we can do is help our people".

"So we just let them die, just like that?" she asked him, a little more accusatory than she would have liked.

He flashed a look of anger at her as his voice rose, "You'd rather our people die? Is that why you came here? To try and convince me to betray our people?!"

Sel bit her tongue, holding back her words about who he'd betray. That wouldn't help now. She was in danger of raising suspicion—she had what she needed, now she had to wrap this up and leave. "...No, I'm sorry" she replied, shrinking back, "I'm just...I want to understand".

Isdilian's hands grasped her shoulders gently, a look of understanding having replaced his anger, "It's alright. I know this is all a lot to process. Why don't you rest for a while? We can talk more later".

She nodded, hesitantly as she backed away, out of his grasp, "I'm sorry". She meant it.

"I know" he smiled back. As she turned to leave he called out, "For what it's worth, I'm glad you're here. I'm glad we can work together, sister".

The xybrian glanced at him. They looked nothing alike, were nothing alike. He was her 'sibling' in the weirdest, most sci-fi way possible, and at the end of the day those terms just felt...wrong. She managed a small smile and nod, before she was led back to her room by the guard. She had everything she needed—confirmation that the Man with the Briefcase had been right.

It was time for phase two.

* * *

Xolin made her way through the base as unassuming as possible, still garbed head to toe in guard armor. She was hesitant, though she tried to hide it. This seemed too easy; Beta in the short time she'd known her seemed like a master tactician, knowing exactly how to direct and neutralize her opposition. She was almost like an evil version of Sid.

And yet here Xolin was trying to pull off the oldest trick in the book.

She knew she probably wasn't going to succeed at this. She was only doing it because Nikki needed her to do it, because there wasn't any other choice. Xolin was just going to get them both-no. No. Don't think like that, not now.

Sometimes Xolin wished she wasn't such a burning wreck of a person.

Still, she pressed on, arriving at what Nikki's sensors were telling her was a security station, one of six scattered about the base. Gingerly Xolin entered and snapped to attention at the two guards already inside the small room.

"Yes, private?" the lead guard, currently at his computer desk where he'd been monitoring cameras, asked.

She only had one chance at this.

Summoning all her conviction, Xolin split into three, catching both guards off-balance. The 'original' Xolin stepped back and closed the door so no one could look in, while the other two quickly dispatched the surprised and baffled guards before they were able to react—just barely in the case of the second guard, as he had been just about to hit the panic button for help.

_Good job_ came Nikki's voice inside her head.

Xolin rejoined into a single nameless guard, "What now?" she asked as she rounded the desk, pushing the unconscious guard out of his seat so she could sit down.

_Pull up maps, internal sensors, anything. We need to isolate and identify Sid and Trok's morphin signatures. Failing that, we start identifying species onboard. That's not ideal though, it'd probably take more time than we have._

She began working—thankfully she didn't have to worry about access codes, as the guard had been in the middle of his session when she'd knocked him out. A bit of searching (with Nikki's expertise helping out), soon got them Sid and Trok's morpher signatures. Which, as Nikki had said, was much better than the alternative.

"How do we know they're being kept with their morphers?" Xolin asked.

_We don't. But on the other hand, it's probably what Beta wants._

Xolin frowned, "...So it's a trap".

_Could it be anything else?_

She sighed, running her hand through her scalp, "...I don't know. I don't like the idea of running right into a trap. That's not smart".

_We don't have much of a choice here. She's going to track us down soon anyway, even if it's just by your triforian life signature. The best we can do is to try and bullrush her._

Xolin's hands clenched as she steadied her slightly panicked breaths.

_...She really rattled you, didn't she?_ Nikki asked. She'd not realized Xolin was this worse off.

"...She was smart" Xolin admitted, "And strong. And fast. She could match me move for move *and* she had smarts, and...I don't think I can beat her".

_You probably can't _Nikki said honestly, _I only won last time because I had some special help and caught her off guard. But I think you can keep her off-balance long enough to free the others. Once we're all facing her, she stands less of a chance of victory. Her plans only work as long as she's got contingencies she can use._

Xolin's face became downcast as she sagged a bit. Bumped aside for the real heroes again.

Nikki grumbled, ..._That's not what I meant. They have skills you don't have, and you have skills they don't. And, I mean it when I say this? You four have done some incredible things together._

"...You're not counting yourself?" Xolin asked.

_It's...complicated._

When Nikki declined to comment further, Xolin decided to let it pass as she steadied herself with a deep breath, the location for the morpher signatures now loaded into her morpher as she stood up.

_...Ready?_

"...Not really, but who's counting?" Xolin admitted as she headed for the door, as much as she wished she wasn't.

_I meant what I said, Xolin. You guys are strong together. You need them as much as they need you, and you really shouldn't try to judge yourself solely by what they can or can't do. _

Xolin exited the door, looking both ways before entering the empty hallway and continuing her 'patrol', "...Yeah, sure" she said, unconvinced. Nikki's words sounded nice, but all Xolin ever felt were her own failures, one after the other.

_I mean it._ Nikki's tone seemed to be very distressed, even pleading almost, _Don't pull yourself away from them. Cherish every bit you get, because some day you might regret you didn't get more._

Xolin paused, "...Nikki?" she asked, concerned.

_We need to get moving._ She may have not been the 'real' Nikki, but those memories, those cherished memories, were still so very real to her. She still felt them.

Xolin picked up the pace again, unsure how to respond to that. It was clear Nikki was speaking from the heart, and aside from that being unusual, Xolin didn't quite know how to deal with that. Conversely, Nikki didn't really want to continue from there either, so silence suited them both.

For the former however, the silence allowed her mind to churn. She had no love for this plan—Beta outmatched her in every way possible. There was no way she could win this on her own. She wished Sid was here; he'd have the perfect plan to deal with this, some clever way to outflank Beta that even she wouldn't see coming.

What was that annoyingly charming expression he'd occasionally use that would make everyone else groan? The best way to avoid a trap was to trigger it? Yeah, that sounded about right.

...Wait.

Xolin paused again, just before she'd been due to turn a corner. Her mind was buzzing with a fresh epiphany.

_...Xolin? _Nikki asked, concerned.

"...I think I have an idea" Xolin said, barely above a whisper, almost in disbelief by how...plausible it sounded in her head.

* * *

Two guards held the door to the room Sid and Trok were in. One didn't even see what happened before she went down, unconscious before she even hit the ground by Xolin's flying kick. The triforian swung around, aiming a spin kick at her other opponent. He was able to knock her attack aside, even as he let off a confused "What?!" by the fact that what looked like a fellow guard was attacking him. He never got an answer though, as Xolin's fist upper-cut into his jaw from under his helmet, and the dazed guard was quickly tossed to the ground by a follow up.

Confident her foes were neutralized, Xolin pulled off her helmet and began to fiddle with the door lock. She'd picked up a few tips from Trok, but by and large, computer systems just weren't her thing.

...Story of her life.

No, bad. She needed to focus on the mission at hand.

"Well well well" said a familiar voice. Xolin snapped around, now face to face with Beta. The latter put her hands on her hips in a very condescending pose, "I knew you'd come scurrying out eventually. Ready to die, blue ranger?"

Xolin tensed, even as blue light engulfed her, clothing her in her ranger suit. This...this was bad.

Beta sensed Xolin's hesitation and came in hard, ramming Xolin into the wall, before grabbing her and tossing her down the hall. The blue ranger flipped around, landing on her feet in a dramatic pose as she looked back at her attacker.

"Still some fight in you, huh?" Beta sneered, before charging.

* * *

Sel intensely studied the power disruptor the Man had given her during their last discussion as she sat on her bed, as if staring at it might make it give her the answers—no, the courage she needed.

This was her chance for freedom. And yet…

If she left, she would die. Eventually her power output would burn her from the inside out—her connection as a conduit would increase exponentially until she was channeling the entire power of the universe at once. She would cease to be. And if she left, she would be condemning an entire universe to burn.

But if she stayed, she would be sacrificing this universe, and all her family, wherever they were, to this other plane.

If she left, she'd have one chance. While most of the station wasn't protected outside of her room, she assumed the guards DID have anti-grid defenses they could employ just in case. And if they didn't, there was still the very real chance she'd get stopped by Isdilian. Clutching the device tightly as she closed her eyes, she imagined Sid, Xolin, and Trok in her mind, wishing she could reach out and touch them. Wishing she could laugh with them. Wishing she could grow old with them.

It wasn't fair.

It wasn't *fair*.

She opened her eyelids, her eyes aflame, crackling with grid energy as a mixture of pain and anger washed over her. For so long she didn't know who she was or have any real wish for anything. But now she did, and it all seemed like some cruel joke.

But still, she knew who she was. She'd figured it out a while back.

She was a hero.

The former yellow ranger stood up, grasping the power disruptor as she moved to the door to her room. Very deliberately, she placed the device on the security lock and activated it. It crackled with power, and a split second later the entire base's power grid flickered and died. Not missing a beat, she grabbed the now unlocked door and shoved it open, surprising the two SPD guards outside who were already distracted by the sudden power loss.

"Wha?!" one managed to get off before she shot them both in the head with energy blasts from her palms. Looking down the hall, she saw emergency power kicking in as auxiliary lights and alarms kicked in.

Well, there was no backing out of this one. She charged her hands up, forcing the energy of the universe to draw into her, surging through her form. It was painful, but necessary.

It was time to show the Antipodes why caging a god was a very bad idea.

* * *

Beta thrust the blue ranger off the double-sided stairwell balcony and down into the lower platform. Xolin rolled to a halt, picking herself up as fast as possible, as Beta leaped down to meet her. Xolin quickly scanned the room—likely this was one of the entry ways into the base from the main hanger bay, meant for public access. The quasi-circular room was covered in one side by windows that looked out to the gas giant's cloud formations that surrounded the base, giving a warm, orange lighting to the room.

"You seem weaker than before" Beta said casually as she approached Xolin, "Still tired from the last round?"

"Fight me and find out" Xolin replied, summoning as much anger as she could to snuff out the self-pity. The blue ranger summoned her lance before launching forward.

Beta drew her sword, meeting Xolin's attack easily, "Sloppy. Not your best work". Using her sword, she knocked Xolin aside, "But then, you were never that great. How does it feel, knowing that even the one thing you're good for is substandard?"

"Shut up" Xolin grunted, rushing again as desperate anger flooded her mind.

"...That's it?" Beta laughed as they clashed, their weapons parrying each other as they tried to strike at the other's chest or head, "The others could have given me way better banter. Guess we can add 'language skills' to your ever growing list of failures".

Xolin roared, pressing her attack.

* * *

Xolin of Spirit approached the door to where Sid and Trok were located; sure enough, Nikki had detected two lifesigns inside. The third aspect of Xolin gingerly stepped over the unconscious bodies. "Can you override the locks?" she asked to Nikki's morpher, currently strapped to her wrist.

_I think so, I've got a bit more control over my systems now. Give me a sec._

After a moment, the door clicked and slid open, revealing a small room with a couple of tables which Sid and Trok were strapped to.

"...Xol!" Trok said, surprised.

Sid sighed with relief, "Finally. What took you, traffic?"

"Crazy psycho rangers from alternate dimensions trying to kill us all?" Xolin of Spirit replied as she let Nikki shut off the magnetic locks, freeing the two rangers. They hurried over to where their morphers were stationed.

Sid strapped his to his wrist, "...Yeah, that seems to be getting annoyingly common as of late. Unfortunately, she's also taken our security codes and broadcast a phony message to Gamma's forces. When they get here they'll be walking into a bloodbath".

Xolin was about to respond when she suddenly doubled over in pain.

"...Xol!" Trok yelped in panic as both he and Sid gathered around her, ready to assist.

"...It's nothing" she waved them off, "My other two aspects are morphed together and keeping Beta busy".

Sid's eyebrow rose, "...Wait, 'together', like merged? And morphed? You can do that? Is...is that safe?"

She shrugged, before wincing in pain again, "Probably not. We need to hurry, I don't know how long Courage and Mind can keep it together".

"You heard the lady" Sid replied as the three of them moved out, "Let's do this". They made about five steps before Sid stopped, considering, "...Wait, where's Nikki?"

"Uh..." Xolin hesitated, slightly embarrassed, "In my mind. Sorta".

Sid blinked in confusion, "...What?"

* * *

Beta sent Xolin flying back with a clear slice to the chest. The wounded blue ranger fell back.

"Wanna know about *my* dad?" Beta asked flippantly, "He was a good man. A good father. He loved me, always supported me in everything I did. When I decided not to follow him in the family business because I wanted to be an administrator, he supported me. When I became a superhero, he cheered me on. When I got chosen for this task force, he was so proud. Was your dad ever proud?"

Xolin grunted as she reached for her lance.

"Must suck to be nothing more than a family status symbol".

She grasped the weapon.

"Stupid little rich girl".

Beta kicked the weapon away, then kicked Xolin for good measure. She laughed, "You're so fun to torment. So many buttons, so easy to press. It's really almost too easy, actually. It's just kind of pitiful after a while".

"The only pitiful thing I see here is a girl who likes to literally kick people when they're down".

Beta spun around at the voice. Up above her on the balcony now stood the red and green rangers. And...Xolin?

"Get away from our friend" Sid glared.

Beta did a double take, before catching on to what had happened. She seemed to grin, even with the helmet on, "...Oh, so you *are* capable of being clever". She looked back at the Xolin on the balcony, "So which one are you?"

"None of your damned business" Xolin of Spirit said, before flipping over Beta and landing next to her fallen self. Spirit helped the blue ranger up, before vanishing, returning to her single form.

"It's over, Beta" Sid declared, "Give it up".

Beta laughed as she surveyed the room, "Three on one? I'm shaking. Good thing I planned for this! Zeta, if you would please".

The next thing Sid and Trok knew, they were being launched into the air by energy projectiles. The two rangers landed in a heap next to the battered Xolin. As she checked on them, all three looked over to see Zeta in all his golden armor landing next to Beta.

"By the way?" Beta asked with a sneer, "It's not over. You're all still trapped here, outgunned, and very shortly your forces will be arriving just in time to be slaughtered by my forces. Check and mate, children". When Sid tried to send a message through his morpher, she added, "Oh, and I'm afraid this station became a bit of a reception deadzone in the last ten minutes. Dampening fields are a real bother".

Trok made a move to exit the room so he could access the station's computer, but Zeta stepped in his way.

"I'm afraid the only way to save your friends is through us" Beta said, "And you're pretty much out of time".

WHAM.

Sid landed his knee in Zeta's neck. As the golden warrior stumbled back, Beta rushed in to assist, aiming for Sid's head. The red ranger parried.

"You know" Sid growled as they clashed, "You might be just about the most annoying person I've ever met".

Beta said nothing as her fist slammed into his visor.

* * *

Bulkheads exploded, circuitry sparked, cries went up as the hapless guards in the way simply disintegrated as the hurricane of light hit them. Energy swirled around Sel's form as she casually walked down the hall, carving a path of utter destruction in her wake. On some level she felt bad about the deaths of those she caused, but at the same time? This was a war, people died. They weren't the first she had killed, and they likely wouldn't be the last. More than that, they had kept her a prisoner for months, and were actively betraying their own universe.

They deserved oblivion.

The goddess known as Sel could have turned a corner, but instead extended her palm and evaporated the wall. She was going to take the most direct path to her destination—the hanger bay. She could feel it, on the outermost tendrils of her awareness.

More guards died. These ones had managed to open fire on her before their bullets evaporated and their bodies were ripped apart by the wound in the Morphing Grid her body was creating. She idly noted that full power still hadn't been completely restored—whoever was in charge of mobilizing the base was doing a shitty job. This was actually incredibly easy.

"SEL!"

A second presence matched her own. She didn't even need to turn to see who it was—she recognized her fellow wound by appearance alone. His expression, his...essence, was one of pain and betrayal, of heartbreak and confusion.

"Isdilian" she replied, her tone neutral. She supposed it had been too much to ask for to be out of here before he tracked her down.

His response was singular, filled with a vibrant mix of confusion, rage, and pain. "...Why?!"

She gave him an expression of defiance, "Because you're wrong".

"I'm trying to save countless lives!" he shot back, the anger beginning to overpower his other emotions, "Why would you betray us!?"

His offense came hard. Sel responded to his wave of power with a barrier of her own, "You don't get to talk about betrayal!" she snarled, "You turned on our friends, our *family*! You kidnapped me and imprisoned me against my will! You use me as a tool, all so you can destroy our universe!"

"You don't understand!" Isdilian shouted back, pushing harder as Sel strained against his beam of power, "No, you don't *want* to understand! You're too busy being a selfish little girl!" Who was she to lecture him? After all he'd sacrificed, after all he'd done for the greater good? Coward!

"Don't you ever call me selfish" she replied, "When you're the one killing endless numbers of people just so 'dad' will love you".

Isdilian screamed with rage, releasing his beam of energy and instead cutting into Sel's fortress with a blade of power. Her defenses shattered and she fell back as he swooped in, only barely catching his weapon with her hands. He shouted, "And you're not?! Iota's dead, Sel! His plans mean nothing now! All *you're* doing is letting an entire universe die, and for what?! Why?!"

She grunted, using all her strength, all her power to keep him at bay. Reality rippled as she stared him directly in the eyes, resolve flooding her voice, "Because I love them". With that, she shattered his weapon of pure energy, before causing an explosion of power that sent him flying back. Isdilian landed on his feet, ready for round two.

"Murderer" he sneered, the breaking point finally at hand. His power charged.

She responded in kind, "Traitor".

Twin beams of power, the very energy of the universe itself, met each other on the field of battle.

Reality shuttered.

* * *

Beta smacked Sid aside as she dove for Xolin. The two blue warriors faced off, locked in a fluid dance as Beta pressed her advantage. Just as Xolin lost her footing, Trok swung in, hammer at the ready. As she grappled with the green ranger, she noted that Sid now had his hands full with Zeta. She was lucky to have him around; three on one odds really weren't the best for her.

She turned her attention back on Trok; he was one she hadn't had the pleasure of messing with yet.

"You fight with such conviction" she said with mirth as she kept his hammer at bay, "So adamant to defend your friends. Tell me, did your parents get the same protection?"

"...W-what?" Trok asked, taken aback by the sudden topic of conversation.

"I'm just saying, I can't imagine you have much chance of your friends surviving if you couldn't even protect your family". She pressed in on him

"...Don't talk about them!" Trok shot back, anger bubbling up.

Beta laughed, "Or maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you let them die. It gave you an out, didn't it? A reason to leave home?"

"SHUT UP!" Trok roared, pulling his hammer away and swinging wildly at the Antipode. Beta cackled as she easily dodged Trok's clumsy attacks.

Sid saw what was happening as he connected a blow to Zeta's neck, "Trok, ignore her, she likes to talk shit! Just power through!" His momentary shift in attention cost him though, as Zeta struck from the side, sending Sid to the ground. Zeta's axe swung down, meeting Sid's as he parried while on his back, before the latter kicked the former's away and rolled forward, turning around just in time to parry again.

Beta knocked Trok's attack aside as she struck at him, "Yes, take advice from the man who got his whole team killed. I'm sure that will work out for you". She called back to Sid as she took Trok down, "Any regrets there?"

"Someone really needs to revoke her talking privileges" Sid grunted as he and Zeta continued to face off. Sid was definitely better than the golden warrior, but he found having to keep tabs on the others taxing, allowing Zeta to continually keep him on edge. He had to find Zeta's weak spot and neutralize him, or they weren't making it out of here anytime soon. They needed Nikki back in the fight.

Xolin struck Beta from the side with a flying kick full of pent-up hatred, dropping herself between Trok and the Antipode.

"Leave him alone" she demanded, a dangerous edge to her voice.

"Or what?" Beta asked mockingly.

As she and Xolin went head to head again, Sid dodged Zeta's clumsy attacks before knocking him back with a tornado kick.

"So feel free to clue me in" the red ranger said, evading Zeta's ax with a flip, "You betray the Antipodes with Iota and Gamma. Then you counter-betray them to Alpha because…?"

Zeta sneered at him as their blades clashed, "Who said I ever joined Iota?"

"Ah, a mole" Sid replied, jumping away as Zeta swung again, before kicking the blade away and striking forward, "I'd be surprised, if this wasn't just expected at this point". He dodged another strike, cut Zeta across the chest, and then landed his foot with a clean hit on his opponent's head. "You guys come here to our universe" another blow, "Betray each other" he jumped up, using Zeta's shoulder as a stepping stone before spinning around, his axe charged up with flaming energy, "And use us as your puppets in your games!" Sid came down hard, his weapon cutting into Zeta's armor. The golden warrior shouted in pain as sparks exploded everywhere. Smoking, he fell and rolled back as Sid assumed a new attack pose.

"I think it's high time you assholes went back to whatever shit place you came from" Sid growled, "Because we are *so* done with you".

Zeta staggered to his feet, "...Not...not until we've succeeded".

Sid glared, "Not happening, sorry". Grabbing his sidearm, Sid unleashed a volley of laser blasts that impacted on Zeta's injuries. Now with the advantage, the red ranger rushed in.

Blue and blue continued to dance. "You're going to lose" Beta taunted, "Sid can't save you this time. Any minute now, Gamma's forces are going to warp in and then? Then it's all over". Xolin said nothing as she fought to simply keep up with her opponent while also fighting her own inner demons, "I think I'll kill your green friend slowly. Make you watch. It'd be a fitting end, wouldn't it? Being useless while everything around you burns?"

Xolin's lance thrusted forward; too slow.

"Just like Triforia".

Xolin slipped; Beta took advantage of it and knocked her back. She prepared to stab Xolin directly, when Trok interceded, his hammer blocking the attempt.

Beta laughed as she pressed against Trok, "Going to try and save her again, kid? She's not worth it. Just some washed up reject that-"

Trok cut her off, defiant, "No, she's *not*. Talk about me however you want, but don't ever bad mouth her".

Another derisive laugh, "She's pathetic".

"When my parents...died" Trok began, "When Iota hired me as a weapon, it was Xolin who treated me like a person, who taught me how to fight and who I am. It was Xolin who looked out for me, who made sure I was okay!" Trok's voice rose as he pressed on against Beta. Things had been so weird between them for months—fights that shouldn't have happened, cold shoulders that had been more about avoiding the ugly truth than anything else. But still, Trok believed. "Xolin's amazing; she always gives a hundred and ten percent on everything she does, even if she's not good at it. She knows like, a thousand different forms of combat and is like a religion guru. And she cares—she may not take good care of herself, but she *never* gives up on those she can still save—even if it looks like she's not". Especially if she didn't look like it. ESPECIALLY. Trok regretted his words on Triforia—she'd only been looking out for him, and it had been a no-win situation.

"..Trok?" Xolin said breathlessly, grabbing his attention.

"I don't know if I believe in happy endings anymore" Trok said to her, "But I *do* believe in my friends, even if they don't".

Xolin blinked the water out of her eyes, "...Thank you" she managed as a flotilla of emotions threatened to spill out.

"...A poor choice in belief" Beta crowed.

"No!" Trok snapped angrily, "She's a thousand times the person you are. She cares. She loves. She struggles, and hides it from everyone else because she doesn't want them to worry. You? You're just a bully. You just like to toy with people because deep down, there's nothing there. You're nothing, and I'm done letting you hurt my friends".

Beta growled, "Enough!" she tossed Trok back, before cutting down and landing a solid hit with her charged-up sword. The green ranger fell back, colliding with Xolin's body.

"Trok!" Xolin shouted, as Beta closed in, ready to deal a finishing blow.

Another blow impacted Beta's side—a punch to the face. The Antipode staggered to the side, turning to see the new aggressor.

"Ready for round two?!" the black ranger asked, shifting into a fighting stance.

"Nikki!" Trok called with glee as he and Xolin got up.

"...You're back?" Xolin asked hopefully. She hadn't even noticed Nikki's morpher teleport off her wrist during the fighting.

The black ranger gave her a thumbs up, "Systems are back online!"

"No!" Beta roared, "I ended you!"

Nikki gave her a cocky shrug, "Looks like my antivirus software's better than your shit. Tough luck, princess".

Zeta rolled across the ground to Beta, having been on the receiving end of another attack by Sid. The four rangers regrouped as Zeta struggled back to his feet, hoping to get Beta's aid in standing back up and receiving none.

Beta checked something on her wrist terminal, her anger subsiding, "...Oh look, Gamma's fleet is here. Time for mutual destruction for all involved! Sorry rangers, but you were too late all along. Pity".

* * *

Outside the station, a dozen Megaships warped onto the scene just outside of firing range of the station. To their surprise, another dozen Megaships were waiting for them—as were the station's defenses. Weapons trained on one another.

"Enemy forces are locking weapons!"

"...We've been set up!" the red ranger of team sixteen shouted with distress to her team, "Turn us around, get hyperrush engines back online!"

"Engines not responding!" the blue ranger replied, worry in his voice, "They need time to recharge!"

"Then ready the main guns!" the red ranger ordered, "If we can't escape, then we'll go down fighting!"

* * *

"One thing I don't quite get" Sid said, oddly calmly considering the carnage that was about to go down outside, "You guys came here from another universe to xenoform our own, right? Reformat it into something fundamentally different. So why did Iota and Gamma switch sides?"

Zeta replied, "I'm sure they believed in some twisted way they believed they were doing right. But really, they never forgave us for Sigma and Theta's sacrifices to create the conduits. In the end, they didn't have the stomach for it".

...Holy shit, they'd killed their own to create Sel and Isdilian? Sid had to admit, he hadn't known that part, "...Funny, Iota and Gamma never mentioned that part".

Beta snorted, "You really thought either of them could be trusted? Make no mistake, they had their own plans. Not that it matters now—Gamma and Zeta's forces are about to collide and destroy each other. And with the Peacekeepers gone, that leaves you down yet one more ally in your would-be crusade to 'save' your universe. Not that that matters either—we're going to kill you here".

Sid grinned, "...Actually, I disagree" he spoke to his morpher, "You guys got all that?"

Beta's reply was a flat "What".

"_Oh yeah!" _Tesas's reply came loud and clear, _"Sitras and I just finished our download of the station's files too, thanks to Nikki's code and a few of Sitras's spells. There's a ton of stuff here, all about their plans and stuff, and we got it all"_.

"Enough to incriminate everyone for life?" Sid replied, a shit-eating grin plastered on his face under his helmet.

"_Several lifetimes"._

"...What is this?" Beta demanded to know, "Who are you talking to?!"

"Sitras and Tesas, obviously" Sid replied flippantly, "You know, part of that team you ordered Izzy to kill".

"...The Machine job" Beta said, realization dawning. Anger quickly returned, "But how?! I had my men scour your ship!"

"Funny what cloaking tech and a little misdirection will do" Nikki gloated, "You were so focused on us, you didn't bother looking deeper".

Sid followed up, pointing at Beta, "The lesson here, Beta? I *always* have a Plan D". He turned his attention back to his communicator, "Prepare to upload all files to the extranet, send that shit to all corners of the universe. I want everyone to know".

"No!" Beta crowed, immediately setting to trying to stop the upload—though she became increasingly frustrated as she found she had no control over...anything. She couldn't block the signal, she couldn't stop it...nothing.

"What's wrong?" Nikki asked, giddy despite herself as the plan came together perfectly, "Locked out of the system?"

Beta glared at her, "...What did you *do*?"

Nikki folded her arms, "Iota had more than a few surprises left over. Codes and stuff. When you hacked my system, I hacked yours".

"You've been outplayed, Beta" Sid said with not a small amount of amusement, "Now sit tight. You're going to love this part" he spoke to his communicator, "Ready?"

"_Ready!"_

"Attention to everyone" Sid began, his message being sent out in all directions. Nikki had ensured his transmission would hijack any and all but the most securely encrypted media sources. His image propagated through the net—to Mirinoi, KO-35, Aquitar, Triforia, Horath, Alliance space, the Vile Imperium, the Machine Empire, the pirate clans, the League, anywhere and everywhere that had a connection. "You might be wondering what the hell is going on, and who the hell this handsome devil is that's hijacked your TV and co-opted today's rerun of General Hospital. My name is Sid Drake of Mirinoi, red ranger and leader of Peacekeeper Team Twelve. As I transmit this message, I am also sending out several zettabytes of data you may be very interested to know about".

His message went to the Tenga colonies and New Sirius and Bookala and Onyx and New Edenoi and the Terran colonies.

"You have been lied to. The so-called leaders of the Peacekeeper Organization and the secret hand behind the Alliance are none other than hostile parties looking to destroy our universe. Your war is a lie. And yes, I realize my claims sound absolutely insane, and I in no way expect you to take me at my word. However, all of the uploaded documents and files I believe will vindicate my story. Take as long as you wish to verify these documents".

His message went out to Ichthya and Xybria and Eltar and the Troobian Empire.

"The wars that have wracked our worlds and our civilizations have been orchestrated by an unseen hand, one that wishes us distracted while they xenoform our reality so they can replace us—alter the very basis of reality so that they can live here instead of us. One that wishes to wage proxy wars because of internal disagreements over just *how* to screw us over. Billions have died just so they can continue their petty blood feud. No more".

His message went out to Horus Prime and the Dark Star Galaxy and Felinous. To the Vika Galaxy, and Gratha.

"As of this moment, I am taking control over what remains of the Peacekeeper Organization—all surviving factions. If you have a problem with it, kindly step out an airlock. I am ordering all forces to immediately stand down. Furthermore, I am also ordering the immediate arrest of Gamma".

The various teams on the Megaships outside looked at each other, unsure, before one by one the guns shut down.

"Our enemy is on the move, and time is of the essence" said Sid, "I call on all of our allies. Everyone we've ever helped, anyone who's willing to help us. We're calling in all our favors, all our chips. We need you. Existence needs you".

Coros watched the transmission with a faint hint of a smile. Elsewhere, Lasandra laughed. Elder Sesh nodded in contemplation. General Quickspur and King Ihara glanced at each other. B'rnix nodded in approval, in the midst of pirate celebration. Admiral Drake couldn't have been prouder.

Gamma watched the message for a bit as she realized it was over. Already she could hear guards coming to her door. Silently and deliberately, she loosened the seals on her own suit. Three seconds later, she was gone, and what had been her office was on fire.

"And to the leader of the Antipodes, Alpha" Sid said, his voice full of anger and conviction, "I know you can hear me. So hear this: we're done being your pawns. We're done being your playground. You killed billions. You threaten our worlds and our very existence. And most importantly, you've stolen someone very important to us".

Even as Alpha was occupied with Sel and Isdilian's showdown, he still kept an eye on Sid's message, as Beta's scheme collapsed around him. As everything they'd worked for went up in smoke. Hatred consumed him.

"We won't stand for it any longer. Make your peace, Alpha, because we're coming for you. We're coming for all you bastards. And there's nothing you can do to stop us".

Sid shut down his link as he looked at Beta, "...I suggest you two run back to your boss. You're done here".

Beta's fists curled as she looked over the team pitted against her. There was no way to mitigate this, no way to sugarcoat it. She'd lost. They'd *failed*. Everyone everywhere knew who they were and what they were trying to do. All their connections were gone, just like that. They had no power. She...she had to do damage control. Somehow.

Alpha would be furious.

She stepped back, nodding to Zeta, "Kill them. Kill them all".

"...Alone!?" Zeta snapped, alarmed as he knew she was preparing to return to Alpha.

"Do what you do best" she said simply, before teleporting away.

"Looks like your friend abandoned you" Nikki said, smiling under the helmet.

Zeta growled, "Hardly" he spoke into his wrist console, "Initiate Leviathan Protocols". In an instant, he too vanished.

"...Leviwhatnow?" Trok asked, concerned.

Sid frowned, his jubilation ebbing, "...Oh, that can't be good. Ominous code phrases are never good".

"_Uh, guys?"_ Tesas called in, _"Sitras and I just detected a MASSIVE spike in Morphin' energy several hundred clicks below us further down the cloud layer. Something's big down there too—like, real big"._

"Ballpark figure?" Sid asked, even as his stomach began to drop.

"_...At least half a kilometer in length, possibly more. Hard to get a good reading. But it's coming this way, and fast"._

"...A zord?" Xolin asked.

Trok shook his head, "Couldn't be. The energy requirements for a zord of that size would be...colossal".

Dread filled both Sid and Nikki as they shared a look of panic. "We gotta go—NOW" Sid ordered, leading everyone away.

"...What's going on!?" Trok asked, now very concerned. If Sid was panicking, then it was definitely not a good thing.

The red ranger ignored him as he opened a new comm channel to the fleet outside, his pace picking up into almost a run, "All forces, break into evasive action. We have a Code Serpentera, I repeat, a Code Serpentera!"

Suddenly Trok's panic matched Sid and Nikki's, "Wait, WHAT?!"

The entire group halted as the base shook and groaned, all four of them only barely able to stay upright at the sudden jolt. Outside the windows, a giant mechanical tentacle wrapped itself around the hull of the base. An angry red eye the size of a house glared at them.

"...Ohcrap" Sid grunted.

* * *

Energy ebbed. Energy flowed. Energy roiled. The two pillars of the universe warped around each other, like two stars that had strayed too close to one another. Sel evaded Isdilian's blast of power, even as she skated towards him in a wide arc, energy flowing out behind her. Isdilian jumped over her, striking down as she rushed past. She spun around, deflecting the blasts as she came to a halt. Charging forward again, the two met in battle, a mighty shockwave expanding in all directions, forcing them apart.

"You'll kill them all!" Isdilian shouted, bitter and angry, "Don't you care?!"

Sel looked back in disbelief, "Don't you?! Sid, Xolin, Trok. They opened their doors to us. They let us in, treated us like family! They believed in us! And now you're just going to kill them? Because you feel like you have some stupid duty?!"

"Alpha has plans!" Isdilian replied, as they met in combat again, "We can save them! He promised!"

"In what, those power suits?" Sel shouted back, power surging between them as they tried to overpower the other, "Stuck like Alpha? They would never forgive you! And what about everyone else?!"

"You can't save everyone!"

"So you'd sacrifice Sid's father? Trok's clan? Xolin's homeworld?! You think they'd be alright with that?! Are you really that deluded?!"

Yes. No. He didn't know! Alpha said things would be fine, he'd thought about this, right?! This was...she was just trying to confuse him! "They can't have everything, Sel! Sometimes life isn't fair! Sometimes you have to sacrifice for the greater good!"

Her grip lessened for a moment, sadness taking hold as his words sunk in. Then, her resolve steeled itself, "I know".

Isdilian's hold relaxed—himself seemingly in conflict with himself. It was all the chance she needed. A massive jolt of power surged through her, impacting her one-time brother in the chest, sending him flying into a destroyed bulkhead, unconscious. The storm he had created ebbed into nothing, leaving only Sel's power, though now considerably drained. At the end of the day, she'd wanted it more.

"I'm sorry" she said, and she meant it.

"Halt!" a guard called, diverting her attention to three newcomers, SPD guards in full body E-Squad body armor. She dismissively waved them aside with a blast of power—but somehow they remained where they'd been, just with a purplish energy sheen that faded, like some kind of energy shield.

...Anti-Morphin Grid defenses-the same kind of tech they'd lined her room and her cuffs with. It had apparently been too expensive to protect the entire base with, but it seemed that the anti-well...her defenses were finally beginning to mobilize. Evidently they'd never really assumed she could have escaped her restraints.

Damnit.

She'd known that had been a risk, but Isdilian had kept her busy for far too long. She had to work quick. The would-be goddess dove out of the way as the guards opened fire. The bullets were made of some kind of morphin energy absorbing tech, and she could feel some of her ambient power slip away. Her eyes widened as she realized they were basically miniature versions of the device Alpha had siphoned her excess power with. Sel was little more than an unarmed civilian against guards that could neutralize her powers, so instead she opted for another strategy, and promptly plowed through the floor, making a new path.

The guards fired down at her, landing a few shots that further weakened her power. In time she could have summoned more, but right now she was already nearing her limits without blacking out from the strain. She had to get away. Sel raced down the new hall, even as more guards intercepted her.

No! Damnit! She had to get away.

One of the projectiles hit her dead on. It didn't injure her, but it had drained a good portion of her energy. She was feeling tired now, and stumbled away, only a fraction as tough as she had been a moment ago.

Had to go. Had to get away. Had to escape.

Damn Isdilian.

Not even looking where she was going now, the failing goddess pulled open a large door at the end of the hall, even as the guards closed in and drained another portion of her strength before she slammed it shut behind her. To keep them from following, she then welded the door shut before turning to see where she was and if there was any way to the docking bay from here. She panted with exhaustion as she took stock of her situation.

...Oh boy.

Adding insult to injury, Sel found herself in the charging room—where she and Isdilian would be placed in the pods to be siphoned. Indeed, there in the center of the room were the twin pods, surrounded by other scientific projects and machines.

Of all the rotten luck.

Sel leaned against the door, her body succumbing to fatigue, even as she could hear the guards outside trying to find a way in. Her aura was gone, the storm had evaporated. As she was, she was able to summon little more than static electricity. And from what she could still feel of the station, there was no other way out of this room. Epsilon had been thorough—the only vents were too small for her and as she checked the walls by flinging a little bit of energy—yep, they were protected by the same purple force field—'just in case'. Not that she would have had enough power anyway.

Damnit all.

The former yellow ranger staggered into the room, grief consuming her at the unfairness of it all. She'd escaped, only to be trapped again. That's all she ever was—trapped. A prisoner. A tool.

It wasn't fair.

"Damnit" she said, trying and failing to hold back the tears as she stumbled onto Epsilon's primary computer terminal and leaned against it for strength, "Damnit".

Anger.

"DAMNIT!"

A surge of power erupted from her, but soon subsided as she was suddenly overtaken by a fit—angry jolts of morphin energy raced across her body, causing it to convulse in an ugly fashion. She dropped to the ground, her breathing haggard.

"Not fair" she sobbed between painful aftershocks. So close. So friggin' close. Sel pulled herself up, leaning against the console again as the attacks subsided and she steadied her breath. She studied her situation, trying to come up with any plan, anything at all.

What would Sid do? Or Xolin? Or Trok? Well, that was easy. They'd fight. If they couldn't win, they'd be damned sure they'd fight like hell anyway—find some way to spite their enemy and make their victory as hollow as possible.

The wheels in her head began to spin—she WAS in the charging station. Likely, this was the cornerstone of Alpha's plans. If they couldn't siphon off hers and Isdilian's energy in an easy manner, production could be slowed or outright halted. She couldn't do anything about the bullets or Alpha's canisters, but she was willing to bet that there was a reason the pods had been invested in—they were faster or more efficient or something.

But how to break everything? Her powers were almost spent for the moment, and they wouldn't do too much good in this room to begin with. The noise outside was muffled, but getting louder. It sounded like they were setting something up. She was running out of time.

Sel quickly went over Epsilon's computer, but she had no idea what she was looking at. She scanned the room for loose pipes or wires or...anything. But as mad science-y as the room was, it seemed very well put together.

Spirits. All she wanted was to see the others again before she died, but she was being denied even that. Power surged through her again, her anger and despair subconsciously triggering it. What was all this power worth if it couldn't help her? Everything in the room was built to survive her or siphon off her power or…

Wait.

Sel wasn't a tech expert by any means, but she HAD picked up enough to know that everything had a stress limit. Batteries could only contain so much juice, and bulkheads could only sustain so much pressure. Conceivably, she could simply overpower the defenses of this room. The question then became, could do practically do it, especially in her current form?

It would probably kill her.

Sel wanted nothing more than to be home, with her family. She wanted to close her eyes and for this to have been nothing more than a nightmare. She just wanted to huddle in a corner and ignore everything.

But she couldn't; if she didn't do anything, countless people, entire civilizations would die. But at the same time...if she DID do something, a similar tragedy awaited. It was like those hologames Trok and Sid liked to play, where sadistic plot choices came down to a red option or a blue option—and here she was playing it in real time, for real.

But at the end of the day, despite all her wishes and wants, despite all the horror she was about to inflict, Sel knew what she had to do. She'd always known.

She was a ranger, after all. Sel scanned the room for an opening—it had to be something big, important. Finally, she settled on the construct that came down from the ceiling and hooked itself into the pods below. That would do it. Taking deep breaths, Sel steadied herself, preparing for what she knew was going to be extremely painful.

"I'm sorry" she said. And she meant it. She was sorry her team would never see her again. She was sorry so many were going to die. She was sorry about Isdilian. She was sorry she couldn't have done more.

But she was going to do what she could. Because whatever else, she was a hero.

Using Xolin's meditation sessions to her advantage, Sel began to draw the grid's power into herself—slowly at first, but speeding up as the flood began to rush in. She groaned as the power threatened to overtake her, to cook her from the inside, to evaporate her corporeal form. But she remained steady, and did not falter, no matter how much pain she endured.

"...You want my power?" she asked, her voice barely above a rasp as her body shook and convulsed, "Have at it".

Sel unleashed a gigantic beam of pure morphin grid energy at the machine. It resisted, of course, the purple energy field absorbing and reflecting her power in equal measure. But she did not deter—she pressed on, summoning more and more power—she began to scream in pain.

* * *

"What is she doing in there?!" Epsilon crowed in panic outside the door as the SPD E-Squad guards moved the laser cutter into position so that they could cut through the thick metal door, "Power readings are off the scale! Get her out of there!"

"Ready!" one of the guards stated after a brief systems check of the device.

"Fire!" shouted another, and the beam cutter began to burn into the metal.

* * *

Sel pressed harder, and harder. She summoned reserves of strength and willpower she didn't even know existed. Even as her legs wobbled, even as she lost her sight due to the pain. Even as her whole existence went numb, she continued to fight.

She thought of Sid, of Xolin, of Trok. She thought of all the adventures they'd had, of all the things they'd done together, of all the things they'd taught her.

* * *

"ENOUGH!" Delta roared, as the large green warrior tossed the puny cutter machine aside and rammed into the door, creating a notable dent. Then he slammed into it again, and again, and again. Finally, he broke through as the remains of the door flew off its hinges and flew into the room, landing on the ground and skidding back a few feet before finally coming to a rest. Epsilon and Delta rushed in, the SPD guards flanking them.

But they were too late-in the end, Sel's willpower was too much for the room's anti-her defenses. The shield broke, and when it did it went down everywhere—a cascade of purple light rushed out through the room as the defenses failed to hold. And as if on cue, Sel's powers erupted from a singular beam into a hellscape of pure energy, filling the room. She screamed.

"NO!" Epsilon wailed as her work came undone.

"GET DOWN!" Delta ordered, as the guards were evaporated by the storm. It was a white-out; all senses, all everything ceased to be. The storm carried itself through the base, before releasing out into space by rupturing through the hull.

Her last thoughts were of home, of family.

And then, Sel felt the sweet embrace of oblivion.

* * *

Alpha felt the base shake as even emergency power flickered. And he knew...he knew. Even as he demanded a damage report, he knew.

This had been a bad day.

* * *

"RUN! RUN!" Sid yelled as the station began to groan under the pressure, the...thing's tentacles wrapping itself around the base. Computers and systems flickered and failed, sparks erupted where the hull began to buckle. The hallway ahead of them moved...wrong.

"SID TO TESAS—WE NEED IMMEDIATE EVAC!" Sid shouted, realizing they wouldn't get to the docking bay in time. This was going to get...tricky.

"OH SHI-" Xolin got out, as the entire base fell apart around them. All systems shut down, and for a brief second all was black—until the base fell away from them, and they found themselves in freefall inside a gas giant, with a giant behemoth of a creature surrounding them.

"...Is that a...YEP it's a kraken!" Sid shouted as the black, mechanical tentacles wrapped around. Angry eyes looked down on the little specks in front of it. From its would-be mouth, energy collected into an attack. "Oh...f-"

Sid never finished his sentence, as twin bright blue lances of energy struck the zord dead-on, resulting in two very satisfying explosions. The Defender Megaship roared past, landing another blow before turning away.

"_You called for a pickup?"_ Sitras's voice asked over the comm. A second later, the four rangers found themselves teleported to the Megazord cockpit.

"Good going, kids!" Sid said as he gripped his controls, "You both did *excellent*. We'll take it from here. Defender Megazord, online!" The Megaship spun on its axis, transforming into megazord mode as it evaded an incoming tentacle. Said tentacle received a hit from a laser, an attack from Peacekeeper Team Nineteen.

By the time the Defender Megazord rejoined the fight, the sky was ablaze with a furious dogfight; over two dozen Peacekeeper Megazords both in ship and robot form weaving in and around the monstrous leviathan zord. Team Twenty-One evaded a beam from the leviathan, before transforming into robot mode and aiming its crossbow at the monster. Another tentacle smacked it aside.

Twin megazords, from Team Thirteen, came in carrying large blasters attached to packs on their backs. Two powerful beams lashed out, cutting into the leviathan's hull. The angry zord turned its attention to them as it unleashed a pepper storm of laser blasts that the two megazords could do little against except dodge—and even then they received more than a few direct hits.

Team Twenty-Three, Twenty-Five, and Seventeen flew in, opening fire on different points. The angry zord simply replied with a beam of death that obliterated Team Seventeen in a single shot. The other two barely avoided the debris.

"They're getting torn apart" Nikki noted, as the Defender Megazord evaded another tentacle and landed on the zord's back end, above the head, magnetically locking itself onto the hull.

Sid grimaced; he'd almost forgotten, this was not the Peacekeeper Organization of a few months ago. This was a collection of barely trained kids—and they were going to get themselves killed, especially as none of them were working together. As their zord attempted to cut its way into the hull with its sword, Sid replied, "We don't have the firepower to take on a Serpentera class". They needed an upset.

The Megazord was forced to leap out of the way when a tentacle came down. Another megaship was severely damaged by a second tentacle.

"Ultrazord?" Nikki asked.

"Don't have one" Sid replied. The zord shifted back into ship mode and veered off, landing a few good hits as it tried to get away from the mass of limbs. As another ship exploded, Sid opened a channel, "Sid to all ships; time your shots! Make your first priority survival—if all you can do is evade, then do that and don't worry about kill counts; your weapons aren't going to do much good right now anyway. If you can, help out your fellow ranger teams".

"Way to boost moral" Nikki replied wryly.

Sid gave her a side-eye—had just...made a joke? Without overt hostility towards him? "It's all we can do right now while we figure out a new plan. Options?"

"Maybe we just hit it even harder?" Trok supplied helpfully. When everyone gave him an odd look, he backtracked, "...Eh...yeah, that's...actually a terrible idea, sorry".

But that got the gears in Xolin's head turning, "...Actually...".

"You got something?" Sid asked her, hopeful. Another blast to a tentacle, another evasion. They managed to save Team Thirty-Two from being impaled by the end of a tentacle.

Xolin thought to herself—not entirely confident this idea would work but...why wouldn't it? "...Any of you familiar with Mantis-Style Kung Fu?"

"...That's an old Earth style, right?" Sid asked, even while he kept most of his attention on flying.

"...You know Earth styles?" Trok asked.

She shrugged, "I know OF them. Anyway, one of the big things about it is that you go with quality over quantity—you don't struggle, you simply go for the kill. You center all of your energy into a single blow".

"...Like a praying mantis" Nikki said, a grin forming, "Cute".

Sid nodded, a plan dawning in his head, "That...that might just be crazy stupid enough to work. Trok, scan the leviathan. I need a weakspot".

"...What kind of weakspot?" the green ranger asked, even as his fingers began to race over his console.

Nikki turned to him, "Power cells or generators. Serpentera class zords require an unbelievable amount of power—it's why they're usually considered to be impractical, so whatever power source they're using is probably fairly obvious".

"And if there's no power, the zord shuts down" Trok said as he scanned the zord.

"...Or we overload the generator and get fireworks" Sid added.

"Got it!" Trok said, "I'm reading a large power fluctuation just above the head".

Sid gritted his teeth. Victory was close, he could feel it. The red ranger opened a channel, "Sid to all ships. Transmitting coordinates. Form up on my signal and wait to fire on my command. We're gonna blow this thing in one go".

The megaships veered off, evading the tentacles as they pulled away from the leviathan, before swarming around the Defender Megaship as it spun back around and headed back to the monster at full throttle.

"Locking on target!" Trok said, "Locked!"

"All ships!" Sid commanded, "Open fire!"

The fleet of zords unleashed a unified salvo of firepower on their large foe. The kinetic impact knocked the leviathan back, the shockwaves of power emanating outwards as the beast shuddered under the blast.

"Again!" Sid ordered, "FIRE!"

A second salvo came in, even before the leviathan had had time to rebound. The fleet was now well within the range of its tentacles, but it could do little more right now other than recoil.

"Hull is holding, but weakening!" Trok reported.

Sid's eyes narrowed as they closed in, "All ships. Megazord mode".

The leviathan rebounded, its tentacles reaching out and around, attempting to cut the fleet off from escape—they only had one way forward now, as the tentacles' ends came towards them, ready to impale.

In an instant, the ships transformed into robots, swords at the ready.

One by one, two by two, three by three, the megazords slammed into the forehead of the massive leviathan; swords, guns, and finisher weapons charged up and ready to fire. Each fully-powered finisher impacted the leviathan, and its hull crumbled, revealing the oversized generator inside.

"FINAL STRIKE!"

The Defender Megazord swung in, channeling all the power Peacekeeper Team Twelve could muster. Its blade ripped through the generator and the Megazord emerged out the back side, surrounded by the remains of the Peacekeeper fleet.

Onboard his dying ship, Zeta struggled in vain to maintain his vessel, but it was too late. Sparks and explosions ripped his cockpit apart as the leviathan underwent a cataclysmic power core meltdown. Explosions ripped across its ruined hull as it fell apart, until one final explosion tore it into fragments and sent a shockwave in all directions.

Now, with Outpost Lambda and the leviathan gone, all that remained was the tattered remnants of the fleet...and silence. Everyone took a moment to digest what had just happened. Zeta was dead. They effectively ran the Peacekeepers. And...they'd just outed the Antipodes to everyone.

After a moment of silence, Nikki nodded, "...Not bad for a first run, Admiral Drake".

Sid side-eyed her again, still not entirely sure what to make of this change, but welcoming it all the same, "...Call me that again, and I'll throw you out the airlock".

* * *

When she came to, she found she couldn't move. What...what was…

Flashes came to her mind—painful ones. Her body jolted, and suddenly every nerve was on fire. She whimpered, breathing heavily as the pain subsided to a more manageable level. Managing to open her eyes, Sel found herself in a small pod.

No.

NO.

She pulled, but could not move. Another wave of pain from her aching body persuaded her not to try again.

"Awake, I see".

Sel looked up at the small window in front of her, her only viewpoint out of her pitch-black cage. There stood Epsilon, completely irate, even if she tried to hide it.

"How much did I break?" Sel asked, managing a grin despite everything.

"You think this is funny?" the orange clad warrior demanded to know, "Our project was days away from completion. You've sent us back WEEKS. So much effort...all that effort" her anger subsided into despair.

"Too bad" Sel breathed, "Was hoping for...months. Years".

Epsilon visibly shook with rage, "...You...you!" forcing herself to calm, she began again, "I hope it was worth it, because it was the last thing you'll ever do. You see this pod you're in now? It was my prototype—thanks to your efforts, it's the only thing still functioning. It's less efficient, and a hell of a lot more painful. You're going to be sucked dry—we're going to be siphoning power from you twenty-four seven until we can get the other pods operational again".

"Punishment?" Sel asked, barely able to talk as she felt more exhausted than she ever had before. Why did everything feel fuzzy, like her limbs had fallen asleep?

"Necessity" Epsilon replied, "Your little stunt cost us all, yourself included. Your window of use has shrunk dramatically. Now we have to use you as much as we can while you're still operational".

"...Operational?" Sel asked, a sickening feeling developing in her gut. She dared a glance down, and only managed not to scream in horror because of the effort that would have required. Splotches of her body were beginning to dissolve into morphin energy, the yellowish energy evaporating from her would-be corpse.

"...No..." she breathed, hopelessness taking over.

"You're dying" Epsilon confirmed, "And you have no one to blame but yourself". Satisfied, Epsilon shut the window, leaving Sel in utter darkness to contemplate her fate. Then she turned to Alpha and the others.

"This is a catastrophe" she said, on the verge of panic, "Zeta's dead, one of our conduits is failing, the whole project's been set back weeks..."

"Our divide and conquer plan is no longer viable" Alpha added, "SPD and the Alliance are lost to us. Most of our other...associates have also broke with us. We are alone".

Beta slammed her fist into the wall in a fit of rage.

"Calm yourself" Alpha warned. She clenched her fists, but said nothing.

"What do we do?" Delta asked. Normally unperturbed, even the large green warrior was visibly shaken by the sudden reversals.

Alpha thought for a second, "I want to know how she escaped".

"Guards found a power disruptor attached to the interior of the door" Beta hissed, "No idea how it got there".

"Then I suggest you find out" Alpha replied, controlling his own anger, "I want this traitor found, and dealt with".

"What about the project?" Epsilon asked, trying her best to keep calm.

"Make the pods your top priority" Alpha replied, "But we may need to look into...alternate methods. Time is now of the essence".

"Such as?" Delta asked.

Alpha simply turned to Epsilon and nodded. Cautiously, the orange warrior moved to a small container on her desk next to Sel's pod, and opened it. Inside sat the relic from Eltar—the naked conduit they'd stolen from both the rangers and that cult.

Alpha grasped the relic, "Salvation sometimes comes in strange forms".

"What do we do about the rangers?" asked Beta. She looked at no one, instead keeping her gaze down. Rage and shame defined her right now.

Alpha's grasp on the relic tightened some as he thought of his would-be rivals, these...interlopers. He could no longer afford to consider them a simple nuisance. Really, that had been his own fault—he never should have dismissed one of Iota's plans as harmless, "...We can no longer play their forces against each other. So now we can only hope for the alternative".

Delta seemed to chuckle at that, getting where this was going, "Chop off the snake's head".

"Exactly" Alpha replied, "Call Isdilian to my office when he's out of the medical bay. I have a job for him".

* * *

Sel leaned forward, letting the pod keep her stationary, in place. She couldn't move her limbs, partly because she was locked in place, partly because she was dying. Tears escaped as her head rested against the front of the pod.

Not fair. Never fair.

Pain continued to surge through her—the machine had started up, and now she wasn't just having excess power siphoned off, she was having power actively drawn from her—accelerating her own condition. She was little more than a failing power relay for the universe now.

She hadn't even succeeded in ending this madness. And now, everyone was going to die. Sel had stayed their execution a few weeks but...oh spirits.

All this power, and all she was was a tool. She couldn't even…

…

Wait.

Right now they were channeling power through her—morphin energy. The power of the grid itself. Her body might have been failing, but her mind wasn't gone yet. She'd tried meditation before, of course, but it hadn't gotten her anywhere. But...maybe WHILE she was being used as a conduit…?

"...I'm an open connection" she breathed, even through the pain. It was going to be difficult—perhapse nearly impossible since she'd have to try and center herself even with the agony that was her current existence. But...perhaps plan A was still on the table. Perhaps she could still reach the dreamscape.

It wasn't like she had anything better to do.

She had to get the word out. She had to make sure the others knew how and where to shut this madness down.

And so she meditated.

* * *

The surviving Peacekeeper forces had made camp on one of the gas giant's moons; a small jungle world. They wouldn't stay here of course, the Antipodes knew where they were and there was no infrastructure here to begin with. But Sid had needed to know what he was working with and to finalize his takeover of the organization. The meeting had been...weird. Sid had never really been in a command position before. Sure, he was in charge of his team, but an army? This...was new. It hadn't helped that he'd had more than a few teams who were on the fence about the whole thing and hadn't been entirely convinced of everything. He'd assumed a few were going to leave, and he was fine with that. He wasn't going to keep anyone around who didn't want to be-that was just smart.

It definitely hadn't helped that his team were the last well-trained unit in the organization and everyone else ranged from rookies to...well.

Fortunately, on the whole he'd been received well. By all accounts, that data dump had been extensive, and Team Twelve were already apparently something of celebrities among the rookies—which had been news to Sid, but apparently their exploits, especially once they'd essentially gone rogue after the fall of the Confederacy, was almost required reading material. And now that everything was out in the open, anger was taking the place of shock. The Confederacy had fallen because they'd all been trapped in a proxy war? Man, people were pissed, and righteously so.

Still, he'd have to keep an eye out for the teams that hadn't accepted him yet—he HAD grabbed power, after all, and none of them were trained soldiers. Everyone was a loose cannon. Worse, they were unknowns.

Sid had learned a few interesting bits of information. First off, Gamma was dead. She'd taken her own life on Outpost Kappa when things had gone down...Sid couldn't say he was sad about that. Not at all. He planned to scuttle Kappa when he had a chance—it was also a compromised position. Frankly, he hadn't really come to a conclusion about what to do with everyone after they left here, though he was leaning towards sending them to Quickspur's fleet. He and King Ihara could keep everyone fed and under control and could help Sid orchestrate missions.

Damn, this shit was hard. Maybe he should give his dad a call.

Which brought Sid to his other interesting tidbit—he was receiving messages like crazy, people who were interested. Old friends, allies, people they'd helped. Sid was overwhelmed by the sudden flood, and even though he was elated by the sudden development, he was also secretly groaning that he was never going to be able to sleep again.

Even as it was now, it was the early most hours of morning, and the dark sky was beginning to lighten just barely, making the rock pillars that constituted the jungle vista beyond the giant encampment of megaships stand out.

So much work to do and yet...for the first time in months, it really did feel like dawn.

"Hey".

"Hey" Sid replied, sighting Trok sitting cross-legged on a small rock, "What's up?"

"...Just...thinking" Trok replied.

"...About?"

"Why" Trok replied, "Why do they want to destroy our universe? Convert it, whatever. I never understood people who just like to destroy things".

Sid fell silent, not sure how to answer this. He'd so far neglected to tell them about the Antipodes' home universe, how it was dying. He hadn't wanted to hurt morale. Fighting an alien force that wants to kill you? Easy. Fighting an alien force whose families and civilization will die if they don't get what they want? Harder. The last thing they needed right now was more gray.

Or at least that was what Sid told himself.

"...In my experience, Trok, sometimes there isn't a good answer. Sometimes you shouldn't reach too far for an explanation. You'll only end up hurting yourself".

The horathean gave him an odd look, "...Do you know something?"

"...No" Sid lied, though he'd been tempted, "I'm just saying..." what *was* he saying? "...Look, I'm from Mirinoi. My dad was a colony kid, my mom was an assimilated native. When the terrans came to Mirinoi, they eventually ended up uprooting all the native civilizations there. Wars were fought, people died, civilization ended. My mom..." Sid laughed a bit at the memory, "...My mom had lots of stories her mother passed down to her from her childhood, before the southern continent had been fully 'assimilated'. And it was always so weird listening to them as a kid because...it was just so different".

"...What are you getting at?" Trok asked.

Sid frowned, "...I guess I'm just saying...sometimes there isn't an easy solution, Trok. It didn't matter how friendly those first colonists were. It didn't matter their circumstance. Eventually the native Mirionites paid for it".

An uncomfortable silence passed. Sid realized he was babbling and in a bad way.

"I'm sorry" he said, It's just...late".

Trok frowned, but seemed to let the whole thing slide as his attention was soon diverted to the tall rock pillar a few yards from them. Up top sat Xolin and Nikki, evidently having some sort of chat themselves.

Sid caught on pretty quick, "...I don't know what's been up with you two lately, but I heard everything you said about her on the station".

Trok wasn't sure how to explain all of this, "...It's just...Triforia changed us, I think. Things were said. It got...heated".

Sid crouched down to where Trok was sitting, "Look, dude. Take it from me. If the bridge is still salvageable, don't let it burn. You'll never know when it won't be there anymore".

Silent for a moment, Trok soon gave Sid a small smile, "...Thanks" he said, "For everything".

Sid shrugged, "What are Sids for?"

The horathean stood up, taking a moment to stretch, "...You really should get some sleep though".

"Who sleeps anymore?" Sid chuckled. After all, he still had several more rounds to make.

* * *

"He was a lot like you".

The silence had been broken by Nikki. Xolin turned to her, "Who?"

"Matt" Nikki replied, "Our blue ranger".

Oh. OH. She was talking about...before, "...I'm sorry" Xolin said, "You...neither of you have ever really talked about...then".

Nikki let out a sad laugh, "Yeah, we don't. There were five of us...them" she still wasn't sure how to define...well, define the old Nikki's life in reference to her own. At times she was Nikki, at other times she knew that technically speaking, she'd never actually been there. "There was Sarah, the yellow ranger, and Akire, our black. He was a rock golem—don't ask. But Matt..." a soft smile played on her lips, "...Matt was interesting. He was always there for a laugh. Always making bad jokes and puns, or pulling a prank, or just generally doing something stupid because he was impulsive".

"...Doesn't really sound like me at all" Xolin said.

Nikki shrugged, "Maybe not at first. You don't have his sense of humor, but that's because I think you internalize it differently".

"What?"

The hologram idly traced a line in the dirt in the rock cracks on the pillar they sat on as she talked, "...Matt had another side, one that he didn't really talk about. One I don't think the others, even Sid, really knew about. Matt was...sad, I guess. I don't know why, he never really talked much about his home life or past. But I think...that's why he acted out. Why he always wanted to make others laugh. You internalize it differently; you're driven and serious. But neither of you ever wanted to burden others with your problems. You just...persevered. You were determined. And you cared deeply. And man, if someone messed with a team member, Matt would have messed with you. Kind of like you".

"...Why are you telling me this?" Xolin asked her, still very surprised they were having this discussion at all.

Nikki shrugged, "I kept things bottled up for so long, maybe...I don't know. I miss them so much, even if technically I wasn't there. I just...want to belong again. Or at least have what I thought I had...if that makes sense".

There was a question Xolin had been meaning to ask all night, but hadn't had the courage, "...How is that, anyway? The clone AI thing, I mean?"

"What about it?"

"I dunno" Xolin said, "I just mean, are you Nikki or…?"

"I'm Nikki" the hologram replied with a slight laugh, "I'm just not sure which Nikki I am, entirely. I might never know. I dunno. It's complicated".

With nowhere to go from there, the two settled into a comfortable silence. They'd spent the entire night just...talking, getting to know each other. Honestly, Xolin had missed having another girl on the team and Nikki well...Nikki missed having anyone on the team.

It was Trok, oddly, who broke the silence. The two girls heard him shuffle in from behind. He stood there, awkwardly, rubbing his arm.

"Hey" he said.

Nikki knew when to bow out, "...I'm sure you two have some things you need to say" she said, getting up, "I need to check in with Sid anyway".

With her gone, Trok and Xolin gave each other hesitant glances. "Would...you like to sit down?" Xolin asked.

Trok did as he had been requested and plopped down next to Xolin, where Nikki had been. A moment passed. Xolin spoke again, keeping her gaze on the horizon. A breeze fluttered past, "...On the station. Did you mean it?"

Trok gave her a look of mild disbelief, "Of course I meant it. Why wouldn't I?"

Xolin finally met his gaze, "I just...after everything...I thought you hated me. On Triforia, and during the time loop..."

Trok shut his eyes, looking away as he curled up into a ball, "...I never hated you. I didn't mean to get mad at you. I just...hated the situation and everything was wrong and I don't-" he began tearing up, "Everything was awful".

Xolin brushed away her own tears, "Yeah...it was. I'm sorry".

"No, I'm sorry. I yelled at you when you were right. Then I just...stayed away because everything was awkward. I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."

That did it. Feeling a reservoir of emotion finally breach the barriers, she grabbed him and pulled him into a tight hug. No more words were spoken. No more needed to be spoken, for now at least. They were an odd pair; a sibling duo one wouldn't expect. But they wouldn't have traded it for anything.

The binary suns began to rise over the jungle.

* * *

_**To be continued...**_


	34. 3x08: The Zord Builders

_Author's note: thank you mysterious guest reviewer I can't reply to! I'm glad you liked the payoff last episode; it's been one of those scenes I've had in my head for years and I'm so happy I finally got it down on paper._

_Unfortunately, there's not actually too much story left to go. I'm sure everyone's noticed that we've hit the halfway mark of the season, and with it we near the end. Not counting this episode, Season 3 has six episodes left in it, putting the season count at 14, and the series count at a nice round 40_._ In fact, this episode is the last stand-alone. Next chapter begins the endgame; I'm about to Judd Lynn this shit._

_...Classic Judd Lynn, not whatever Dino Charge's ending was supposed to be. Oh, and speaking of Nu-PR, a bit of forewarning for this episode: Peacekeepers was designed years ago-and I mean YEARS ago. When RPM happened and seemed to deliver to me a perfect explanation for the background apocalypse in Time Force (mostly the WF teamup and the motion sensor ride), I wrote it in like nobody's business. I am aware that current PR no longer considers RPM to be in the prime universe, so up until now I've mostly danced around the issue of how Earth got apocalypse-d, until now. As it is, you can still consider it a Schrödinger's Cat situation. Was it Venjix? Was it another unnamed AI? You decide. ANYWAY, you're not here to read me ramble:_

* * *

The star was one no one ever noticed. It was your standard red dwarf; a 'trash' star left off of most star charts because it was unremarkable, had no interesting worlds of note, and was well off the major trade lanes. Long range sensors had picked up three small gas giant worlds, a dozen or so small ice moons divided up between them, and an average asteroid belt near the star itself. No one had bothered investigating further, because simply put, there were a million others like it. A million other stars closer to the trade lanes, or with more valuable worlds, or, or, or…

No one ever bothered checking this system out by chance because frankly, no one cared enough to. Which was too bad really, because if someone had explored this system, they would have found something genuinely remarkable about it.

This star was older than the calculated age of the universe.

Another remarkable thing about it was one of the larger asteroids that rested within the belt. It didn't look like the others; at its size, it should have been a dwarf planet, gravity should have pulled it into a spherical shape, but it wasn't. No, it was flat, yet...symmetrical.

And in the shape of a turtle.

* * *

**Power Rangers Peacekeepers**

**Season 3**

**3.08: The Zord Builders**

* * *

It was a strange thing, suddenly finding yourself an admiral, or a general. Not technically, Sid supposed, as he didn't actually have a military rank, but the effect was the same—he was now in de facto charge of the entire Peacekeeper organization.

...Or what was left of it at least; a little under two dozen teams of hastily recruited newbies. Funny that; technically the organization was larger than ever, but was way less capable than it had been before the war. A few had noped out; he'd been told about at least three teams who had decided not to stick around, and another two who were still on the fence. He wasn't going to stop them; truth be told, he didn't blame them after all that had happened, and he had bigger issues to deal with anyway. Poor kids had probably signed up to be heroes—and suddenly it turns out it was all a lie. If Sid was an untrained newbie, he probably would have dropped out too.

Sid made his way down the 'central' pathway of the makeshift camp the teams had established on the jungle moon's surface, the twin midday suns making the air a hot, humid mess. It wasn't *really* a camp mind you, it was just the area of flat land where they'd decided to park their ships. Still, it sufficed for the moment. It was actually a fair bit bigger and busier than it had been the other day, but that had been expected, considering everything.

...And that was the other part of it. Since part of the joint Machine-Triforian fleet had arrived to help evacuate the Peacekeeper teams and his meetings with General Quickspur and King Ihara, Sid had been coming to terms more and more with the fact that he'd essentially elected himself as some sort of war hero...general...thing. He didn't dare stop to think about it, because the stress would probably kill him.

Not that he had any time to stop and think about anything mind you; since sending out his declaration of intent to the universe, the Defender Megaship's comm systems had been ringing nonstop. Captain Yorhor and B'rnix had of course re-affirmed their commitment, but he had also been getting messages from many of the surviving former Confederate militaries. The Karovian and Aquitian forces most definitely, but also a number of Horathean cells, a message from Elder Sesh and the Xybrian elder council, and even a few brief communiques from Delarn's team back in the Tenga colonies. And that wasn't even counting the odd inquiries from beyond Confederate space.

For the first time, it felt like they had a real chance at building some sort of makeshift alliance. Maybe they could actually win this.

...Well, first they had to figure out where Alpha's base was, but still!

"Boy howdy, that was one heck of a message you sent them Antipode varmints!" Quickspur cackled as Sid neared his landed gearship. Groups of cogs and rangers moved in and about, transferring supplies from one ship to another as they prepared to move out, "Though, ain't ya concerned about reprisal? Alpha will be huntin' you kids down".

Sid turned to him, looking away from the data pad he'd been reading—a message from his father he'd been debating on how to respond to; "A little bit. That's why I want everyone off this moon as soon as possible. We need to consolidate as soon as possible, and keep out of sight until then. But I needed everyone to know what was going on at once—we weren't getting anywhere with the other method".

"I getya, don't worry" the general replied as they arrived at the Gearship ramp, "We're almost done loadin' the wagons anyway. Another two hours and we should be good to get underway".

"Good" Sid replied, "The sooner the better". He really didn't want to be around when the Antipodes or SPD or whoever decided to come sniffing around, now that everyone knew they were at where Lambda base had existed not long ago.

"Sid!"

Sid's attention was diverted to Tesas running up to him. He had to admit; he and Sitras were becoming a real help. They'd been assisting Sid on managing the sudden deluge of emails and messages...though Sid had been wondering how the aquitian was handling the heat so well as the younger ranger rushed over to him. Then again, humidity had to be at like, a hundred percent, hence Sid's copious sweat. Tesas might actually have been loving this kind of weather.

Damn aquitians.

"What's up?" Sid asked him, even as a data pad was thrust into his hands. He began scrolling, "...What's this?"

"Another message from that Admiral Drake dude. I guess he really wants to speak with you".

Sid let out a deflating sigh. He guessed he HAD been avoiding dad, even if he told himself he'd just been stumped on how to respond. Well, he was. But still. Sid handed the pad back to the aquitian as he dejectedly began to head for the Defender Megaship, "...I'll be in my quarters if anyone needs me".

He and his dad had talked a little bit after the whole Machine Empire Diplomatic Incident, when Capricorn had almost killed the old man. But things had come up, and their relationship was still strained after all those years, so the messages had dried up. And then...well, Sid had spent three months in an SPD prison and left to die. So yeah, this was going to be awkward.

Hooray.

* * *

"So you've been busy" the bearded, middle-aged visage of Admiral Drake remarked dryly on Sid's screen.

Sid offered an awkward, sheepish smile, "...Hey, dad".

The admiral continued, just as dry as before, "You know, most kids bring home news about their college grades, or who their new girlfriend is. You uncover conspiracies and topple governments".

Sid shrugged, the smile growing wider despite himself, "...Let's be fair, this isn't the worst thing you've caught me doing".

A rattled, weary sigh—the kind of one that could only be made by a man who was old, wizened, and had Seen Things. "So, what happens now?" Not judgment, not yet. Information gathering.

Sid shifted in his seat, "...Now?"

"Yes Sid, now. Your plan".

"...I need your fleet" Sid relied, as simply as possible, "I'm building an armada of sorts".

"And where do you need my fleet to go?"

"That's...we're still figuring that out" Sid said reluctantly. Here it came—judgment. Damnit; this is why they didn't talk.

The admiral rubbed the bridge of his nose in irritation, "Damnit, Sid. You transmitted your intentions to your enemy but you're not ready to move on him?!"

"I didn't have a choice!" Sid bit back, his tone rising, "My options are kind of limited here, and in case you didn't check those files I sent out, time's kind of against us".

His father gave him The Stare, "No, you did what you always did; you jumped out ass-first without considering the bigger pict-"

Sid rose in his chair, angry as shit, "No, the 'bigger picture' is that we'll all be dead if I wait to build our forces only after I have a location! They could move, they could do whatever. And I can't build a fleet if the Bad Guys keep having everybody kill each other!" he sat back down, forcing himself to calm down, "You might not like my methods, but right now I need you to *trust* me".

"You've made yourself a target you know" his father said, his tone flat.

"I know".

Admiral Drake looked away, rubbing his nose again, "...I just...I need you to be safe, Sid. I want you to be safe".

Sid glanced down, his eyes closed as he realized this was about as close as his father was going to get to pouring his heart out. "...We both know that's impossible".

"I know".

Silence reigned for a moment before his father spoke again, this time quieter, "...Where do you need my forces?"

"Where are you right now?" Sid asked as their gaze met again.

Another sigh as his father shifted in his seat, "...Scattered. What's left of our fleets have reduced themselves to hit and run attacks. We can't take the main Alliance fleet in a straight-up brawl, so we're simply hitting their supply lines, keeping them off balance and taking the pressure off the Terran colonies that are still holding their siege".

"Keep doing what you're doing then" Sid replied, "I don't want all our forces in one place for any length of time. Not...not after last time. I just need you to be ready. I want you to coordinate with Quickspur and Ihara".

"So you *do* think" his father said, the faintest hints of a grin forming.

Sid smiled back, "Only on Tuesdays".

"...When you call, we'll be there" the admiral said at last.

"Thank you" Sid replied, in earnest.

The link shut down. There were no goodbyes, no 'I love you's. Maybe...maybe someday there would be, but they weren't quite there yet.

Assuming of course, there were going to be 'somedays'. Sid groaned as facepalmed; he didn't even have any idea of the time frame they were working with here. The antipodes were going to activate the xenoformer in the next twenty minutes for all he knew.

Damnit all.

* * *

Another Megaship took off, rising into the sky. Most of the others had already left, splitting up into small groups. Each wing of the joint Machine-Triforian fleet would be complimented with one or two Peacekeeper Megaships.

What strange bedfellows.

"We ready to go?"

Sid turned from watching Team Nineteen fly off from his position just off the Defender Megaship's ramp. Xolin came up to him. He nodded, "Yeah. Everybody's away. Time to get the hell out of here".

The two made their way to the bridge where the Trok and Nikki already were. The decision had been made to let Tesas as Sitras go off with General Quickspur for now—the old machine had taken a bit of a liking to them, and frankly as helpful as they'd been, the smaller the group Sid had to keep together right now, the better. They'd likely be getting into some deep shit in the near future, and there wouldn't be any room for error. The two had protested of course, but in the end they understood. As he took the captain's seat, the last Machine gearship lifted off into the sky.

"Ready on your orders" Trok said.

Sid nodded, "Take us out".

The Defender Megaship lit up, lifting itself off the ground with a mighty roar. It hovered there for but a moment, letting the grass and other plants rustle in the artifical wind before the vessel took off, speed climbing exponentially as it veered off into space. As they left the atmosphere, the team caught sight of numerous gearships, triforian pyramid battleships, and megaships as they all began to warp out in groups.

"And so it begins" Nikki muttered to herself.

Xolin eyed her for a second, her expression unreadable, before turning to Sid, "So what now?"

That was the question, wasn't it? They had a million things to do and not nearly enough time to do them in. So many potential allies to recruit, and they still had to somehow locate the Antipode base. They could scan for concentrations of Morphin Grid power of course, but the problem there was that it was a bit like finding a needle in a haystack; the Antipodes could be anywhere in the known universe, and there were a multitude of other possible sources of Morphin energy concentration, as Trok had explained.

Thankfully however, Trok had an answer here too, "Actually, I'm picking up a distress signal".

All heads turned to Trok. Sid frowned, "...I'm sorry Trok, but I'm not sure we have the time to deal with sidequests right now". Harsh, but true. Sid wished they could help, but at any given time there were a million things happening in just a few light-years' radius. They could stop to help, but if they kept stopping to help when time was of the essence, then everyone would pay for it.

Trok shook his head, "No, this is...weird. The SOS was beamed directly to us, using one of the signals we gave out in your message".

Okay. Now THAT was interesting, "...What's the distress call say?" Sid asked.

Trok shrugged, "It doesn't. It's just an automated beacon. Whoever sent it out couldn't get a full message out".

"...Or didn't want to" Nikki finished, "This sounds like a trap".

"Antipodes" Xolin agreed.

Trok turned back to his console, "Good point. Ignoring".

"No, wait".

Everyone turned back to Sid. Nikki gave him an odd look, "...You can't be serious" she said flatly.

In return, Sid gave a wry expression, "We could get their base's location from them directly".

Nikki wasn't buying it, "By triggering their trap? Sid, they'll kill us".

"We'll have to face them eventually anyway. This way at least, we'd be outflanking them. We know they know, but they don't know we know. We'll catch them flatfooted".

"And if they won't give up the location?" Xolin asked.

"Then we've at least eliminated a few more antipodes" Sid said, "There's not that many left. The more we take out, the more desperate Alpha becomes".

Silence reigned as the rangers contemplated this turn of events.

"...I say we do it" Trok said firmly, "Even if it's not them, we can still gain an ally".

Xolin nodded, "Agreed".

Nikki gave the rest of them irritated looks and a sigh of exasperation, "Alright, sure, why not. Let's go get ourselves killed".

"Where's the signal coming from?" Sid asked Trok.

The horathean pressed a few holographic buttons on his console, "...A small red dwarf star, just on the other side of this galaxy. Real close by".

"What's the name?" Nikki asked.

A few more taps. Trok's brow furrowed in a mix of confusion and...irritation? "It...doesn't have one".

"What do you mean it doesn't have one?" Sid asked in disbelief, "It's gotta have at least a serial number, or a provisional code".

Trok shrugged, giving up on his search, "I'm telling you, this thing doesn't show up on any star charts, or in any registry lists or...anything. As far as the database is concerned, it doesn't exist".

Xolin and Nikki glanced at each other. Xolin frowned, "That...doesn't make any sense".

Nikki folded her arms, leaning back in contemplation, "I guess...by sheer probability, there had to be a star out there somewhere that had been overlooked. Still, that's...really weird".

Sid agreed, "*Really* weird. Alright, take us out. To where no one's gone before" he frowned, considering, "...Literally, in our case".

The Megaship turned on its axis as it left the moon's orbit, setting its course. Its engines roared to life. A moment later, it jumped to Hyperrush speeds, vanishing from the system.

* * *

"Alpha".

Alpha turned from his station. He was in his office, and had been coordinating the repair efforts on the station in the aftermath of Sel's escape attempt. It had been difficult; most of the SPD personnel they'd enlisted had become less than willing to perform their duties ever since Sid had blown everything out in the open. Most simply refused to work, and there were more than a few rumors that open mutiny was on the table—the only reason they hadn't was likely the fact that no one knew who else could be trusted, and so the necessary organization hadn't manifested yet. Yet, Alpha knew this confusion wouldn't last. In the end, he'd been forced to restrict most of the base personnel to their rooms, leaving only a skeleton crew of those he was pretty sure he could still trust, as well as a number of Krybots Epsilon and Beta had ordered in from the Troobian Empire a few weeks earlier. Yet even this he knew was a temporary solution.

The leader of the Antipodes turned as Beta walked into his personal workspace, a sterile utilitarian white room with numerous computer systems everywhere. "What have you got for me?"

"Bad news, I'm afraid" she said matter-of-factly as she moved over to him. With a few taps she switched one of his holo-monitors over to security footage of Sel's old room, "You'll want to see this".

So Alpha watched. He watched as the Man with the Briefcase appeared in Sel's room and talked to her. He watched as he tried to turn her loose on their cause. He watched as he left her the means to free herself—the power disruptor they'd found attached to the console on her door. His fists clenched at the reveal of this sudden betrayal.

"Where is he?" Alpha growled.

"At the moment? I don't know".

The recording looped. Alpha's anger grew, "...Find him. Bring him to me. I don't suffer traitors well".

"...As you command" Beta replied, turning to leave.

"While you're out" Alpha said, stopping her even as his eyes remained locked on the recording, "Do we have enough Krybots to hold the station?"

"...We have enough for a skeleton crew, I think".

"Activate them all. Then procure more. Our employees have expended their use".

She nodded, "I still have a few aliases I can use to procure more. What should we do with the SPD personnel?"

Alpha's reply was resolute, "Terminate them".

Beta paused, concerned, "...All of them? A few are still loyal".

"They have, for whatever reason, chosen to willingly betray their own universe for short-term gain. I have no use for soldiers with no conviction or honor or trust".

A beat of silence, "...As you command" Beta repeated as she turned once more and headed for the exit.

"...Oh, and Beta" Alpha added, again stopping her at the door. She paused, but did not turn around, "I haven't forgotten you left Zeta to die".

Her hand on the doorway clenched, "...He covered my retreat. If he hadn't, the rangers would have fried us both".

Alpha's reply was cold and even, even as the recording looped again, "...Do not fail me again".

"...Yes sir" Beta subdued reply sounded, before the blue antipode finally left the room. Alpha stared daggers at the image of the Man with the Briefcase.

* * *

It was a system older than time, untouched for an age.

The Megaship warped in, arriving near the outermost of the three small gas giants, near one of its icy moons. The star's red light cascaded eerily off the would-have-been light green coloring of the gas giant.

"...Anything?" Sid asked from the captain's chair.

Xolin shook her head as she studied the system's layout on a holographic display, "...I'm reading three small gas giants, all well outside the life-zone of the star. There's an asteroid belt further in, but other than that..."

"...Spectrographic analysis is picking up something weird" Trok said, "...By all rights, this star should be over eighteen billion years old".

Sid turned to him, "...The universe is only fourteen billion".

"That's why I said it's weird".

Xolin groaned, "No please, no more eldritch horror. I had enough of that on Eltar".

"Hang on" Trok said, interrupting her, "Beacon's coming from the asteroid belt...and I'm getting some odd readings".

"...Odd how?" Sid asked.

"...A massive influx of Morphin energy" Trok said, his own voice in disbelief as his gaze shifted to the star on the viewscreen. Everyone jumped up at that.

"...It couldn't be" Xolin said breathlessly.

Nikki shook her head, "No, it couldn't. Why would the Antipodes lead us to their own base? That doesn't make sense".

Sid made note of their arguments, then turned his full attention on the viewscreen, his decision made, "Alright, no use getting our hopes up. Xolin, take us in. Carefully".

The Megaship made a B-line for the asteroid belt. The star, which had seemed little more than a speck from the gas giant, now dominated the sky like an angry god, its harsh light filling everything.

"...Energy readings are spiking directly ahead" Trok reported. As the Megaship rounded an asteroid, the rangers spied their target dead ahead—a huge asteroid almost the size of a planet, but clearly not spherical in shape.

"...What the hell is that?" Xolin exclaimed, rising out of her seat to get a better look.

Sid squinted, trying to get a good look at it even with the hellish light of the star behind it. As it came into view as the Megaship took up a position over it, he saw it was in a very familiar shape.

A turtle.

Sid's eyes bulged, "...That's impossible".

Nikki, too, had gotten out of her seat, and was now leaning against the bar behind Sid's chair, her expression a mixture of confusion and wonder, "...Is that…?"

"...I think it's an animarium" Sid replied, confirming Nikki's question.

Trok's hands moved over his console like lightning, "...It's at least two and a half thousand kilometers in length. Spirits. Detecting..." he paused, as if trying to come to grips with his own report, "...I'm detecting lifesigns. Lots of lifesigns".

"...The hell is an animarium doing out here?" Nikki asked in wonder, "Better question, how the hell is there another animarium?"

"...That's a *very* good question" Sid said, "...Xolin, move us to-" The ship shook. "What the hell was that?!" Sid demanded. The ship shook again. Lights and console stations flickered.

"Reading massive power drain!" Trok reported, "We're being pulled in!"

"Get us out of here!" Sid ordered, "Full reverse!"

Xolin tried, "...I can't! Engines are down!"

Trok's reply was a little too frantic for Sid's taste, "All ship functions are shutting down!"

Some of the consoles sparked. Lights began to fail. On the viewscreen, the turtle began to get a whole lot bigger.

"...Oh boy" Sid breathed, before taking control again, "Everyone buckle in! This is going to get rough! Xolin, can you guide us in!?"

"I...I think so!" Xolin said, a little panicky, "Hang on!"

The Megaship nosedived towards the turtle, heading for the night side of the flat structure. Like the much smaller animarium back on Earth, the edges were ringed with mountains, which contained forests and seas and deserts within. Space soon gave way to cloudy atmosphere, and the ship's heat shield armor began to be tested as the Megaship became a fiery comet across the night sky. Xolin pulled up as much as she possibly could, but it wasn't enough. The Megaship clipped one of the interior mountains, nearly knocking everyone out of their seat as the ship closed in on the forest below.

Everyone gripped their seat tight, closing their eyes tight as impact became imminent.

This was going to suck.

The landing *did* knock everyone out of their seat, as the ship rolled right through the forest, tearing trees and hills apart until it finally came to a complete, and merciful, stop.

"...Ow" Trok groaned, pulling himself up pitifully.

"Damage report!" Sid managed, gripping the base of his seat as he tried to untangle himself from the underside of a console.

"Power's down, emergency power's still functioning" Trok said, noting the red lights that had replaced the normal lightning, "...Barely. I think we got out pretty okay with the crash...we're pretty banged up, but we didn't loose anything".

"What happened?" asked Xolin, before bumping her head on a console, "Ow!"

Trok shrugged, even as he tried to activate a few of the now off-lined systems, "Not a clue. Power just...died".

"We need it back, Trok" Sid said.

Trok nodded and headed for the door, "You'll get it. I'm going down to engineering".

"Nikki, you go with him" Sid said, "Xol, you're with me. We need to do some scouting".

"...Can we even morph like this?" Xolin asked him as they all headed for the door, making sure not to bump into each other in the darkened corridor, "We might have to switch to life-force mode". She hated life force mode...using her own life energy to power anything seemed…wrong somehow. Like she was stealing from her own health.

"Hmm" Trok mused, "I wonder" he activated his morpher as they walked down the hall, instantly transforming into the green ranger, "Hah! I was right!"

"...About what?" Sid asked as the horathean demorphed.

Trok grinned like a kid in a candy shop, "This whole...planet or whatever, it's absolutely *swimming* in Morphin Energy".

"Then why is the ship out of power?" Xolin asked.

Trok's brow furrowed, his smile vanishing a bit, "...That's what I intend to find out. But you guys shouldn't have any problems".

"Good" Sid said, as he and Xolin morphed, "Good luck. We'll be back shortly". They took a left in the hallway; Trok and Nikki took a right.

"We'll be here!" Trok replied jovially as the two groups split.

* * *

The first thing Xolin stepped into upon exiting the ship was thick, water-sucking mud.

"...Ah" she said, disgusted as she pulled her boot out, "...It's going to be one of those planets".

"Not actually a planet" Sid corrected her, making a short leap to more solid ground—a collection of rocks just ahead. The ship had crashed in a ravine in the forest, the thick foliage obscuring all but the barest hints of the cloud cover above them. Their suits had switched on headlights so they could see.

"Not the point!" she lobbed back, before following him. The two began to climb up the rockface leading out of the ravine, and promptly stopped when they reached the crest.

"...Woah" Xolin breathed.

"You got that right" Sid replied, equally impressed.

Ahead of them, the ground sloped down into more jungle which went on for miles. In the distance, snow-capped mountains rose high up, flanked by a large lake. The jungle itself was...well, alien. Even in the dark, they could tell the vegetation was darker than usual, likely a byproduct of existing near a red dwarf star. It was purple, almost black...except for the parts that glowed brilliantly with many bio-luminescent colors. Some looked like 'regular' trees, some like willows, others like giant fungal growths; mushrooms. Most interesting though, was that directly ahead existed some sort of ancient complex; angular buildings that almost reminded Sid of some pictures of ancient ruins back on Earth. 'Ankgor Wat' he thought it had been called, though this city was much bigger and taller. In the sky, in the distance, they could make out something metallic yet organic in shape, and very large, flying across the horizon.

"...I've missed this" Sid said, chuckling.

"...Missed what?" Xolin asked.

Sid motioned out to the forest, "Just...this. Ending up ass-up somewhere alien and running with it. Just another random adventure, and not fighting a losing war for our very survival".

"...We've had some good times, haven't we?" she asked.

He nudged her arm playfully before swinging around and beginning his slide down the other side and towards the alien ruins, "We're not done yet. Come on!" With a small smile, Xolin quickly joined him.

* * *

"So what's an 'animarium'?" Xolin asked as they continued their trek through the jungle undergrowth.

"Hm?" Sid replied, "Oh. The Animarium was a magical floating island back on Earth. It was the home of an entire ecosystem of zords. Crazy stuff. Used to be home to an ancient civilization".

"What happened to it?" she asked.

He shrugged, "Dunno. Probably destroyed during the Fall. No one's been dumb enough to try and land on Earth since the quarantine".

"You ever go? Before everything went down, I mean".

"Nah. My dad went a couple times though; for work. I was just a kid when SPD pulled out and put the quarantine up. It just felt sort of like a far-away thing, you know? I mean sure, Mirinoi sort of became the de-facto capital of the colonies, but pretty soon we were at war with the Alliance over it anyway, so Earth itself just kind of...I dunno, seemed distant". He'd read up on it of course; it was pretty much the central reason what eventually became the Confederacy had risen up against the Alliance—SPD's increasing tyrannical rule which culminated in them simply abandoning Earth when she'd needed them most. But SPD had deemed a rogue AI too dangerous for their tastes, so they'd decided to cut and run. Now Earth was a cornucopia of horrors; heavily defended city-state citadels, roving bands of hostile machines, Super-Orgs, irradiated wastelands...

"You don't feel anything towards it?" Xolin asked, a bit puzzled by this behavior. Most Triforians always felt a strong connection to their homeworld, regardless of whether or not they grew up there.

Sid shrugged again, "Like I said, I've never been. I mean I guess, yeah, it does suck we lost so much of our heritage, but I think we get along pretty okay. Humans have been migrating from one place to another from day one. Home is wherever we make it. And right now, we got a bunch more worlds".

The two were chatting so much they hadn't even really even noticed that they'd entered a clearing near the ruins. Or that said clearing was filled with SPD shuttles. Or a downed SPD battleship. Or lots of SPD troops and personnel.

They DID notice when a few dozen guns got pointed at them though.

"...Oh" Sid managed, "Hey...guys. What's up?"

A few of the guns clicked.

Sid cleared his throat, "Oh! Were these *your* alien ruins? Sorry, we must have taken a wrong turn back at the ravine. We meant to go to the OTHER alien ruins. We'll just be going".

The two rangers turned to leave, but more guns loaded themselves, forcing them to stop.

"Halt!" a voice called out, "Stand down!" The guards looked at each other in confusion, until a new person pushed his way through the crowd, an Ichthyite dressed in a tattered SPD admiral uniform. Reluctantly, the troops put their rifles down, and the admiral stepped forward to the two rangers, motioning to show them he meant no harm.

"My apologies for the rough introductions" he said, "I am Admiral Lacanth, of the SPD Fifth Fleet". The tusk-faced and quad-eyed alien offered a handshake, which the rangers did not take.

"You'll forgive us if we don't" Sid replied coldly. Still, he analyzed the situation quickly, "You told your men to stand down instead of gunning us down. That means you probably want something. What?"

"Ah, yes" the admiral said hesitantly, retracting his arm, "You are Sid Drake, of Peacekeeper team twelve, yes?"

"...Yes?" Sid replied, curiosity beginning to overpower his hatred.

"So you got our distress beacon then" the admiral stated, relieved.

"Xolin cocked her head at the oddity of the situation, "...Wait, *you* sent the beacon?! Why would SPD want to contact us?"

The admiral sighed, before motioning that they follow him, "...Perhaps we should speak in my office".

The two rangers remained stationary. Sid folded his arms, "Yeah, see, trust is a hard thing to come by these days. Especially from people like you".

Admiral Lacanth seemed to flinch a bit, "...I suppose I deserved that. Still, I assure you there is no trap here. We are currently marooned here, and I need your help. Please".

The two rangers glanced at each other, neither one really excited about the situation, but both of them growing increasingly curious despite themselves. Sid shrugged, "...Lead the way, I guess".

* * *

The SPD ship was just as dead as the Megaship; the halls were lit only by the dim emergency power, and the two rangers and admiral had to keep evading techs and crewmen running past in different directions.

Yet not everything was like it had been on the Megaship; Sid had noted on both the outside and now on the inside that there were signs of damage that hadn't been from the crash.

It was battle damage.

"...So" Sid said far too casually, "You guys get hit by that power drain too?"

"Yes" the admiral said, "Unfortunately".

"Why were you even here?" Sid asked, "We couldn't even find this star on any charts".

"Neither could we" the admiral replied, "But we were...forced here, attempting to escape our pursuers".

Ah, so he'd been right. Good to know, "Who'd you piss off this time? Troobians? Eltar?" Sid asked, with more than a little venom.

The admiral's pace slowed a bit; he paused as he considered his words, "...The Ninth Fleet" he said, reluctantly.

"...Come again?" Xolin asked, now lost.

Admiral Lacanth sighed as he approached the door to his office. Opening it, he ushered them in before entering himself, "You upset a lot of things when you released that data" he said, moving around them and taking a seat.

Sid's eyes widened as he realized what the admiral was getting at. So that's what his dad had meant by 'toppling governments', "...You're heading for civil war".

Lacanth laughed bitterly, "If only it were that simple" he sighed, "Multiple worlds have already seceded from the Alliance. Others are taking up different sides. Fleets are being split down the middle. Multiple factions are taking form. It's becoming less of a civil war and more of a complete balkanization".

Sid took a seat slowly, "...Wait, are you serious?" He hadn't really given any of this any thought but...yeah, now that he thought about it? This information getting out to the Alliance wouldn't just cut it off from the Antipodes, it would probably destroy it. Imagine everyone finding out that their government had either willingly or unwillingly collaborated with an enemy who wanted to destroy the universe. Worse, imagine it was discovered that all the wars they were fighting were orchestrated by an unseen conspiracy.

It would tear any country apart, especially one so diverse and already factionalized as the Alliance.

The admiral nodded, "Current projections state that the United Alliance and SPD will cease to exist within the year".

Woah. Now that was a bombshell. That meant that none of this, any of it, had meant anything. The Alliance and the Confederacy had basically beaten each other into extinction. Sid regarded the admiral; even with his alien visage, Sid could tell he was tired, weary. This was a man who had been fighting wars for a long time, and had just watched his entire world unravel in the last two days. A bit of the preconceived hatred Sid had felt towards the man evaporated—replaced by a bit of sadness. So many people were going to die as the Alliance proceeded to tear itself apart.

"...For what it's worth, I'm sorry" Sid said, and he meant it, "The information, I had to-"

"You had to do it" the admiral said, cutting him off, "And I thank you for it. Whatever else, you freed us. I would prefer the terrible truth to a deadly lie any day. Besides, I had long been coming to the conclusion something was wrong for a long time".

"What tipped you off?" Sid asked, with a bit of sarcasm...a bit more than he'd intended, "The constant wars on multiple fronts?"

To his surprise, the admiral chuckled at that, "...You know, when we met last, I had no idea you would end up being our salvation".

"...We've met?" Xolin asked. The two rangers looked to each other; he wasn't ringing any bells for either of them.

"Do you recall Tronus VI about a week ago? I was the commander of the vessel you drove off. This same vessel, in fact".

Xolin's voice hardened, "...We lost a good friend on Tronus VI".

The admiral nodded sadly, "And I lost a lot of good men. That silver ranger, the karovian. He did not care how many burned, he only cared about his mission—their mission. We were just ants, or tools to be used".

So the admiral had been burned by Isdilian as well. Sid knew that feeling well, "...Yeah, Izzy's never been much of a people person" he said, earnestly.

"...Izzy?" the admiral chuckled a bit, "He doesn't seem like an 'Izzy' to me".

Sid smiled sadly, "No. I guess he doesn't".

"So why did you call us here?" Xolin asked, hoping to get to the heart of the matter.

The admiral got up, pacing slowly around the edge of his tattered office. A few books were on the floor; knocked off the bookcase. Some of his models had shattered when they crashed, "Most of what's left of my fleet is scattered and beyond their range to help us at the moment. I don't trust any other SPD fleet at the moment, not with the chaos going on back home. I was already on my way to meet with you but..."

"So you want us to rescue you" Sid said, jumping to the conclusion.

The admiral's hand rubbed across the bookcase absently, "Yes. And then I want to join you".

"Join us?" Sid asked.

Lacanth nodded, still turned away from them, "Those...antipodes. They destroyed my home. Killed my men. And for what?" His voice was ragged, barely holding together but still doing so with military discipline. He turned to face the two rangers, rage in his four eyes, "For years I believed in, I *lived* the ideals of the Alliance, and they perverted them into something that had to be destroyed...I want to make things right".

The rangers eyed each other once more. Xolin nodded—despite everything they'd felt, despite all the hatred they'd built up...these people had been hurt just as bad. They had just as much right to demand vengeance, and frankly they could always use more ships. They'd already recruited pirates, rebels, and the Machine Empire—what was one more fleet of former enemies? Sid looked at the admiral, a small smile in his voice, "...Welcome aboard, admiral".

The admiral nodded back with gratitude, "Thank you".

* * *

"You wanted to see me?"

The Man with the Briefcase stepped into the room, adjusting his glasses as he found all four of the Antipodes clustered around each other, obviously having been in the middle of a conversation.

The room was more of a chamber, really. The door opened to a wide walkway, one of several on various levels facing different directions. All around them were windows, facing out into space, and offering a stunning view of the black hole. But most interesting was the central pillar, stretching down from above and reaching down to the base, filling out the center of the room. It was a technological machine, and it was glowing with power. The glass exterior showcased the mass of swirling Morphin Grid energy that it contained—the sum total the Antipodes had so far collected.

How quaint.

"Come in" Alpha said, unassuming, "Beta has discovered something very interesting".

"Oh? And what would that be?" the Man with the Briefcase asked as he closed the distance.

Holoscreens appeared all around them, each replaying the events where the Man had given Sel the power disruptor. For a split second the Man seemed taken aback, but quickly calmed himself, smiling. "Ah. So you figured it out. Oh well".

"'Oh well'?" Alpha growled, "Is that all you have to say for yourself?"

The Man shrugged lazily, "What else would you have me say? Nuts? Rats? Drats? Curses? Phooy?" he chuckled, "Fiddlesticks?"

"...Why?" Epsilon asked, trying to find reason here. Trying to understand why they'd been betrayed. It didn't make any sense, "You've done so much for us. Why do this now?!"

Another laugh. The Man took off his glasses and put them in his shirt pocket, "Let me tell you a story. Once upon a time, there was a colony of ants. These ants lived near a farm house. One day, they accidentally extended their colony into the farmer's pantry. There, they found a bounty of food and resources. For a short time, they co-existed with the farmer, and assumed he'd left the food there for them. They thanked the farmer, and lived side by side, in peace".

The man snorted with laughter, "...For about two days at any rate. Then the exterminator the farmer had made an appointment with showed up, and the entire colony was...well, exterminated. A pity".

"You think this is funny?!" Alpha roared. He rushed up to the Man, staring him down at point blank range, "You think this is some sort of game?!"

"Oh I assure you, it most certainly is a game" the Man replied, "Hasn't it always been? You move one pawn here, they move another pawn there. You kill their rook, they kill your knight. Except in truth, your game has been nothing more than a sideshow".

Alpha seethed with rage, "...You'll die for this". He'd heard enough; he backed away and called to his team, "Kill him. Kill him now!"

The Antipodes pulled out their blasters and opened fire on the Man. Yet...every single shot missed, somehow, despite being at almost point-blank range.

"...Impossible" Epsilon gasped in shock. She glanced down at her blaster, then back at the Man. For his part, he jovially looked down at where he would have been shot, slapped his arms at his sides expectantly, then smiled back at them.

"The ants think themselves the masters" the Man said, laughing, "You are nothing more than an invasive pest. Do not worry though; I will not be the one who poisons you. You still have one more role to play in the grand scheme".

"...What grand scheme?" Beta demanded to know, "What are you planning?!"

The Man turned to her, "You could not even conceive of what has been put into motion, of what can no longer be stopped. Nor will you live to see it. Good day".

Alpha switched his blaster into sword mode and impaled the Man...only to find the Man was no longer there...or maybe he never truly had been. Alpha swung wildly, in denial of what was happening, "NO!" he shouted, but all he was met with was the dying echo of the Man's laughter.

* * *

The SPD base camp was rife with activity. The ship and shuttles were downed, but that didn't stop the constant hustle and bustle of the crew, who were moving supplies from one cache to another, delivering things where they needed to go. Now that Sid wasn't busy keeping an eye on a multitude of guns being pointed at him, or the surprise of this being here at all, he could stop to admire the efficiency of SPD. Because whatever else they were, SPD *was* very efficient.

"So do you have any clue why our ships' power got drained?" Xolin asked the admiral as they made their way to a cliff face sitting behind the warship.

"...Or why they immediately crash landed here" Sid added, "Almost like they were drawn in".

"...I kind of thought that was gravity or whatever" Xolin replied.

Sid frowned, "...Gravity doesn't work that fast. We were tractored in".

Admiral Lacanth was silent for a moment as they trudged up the side of the hill, but soon pointed to the alien ruins that dominated the skyline to the west, "...We wondered the same thing when we crashed. Then we met...her".

"Her?" Sid asked, looking back. The group made it to the top of the cliff face, giving them a better view of the ruins without the ship blocking them.

The admiral replied, "She's some sort of...guardian for this place, we think. An AI or spirit or...something, we're not sure. We couldn't get too many answers out of here. Maybe you could do better".

The red ranger pondered this, "Morphin Grid voodoo? Ancient alien temples? Ghosts? Ehh…."

"Still miss days like this?" Xolin asked.

Sid didn't give her a response, instead opting for another question, "...Any trouble with the local wildlife?"

"You mean the zords?" Lacanth asked with a hint of mirth, "Not too much. My men had to drive off a large...bat...thing last night, but other than that they've left us alone".

Hmm. Sid opened his communicator, "...Sid to Nikki and Trok, how's it going?"

"_Badly"_ was Trok's response, _"As far as we can tell, nothing's wrong. The generator's fine, the engines are fine, all the collections are fine...everything's...fine, minus the crash damage. The ship should easily fly. There's no reason for this"._

"_I've run multiple software diagnostics too"_ Nikki added, _"I got zip. It's like the ship just decided not to work anymore"._

"Did you try turning it off and on again?" Sid asked.

Nikki's irritation could be heard through the communicator, _"Sid, I *will* murder you"._

Sid gave a short laugh; for a split second they were just two cadets again. His serious side soon took hold though, "Give it up, guys. I think you've done all you can from that end, and we need you here".

"_...You think you know what's wrong?"_ Trok asked.

Sid glanced over at the alien temples, "...I have a slight feeling".

* * *

"So….SPD, huh?"

Sid glanced at Trok as the green and black rangers approached the group. The green ranger in particular looked fairly uneasy about the fact that they were now standing just outside of an SPD makeshift base. Sid knew the feeling; he kept having to watch his back. The admiral had kept a pair of guards with him—it did nothing to ease Sid.

Still, "Let's be honest, it's still not as weird as being friends with a general of the Machine Empire".

"The Machine Empire didn't try to snuff out all life in the universe" Trok replied. The others were all a little taken aback by this hatred; it was *very* un-Trok. Even Nikki, always the first to start judging, seemed a little off-centered by this.

"...We were duped" Admiral Lacanth replied evenly, "As were many peoples. For what it's worth, I'm sorry".

Trok looked over the admiral. He was haggard, worn out. Trok could see a man who had been forced into impossible situations in his life and was now wearing those weights everywhere he went. Part of Trok knew he wasn't responsible, knew this wasn't the way to go. That part won out...mostly.

Still, any time Trok saw SPD, all he'd ever really see was Anthren. Or Sel. Or everything on Triforia. The green ranger did not reply to the admiral, instead staring at him for a moment as if unable to decide how to proceed, before deferring to the red ranger.

"Look" Sid said, "I know tensions are a little high right now. How about we just go deal with Ghost Lady and get the hell out of here?"

The admiral nodded, taking the lead into the city complex, "Follow me".

"...Do you even have any idea how to deal with 'ghost lady'?" Xolin asked Sid.

"Not a clue" the red ranger admitted.

The city was beautiful, and ancient. Sid still felt very 'Angkor Wat' and yet...not. Indian, maybe? Mmph. Trying to define ruins older than the Earth had even existed to terran cultures was an experiment in madness, so he stopped.

In any case, the main road was huge, at least as wide as an interstate, yet seemingly not built for vehicle traffic. It was almost like a forum, or where a market would have been. Roads branched off in every direction, sheltered by the large and ornate buildings that surrounded them. The quasi-skyscapers were broken up by numerous artificial ponds and parks. But directly ahead was the crown jewel: a massive temple complex that dominated the center of the city.

"...Any idea who these people were?" Xolin asked quietly in reverence as they walked towards the temple complex.

"...Sel probably would have known" Trok said with a small grin, "She spent way too much time researching stuff on the net".

"Somehow I doubt she would" Sid said, taking in the sights, "...Star is apparently older than the universe, remember. Wherever we are, we're in some deep shit".

"Morphin Masters?" asked Nikki.

Sid looked back at her, "...Were even they that old?" She shrugged in response.

The rest of the trip was silent. The rangers, the admiral, and the SPD guards entered the complex. Inside were more parks and ponds, as well as numerous smaller buildings. The one at the center was their destination; inside was what Sid could only describe as an auditorium, terraced downwards from the outside in.

"...So..." he drawled, "...What now?"

None of them had to wait long; almost immediately everything began to turn on. Holograms with no discernible source (likely some kind of magic) filled the room. Sid was corrected—this was no mere auditorium. As they stared out at the infinite universe itself, they found themselves standing inside an observatory. It didn't just cover the local cluster of galaxies, or even the local supercluster—this went far beyond the known universe. Far beyond the Virgo Supercluster, far beyond the great voids. It went far beyond the limits of the observable universe. It was creation in all its infinite glory. It was infinity. It was everything.

All somehow located inside this room.

...Huh, so that's what vertigo felt like.

"Welcome, travelers" a female voice said. The group turned, seeing the ghost of a robed woman, her face partially obscured by the thin veil she covered herself with.

"...I have several questions" Sid said.

She nodded, barely, "As expected".

Xolin started, "...Who are you?"

"I am unimportant" the woman said, "You would not know my name, my identity, or even my race. Such knowledge has since become lost to meaning. I am but an echo, a memory".

"...Do you control this place?" Sid asked, hoping to get a better answer.

The woman turned to him, "...I am its guardian, and custodian".

"What is this place?" asked Nikki, "There was another like it on Earth...much smaller though. Any relation?"

"...We seeded many worlds, many places with our gardens. We tended them, nourished them. But where there were many, there are now few".

"This star. It's...older than the universe" Sid said, "...How is that possible?"

"It is not" said the woman, "It is only older than your kalpa".

"...Our whatnow?" Sid asked, confused.

The woman seemed to search for a better word, "Your...iteration".

"...Iteration of what?" Trok asked.

The woman's response was singular, "Time".

Oooh boy. They'd only been at this a minute or two and Sid was already feeling a headache coming on, "...So...you're saying this place is...older than time? Like, literally?"

She almost seemed to smile, "You see one thread and think it is the fabric. You see one line and believe it to be totality. Such thinking is to be simple".

"That's...not an answer" Xolin said, her own mind starting to melt. She felt like she knew less than when she stepped in here.

"You do not understand".

"No, we don't" Sid said, "Are you a Morphin Master?"

"The Masters were finite, linear. They followed. They were the first".

"They followed...but were the first" Sid repeated, trying and failing to follow.

The admiral spoke up, "You see what I mean, then. She's...difficult".

"You are base" the woman replied, "Subgradient. Broken from the whole".

"...I do love being insulted" Sid said flatly. They were getting nowhere with this, "Okay, forget all that. How do we get out of here? How do we leave your...er, garden?"

"You must not" said the woman, "This place must be hidden. You cannot leave".

"That's...not going to work" Sid replied, "We seriously need to get out of here".

The woman remained unmoved, immobile almost, "That is impossible. This place must be protected".

Trok spoke up, "If we don't leave, the entire universe will be destroyed. Trust us, we *need* to go. We won't tell anyone, we promise".

"That is impossible" the woman said, "You will not leave. Any attempt will be discouraged".

"You just expect us to remain here to die?" Nikki asked.

From the side, Xolin attempted to touch the woman. For her efforts, she was launched backwards, taking Trok with her as they tumbled into the steps. Everyone else suddenly shifted into a fight position, on alert as they waited for the ghost to make another move.

Yet the woman remained stationary, "...The garden supports life. You may live out your days here, as many have. As many will".

Sid glanced over at where Trok and Xolin were pulling themselves back up, then he again eyed the woman. Frustration bubbled, "...Why must this place be protected?"

"It is a safeguard, if the project fails. Insurance for the next kalpa".

"What project?" Now he was getting irritated.

"You would not understand".

Of course. Why not? "So there's nothing you're really willing or able to help us with is there?" Sid asked, sighing in irritation, "Fine, whatever. What happens if we try to leave?"

The woman stared directly at him, and he felt danger. This woman was just looking at him, and yet all Sid suddenly felt was his flight or fight instinct kick into overdrive. He felt as if under imminent threat. She spoke, "You will not".

"Oh...well. Glad we cleared that up" he said, taking a step back. They all waited for her to respond again, but instead she simply vanished, taking the entire holographic universe with her, leaving the group in the empty auditorium.

"...She was nice" Trok said blandly, dusting himself off.

Xolin had a bit less of a nuanced reaction, "...okay, what the *hell* was that?"

Admiral Lacanth shrugged, "A hologram? A ghost? We haven't been able to figure it out. Scans come up negative; no magic, no obvious power source".

Sid turned to Nikki, "Did either of you pick up anything?"

She shook her head, "Nothing as far as my scanners go. Then again, with all the ambient morphin energy, you could probably manifest magical spells at will, without having to channel mana at all".

Trok continued to scan with his morpher, "...I'm picking up *something* beneath us. It seems to be where a lot of the energy is coalescing. Maybe a power source. I wouldn't even begin to know how to get to it though".

"...That woman" Nikki said, thinking as she looked at Xolin, "...You barely even touched her and she just tossed you aside without even moving".

"It was just this...wave, I guess, of energy" Xolin replied, "A *lot* of energy".

Nikki shook her head, her scans still picking up nothing, "...I don't think she was a hologram, more like a..."

"...A god" Sid finished. When everyone gave him an odd look he explained, "The Animarium on Earth had one too, if I recall. No idea where he came from; he was likely far older than the Animarium civilization".

"...You've never struck me as a historian" Xolin said, her arms folded as she leaned against a pillar.

Sid shrugged, "Ranger history was a required class in the academy" he coughed awkwardly, "...Besides, I had a bit of a thing for the Wildzords as a kid".

"She said there were many, but now there were few" Nikki pondered, "...And there are a lot of zord lineages whose histories we can't trace reliably. They just...show up in the record one day".

"The Galactabeasts" Sid said, following her train of thought. When she nodded, he added, "...There are some odd similarities there. Whole zord species that blur the line between robot and animal. They were seeded".

"By who?" Trok asked, "The Morphin Masters?"

No, that wasn't right. Nikki shook her head, "...She said she was older. I think we're dealing with some serious deep time shit. Maybe the predecessors to the Masters. Before the war between Good and Evil".

"...Before the dawn of time" Sid mused, "Eugh, my head hurts".

"Before time? But the universe existed?" Trok asked, "Except this star is older than the universe because time? How does that make any sense? How can you have anything 'before' time?!"

"...A prior kalpa" Xolin said, "...Another 'iteration'. Another cycle of some sort?"

Nikki skimmed through her database's galactic history files, "...The War between Good and Evil started only a few billion years ago. After that we've got Morphin Masters and other ancient civilizations. Before that we've got nothing. The universe is empty; no ruins, no myths, nothing. How did that war start? Where did it come from? What existed before Good and Evil were concepts?"

Admiral Lacanth spoke up, "...My people have a creation myth. In the beginning there was nothing, and everything. The universe existed without form or purpose. Ideas were transient, unbound. But eventually the earliest urges, the personifications of what would become our gods, went to war over how they wanted to be. What resulted was the ordered yet entropic universe we reside in".

Xolin rubbed her chin, "...The war of the gods. It's something you'll find in a lot of creation myths. Order from chaos, life from the primordial".

"Maybe it really *was* a war of ideas. Before it was fluid and nonlinear, afterward civilization could form" said Nikki, puzzling this out.

Trok blinked, trying to get a hold of this in his brain, "Wait, wait. Hold on. If we look through a telescope, we can study the progression of the universe. We can see the background radiation of the big bang, we can see the earliest galaxies form, we can see how it all unfolded. Are you telling me the universe just...I don't know, retconned this or something?"

"…'You see the thread and think it's the fabric'" Nikki whispered, repeating the woman's words.

"...Nikki?" Sid asked worriedly.

She looked up at him, "...I don't think it was a retcon. Not like that, anyway. It's more like...that's how we perceive it. It's all our minds can do to understand what happened. I think it did happen just like that...except more? Or less? Maybe?"

Xolin sighed, "Well, my mind's mush".

Sid decided to get everyone back on track, "Look, this is fascinating and mind numbing, but we still need to find a way out of here. Trok, if we shut down that energy node, do you think it'll free our ships?"

"...I wouldn't have a clue" said Trok, "Your guess is as good as mine".

"How would we even get to it?" Nikki asked Sid, "You want me to get a shovel?"

"Our ship won't fly anyway—too damaged. We'll need to launch from our remaining shuttles and fighters" the admiral said.

Sid nodded, "Then I suggest you head back and do that; I want you to be ready the second the field comes down. Trok, Nikki, you're with me. We're going to find an entrance or make one".

"Um..." Xolin muttered, feeling a little left out.

Sid looked over at her, "I need you to get back to the Megaship. Once the power drain stops, I expect our host will have some things to say about it. Those shuttles are going to need to be protected".

"...Do I have to?" she reluctantly asked, part of her perfectly fine with letting the shuttles fend for themselves. After a brief Look from Sid, she relented, "Yeah, yeah, I got you". The two groups split up, the admiral and Xolin heading for the exit to the compound, and the other three rangers rushing out into the inner courtyard.

"Are teleporters working?" Sid asked as they looked around fruitlessly.

"Not with the ship on emergency power" Trok replied, "But they had to have had some way to get down there. A passageway, or their own teleport network, or a spell..."

"Not if we're talking about gods we're not" Nikki said. The black ranger walked up to the edge of the artificial pond and knelt down. Mechanical fish swam through the shallow pool, and around them in the gardens they could see numerous other small...well, zords they supposed. Some looked like peacocks, others larger and much like elephants. Somewhere, in the distance, something called out for a mate.

"...Spirits" Trok said breathlessly, letting the atmosphere catch up with him for once, "...I could stay here forever and just study this place".

Nikki placed her hand against the ground, as if that would help her sensors. She was having a hard time; she'd been trying to scan the area and determine how the lower levels of the complex were organized to see if she couldn't find a physical entrance, but the level of ambient morphin energy was making it difficult. It was like everything was fuzzy, unformed.

"Trok" she said, "...Link in to my sensors. I'm going to need you to help triangulate with me".

The green ranger nodded, doing so with his morpher.

"I'll stay here, give you a base coordinate" the black ranger said, "You need to move around. Check one of the buildings—I'd assume if there WAS an entrance, it would be here, in the inner courtyard".

"You got it" Trok said. He and Sid headed off, towards one of the other buildings. They checked one after another, finding not much of interest. One was obviously a small temple with an altar, another was simply empty.

"Nothing yet" Trok said, "...Wait". He stepped inside, cautiously.

"Of course it was the empty one" Sid quipped, "Where else would it be?"

The sensors weren't picking up much but...no, there, directly under the floor. There didn't seem to be any way to get past though. As the green ranger stepped forward, his foot depressed one of the stones. It lit up.

"Oh!" Trok exclaimed with a bit of surprise, "A puzzle, of course!"

Sid glanced down at the flowing design of the stones, curving about in various ways like a mosaic, "...You've got to be kidding me" he groaned, "A friggin' puzzle?"

Trok pressed another stone. It also lit up. A third stone however, returned everything to the start. "Hmm, there's a pattern, just gotta figure out what it is".

"Trok, love you like a brother, but we don't have the time" Sid said, "Izzy was right about one thing".

The green ranger's head cocked in confusion, "What would that be?"

The red ranger didn't reply with words. Instead, he summoned the battlizer. The armor formed around him, latching into place. Trok stepped back as Sid's weapons charged and a powerful beam of crimson energy punched right through the floor. Powering down the armor, the battlizer vanished as the two rangers looked down at the new, dark, and seemingly bottomless hole in the floor.

"...You first" Trok said.

* * *

It was a fairly deep drop; Sid estimated about three stories as his feet finally hit the ground. His visor's headlights illuminated the dark chamber, but all he saw was more stone floor and—oh. OH. Oh...wow.

The large hallway Sid was in was dark, but that wasn't true further down the tunnel. Even from here, he could see a swirling vortex of energy suspended in midair, at least a story in size. "Trok!" he said, calling up, "I found it! Come on down!"

The green ranger dropped down next to Sid, inhaling as he saw the storm of light. The two approached, basking in the warm glow.

"...It's Morphin energy alright" Trok said, using his suit's scanners as well as he could; they were pretty much useless at this range thanks to all the ambient power. Beneath the maelstrom was a platform that kept it suspended, filled in with numerous magic runes. Or...Trok assumed they were runes; magic wasn't his strong point. He suddenly kind of wished they'd brought Sitras along for this.

"Any idea how to stop this?" Sid asked.

"Uh..." Trok scratched the back of his neck, stress and uncertainty eating at him, "...Maybe? Best I can gather, the runes are how everything works-but I couldn't tell you which does what, I'm not a mage".

"Erasing them is out of the question?"

"I mean, you could try. But you're just as likely to shut it down as you are to overload it and kill us and everything else".

"...This is a conduit, isn't it?" Sid asked, memorized by the dancing patterns of light.

Trok nodded, watching the dance as well, "...Something like it, at least. Maybe where the idea came from? It's more...natural, I think. A conduit is a lot like a tear in space. This is...organic, almost".

The two pondered their situation, their attention turning to the magical glyphs and symbols that lined the complex platform—runes that had held no place in any known language, living or extinct. But their attention was soon diverted again—footsteps sounded behind them. The two rangers turned about. Ahead of them now, coming in from out of the dark in all directions, and blocking their escape, were a multitude of person-sized zords. Alien cats and peacocks and songbirds and elephants.

Sid cursed, "...This can't be good".

Every single animal's eyes glowed red.

"Definitely not good!" Sid added. As he said that, the zords transformed, shifting into battle mode—some of them flying drones, others tripodal turrets. The elephants became bipedal three times as tall as the rangers. "Trok, kill the runes!"

"But we could kill *us*!" the green ranger protested, "And who knows how many light-years?!"

"Are you sure you can't decipher the runes?" Sid asked again.

The bots began to power up weapons as Trok replied, "Positive. This isn't like the time loop situation; we *can't* do this by trial and error".

The red ranger cursed again, glancing between the runes, Trok, and the bots. He came to an inescapable conclusion.

"...Do you trust me?" he asked, his voice almost serene.

Initially the green ranger was confused by the seeming change in topic, "Wha—yes. Yes I do" he said firmly, "I'll hold them off. Battlizer!" The armor formed around Trok's suit. He grasped his hammer, and dove into the fray, his weapon smashing into the nearest tripod as they opened fire.

Sid hopped onto the platform, looking down at the symbols with frantic confusion. He knew as much about magecraft as Trok—aka nothing—and this was full on primordial magic, beyond their ability to understand. He knew this when he'd volunteered, but Sid had decided on one thing at least: whatever happened, he wasn't going to leave Trok with the burden.

Or the guilt.

As Trok summoned a bubble shield to protect him from another barrage, then returned fire by switching his hammer to mace mode and making a wide arc of attack, Sid made his decision.

"Eenie meenie miney...please don't kill us" he muttered under his breath, praying to any god that was listening. Charging his axe up with burning flame, he brought it down on the platform and *pushed*. Fire cascaded out, burning away the runes.

For a second nothing happened. Then the world began to shake. The pillars holding the chamber up began to crumble, the ceiling began to cave in.

"TROK!" Sid shouted.

"SID!" the battlized ranger replied, launching into the air with his wings. The green ranger swung around, evading laser fire as he grabbed Sid—just as the conduit began to destabilize. The sphere of energy became distorted, the flowing patterns erratic. It began to expand—slowly at first but soon picking up speed and burning away anything that came in contact. Trok shot for the exit.

"GO GO GO!" Sid shouted as the energy closed in on them.

"I'M GOING! I'M GOING!" Trok shot back, just as they broke free of the surface. They swung around again, back towards Nikki's last known location. They soon caught sight of her, already garbed up in her Phantom Mode armor and beating back a squadron of minizords.

"NIKKI, MOVE!" Sid shouted as they closed the distance. The black ranger threw a tripod to the ground and stepped on its face, before looking to where she'd heard Sid—and a strange rumbling noise. She saw Sid and Trok alright—as well as the ground collapsing behind them.

"...Oh SHIT!" she shouted in sudden terror, already moving. Activating her jetpack, she leaped into the air, catching the others as they flew by, "What did you do?!"

"Hopefully I wrote our ticket out of here!" Sid said, as the temple complex collapsed into the earth behind them, ferocious, angry morphin energy licking up from the expanding sinkhole. All around them, things seemed...off. Tremors, flocks of zord birds escaping the forest. Sid caught sight of one or two distant mountains beginning to smoke.

They had to get back to the Megaship *now*.

"...And if you didn't?" she asked back.

Sid and Trok glanced at each other before Sid replied, "...Then we're probably all about to die horribly. Er...Nice armor, by the way" he added. He'd never seen this mode before.

"Uh...thanks" she replied, "Same to you guys".

* * *

Xolin hated waiting. Any time she had to wait, she was always trapped having to wonder how else she could have been helping.

She hated being useless.

Another grunted sigh escaped her lips as she leaned back in the Megazord cockpit's central seat like a frustrated teenager, her limbs splayed out aimlessly. But just when she thought she couldn't take it anymore and was about to contact Sid to see what the holdup was, the power came back on. Every console, every display, every light. One second she'd been only kept company by the emergency lights and the next it was like they'd never been powerless.

"Oh, well. That works then" she said to herself, gripping the controls as she checked sensors. Just as expected, the first of the SPD shuttles were starting to lift off and...oh. Uh oh.

Those were a *lot* of red dots.

* * *

The first SPD shuttle was away; lifting off into the air and towards the cloud cover. A second one began to lift off as well, when a screeching noise could be heard. Out of the sky came a giant four-winged bat zord, talons and teeth bared as it opened with a sonic beam attack. Personnel screamed and ran as the attack hit home, tearing up dirt and material. The bat's attention turned to the escaping shuttle, and it prepared for a second attack.

...An attack that was cut off by the Defender Megazord's foot in its mouth. As the Megazord landed in an attack position, the bat fluttered back, rebounding from the hit. Xolin pushed the controls forward, the Megazord's sword in its hand as it struck at the beast. The bat attempted off a few more sonic attacks which were easily deflected by the Megazord's sword, before the latter came in swinging. Charged up, the blade cut through the bat easily.

Down below, the personnel cheered as a third shuttle began to load up. The blue ranger took a second to congratulate herself and bask in the praise—but the sensors were quick to remind her that shit was about to go down.

Twin alien lion-wolf analogues came rushing at the Megazord, firing lasers as they closed in. Xolin quickly brought up the zord's shield, blocking the lasers as they hit. The lion-wolves jumped into the air and flew past, allowing Xolin to slice one in half as the other landed and wheeled around, firing another salvo.

Xolin's attention was quickly diverted though, as to the Megazord's side a fat, slow moving lizard-like alien zord crawled up onto a ridge. Its mouth opened up and a powerful beam fired at the Megazord. Sparks flew as it made impact, the Megazord stumbling back—giving the remaining lion-wolf a chance to attack, its claws cutting into the Megazord's hull as it charged past.

The blue ranger kept the zord as steady as possible, but had only rebounded just in time to see the zord equivalent of those giant horathean sand worms launching out of the ground and coming down on her in an arc.

"Oh s-"

The Megazord barely managed to dodge, only to find itself now entangled in...what WAS this? Electrical energy shot out, striking the Megazord as it became more and more wrapped up in the tentacles of a giant floating jellyfish zord. Explosions began to rip across its hull. Sparks erupted from the consoles in the cockpit, and it was all Xolin could do to keep her grip on the controls. No matter what though, the more she struggled, the more it seemed the zord got further entangled. Systems began to short out.

"ABOMINATIONS!" a female voice, though quickly distorting, boomed, "FOOLISH SENTIENTS!"

Five new alien zords—some sort of rainbow bird, a turtleish creature with a long tail with a club and robotic fungal structures on its back, a two-legged antelope...thing, a crab-like spider creature, and what could only be described as the lovechild between a scientifically inaccurate dinosaur, a bear, and a Galaxy Of Terror boss NPC came onto the scene, each of them transforming and combining into their own megazord. The new opponent waved its double-bladed sword weapon as it spoke, "YOU. YOU WERE OFFERED SANCTUARY! WHAT YOU HAVE DONE".

"Oh boy" Xolin muttered, wondering just what Sid had done to get the ship working again.

"SACRIFICE MUST BE PAID!"

The enemy megazord closed in, preparing to strike a final blow. Xolin tried her best to get the Defender free, but it was no use. Then right then at the last second—almost predictably—a heavy metallic fist knocked the enemy megazord's head aside. It stumbled back, getting a clearer look at the new challenger—the Sentinel Megazord, armed with Nikki's black Guardianzord—Shadow Mode.

"Hang on, Xol, we'll get you out of there!" Sid's voice said, just before the Sentinel's twin violet energy blades cut the Defender free.

"Hng—thanks!" Xolin grunted as the Defender staggered on its own feet again. The two megazords turned to face their opponent, the bio-luminescent jungle making for a stunning backdrop to the fight.

"INSIGNIFICANT" it boomed before charging in. The other animal zords began to move in too.

Xolin aimed her zord at the worm, "FINAL STRIKE!" The Defender Megazord launched into the air, its sword pointed forward and charged up as the Megazord spun like a tornado, flying right into the beast's maw and ripping its way out from the back side. As the worm crumbled, the other megazord turned its attention on the lion-wolf, quickly dispatching it with its energy blades.

The lizard prepared to fire on the Sentinel, but the Defender blocked the attack with its shield upon landing again, allowing the Sentinel to defend against the incoming enemy megazord. The two locked weapons, and for a second it looked like they were evenly matched. But all too soon, the enemy zord began to overpower the Sentinel, knocking away its weapons before landing a number of good blows. As the Defender tumbled back, the Defender took up position.

"AZURE SNIPER!" Xolin shouted, having combined the Defender with her own blue Guardianzord. Twin rifles opened fire, both on the lizard zord, destroying it, as well as on the enemy megazord. Xolin then turned her full attention on the megazord, launching into the air and opening fire with both rifles. The enemy seemed unfazed however, and quickly returned fire, knocking the Defender out of the air with a few hits. Its sword extended into an energy whip, lashing out on Defender until it crashed into a nearby hillside.

"PHANTOM BLADE!" Nikki called out. From its purple energy talons, the Sentinel shot out a veritable blizzard of smaller violet energy blades at the enemy zord. Then she followed up with another attack, "COSMIC BLITZ!" Every gunport on the megazord opened, unleashing a torrent of firepower.

"PHANTOM STRIKE!"

The Sentinel crouched before launching into an assault, blinking out of existence just long enough to close in on the enemy zord and—uh oh.

The enemy megazord caught the Sentinel while it was invisible and struck it down. The megazord fell back, landing on the ground in a heap. The Defender was about to attack again, but suddenly the ground trembled, shaking. One of the closer mountains erupted into a volcano, and not too far away a fissure in the ground could be seen developing. Above, the cloud cover was evaporating, and the rim of the red dwarf star could be seen rising on the horizon, basking the formerly dark jungle with harsh light.

"...I'm detecting a massive increase in energy output across the entire continent!" Trok said urgently, "I think by disrupting the power source, we've sent everything into a feedback loop!"

"English, Trok!" Sid called back.

"We need to get out of here because this whole place is going to blow!"

As if to punctuate his words, another volcano erupted. Tremors began to vibrate the earth itself.

"Admiral" Sid said, calling the Lacanth, "I need a situation report!"

_"We've got about half our shuttles away"_ he replied, _"We need you to hold on a few more minutes!"_

"Alright, you heard the man!" Sid said, "We gotta keep the angry robot god busy for a bit longer!"

The angry god came down on the Defender, slashing it. The Defender held the enemy sword at bay with its hands for a bit, before it was forced to give way. The enemy zord grabbed its smoking, damaged opponent and tossed it towards the Sentinel, crashing into it. Then twin beams of energy lanced out from the god's eyes, striking both megazords and causing them to fall to the ground as explosions ripped up all around them. The cockpits sparked and shuttered.

"...Hull integrity on the Defender's down to forty percent" Xolin stated, "Reading multiple system damage. She's crushing us".

"Shit's not much better here" Nikki concurred, "I think it's Hail Mary time".

The two megazords pulled themselves to their feet, their hulls smoking and scarred from the beating they'd been given. Around them, the lava began to spill out of the numerous fissurs now pockmarking the animarium surface. Whole sections began to give way.

"Defender Battlezord!" Nikki called out. Immediately, the two Guardianzords detached from their respective megazords, vanishing in a flash of light and returning to their miniaturized cases back on the Defender Megaship. The Sentinel pulled itself apart, becoming armor that formed around the Defender Megazord. Inside the cockpit, the rangers reunited as the Battlezord configuration achieved completion.

The god megazord unleashed more eyebeams as the Battlezord rolled forward, the attacks deflecting harmlessly as the Battlezord's fists rammed into the enemy megazord. It blocked with its double-edged sword, knocking the fists away before cutting into the Battlezord's chest. It staggered away.

"Imperial Defense!" the rangers shouted, activating the configuration's finisher. Its twin swords combined and came down in a single motion—only to be blocked by the enemy megazord, who tossed it away casually. It unleashed a series of powerful blasts, striking the Battlezord directly. The cockpit shuttered.

"...She's beating everything we throw at her!" Trok grunted with frustration and a hint of panic, "Nothing we have is good enough!"

Sid held onto his chair, "Of course it's not—she's a god...or reasonable facsimile. We can't kill her, not really. And it'll take a hell of a lot more than we have to put her down".

"So what do we do then?" Xolin asked, even as the god megazord closed in for another attack.

Sid gripped the controls, "We hold on until the shuttles are away!"

The two titans met, the god megazord grabbing hold of the Battlezord with its claws and letting an immense amount of power surge into the latter's systems. Explosions ripped across its hull, systems struggled to keep from shorting out completely. Electricity snaked across the hull.

"Hull integrity is redlining!" Nikki shouted, "We're doing down!"

And just like that, the attack stopped. Several bursts of laser projectile impacted the god megazord's backside, followed by a second salvo as a number of SPD fighters veered in for the rescue. It screamed in pain as it staggered back, freeing the worn-out Battlezord.

"_Banshee squadron, here to assist!"_ the commander said over the comm as the group of fighters swarmed their opponent, opening fire where they could, but mostly trying to keep out of range.

"Thanks for the save!" Sid replied, then noticed something—the enemy megazord was standing precipitously close to one of the fissures that was gushing out lava. "Guys, you see that?"

"I see it!" Nikki nodded.

Xolin agreed, "One good push could send her over!"

"Charging up weapons. I can give you one shot!" Trok said.

"Right!" Sid readied the backup finisher, "Artillery Strike!"

The Battlezord's gunports opened, unleashing a torrent of destruction. The kinetic impact was enough to send the god megazord stumbling—right over the cliff and into the chasm below. It shouted in rage as it fell beneath the smoke and ash.

"WE DID IT!" Trok shouted jubilantly.

"Not for long" Sid replied, sobering him, "We've bought ourselves a few minutes, then I expect she'll be back and angrier than ever. Admiral, are you ready?"

"_Last shuttle is away. Get the hell out of there!"_

Xolin wholeheartedly agreed with that sentiment, "Don't have to tell us twice".

Clanking its legs together, the Battlezord ignited its boot jets and lifted off, just as the island of stability it was one was consumed by the lava eruption. All around them, the animarium was dying, collapsing in on itself, with the angry red dwarf star impassively watching. As the Battlezord rose, it pulled apart, returning to Megaship form as the Sentinel Megazord vanished, teleporting back to the ship in miniature form. Freeing itself of the animarium's gravitational pull, the Defender Megaship did not wait as the turtle finally self-destructed before warping away at hyper-rush nine.

* * *

"Do you need an escort?" Sid asked, now unmorphed and speaking from his captain's seat on the bridge.

Admiral Lacanth shook his head on the viewscreen, _"No, we've managed to make contact with the _Valiant_ and her escort, one of my wings. We'll be rendezvousing with them in a few hours. I wouldn't want to inconvenience you further; I'm sure you have many places to be"._

"I wanted to thank you for that save back there" Sid told him, "Your ships were away; you could have just let us die".

"_It is I who should be thanking you, Sid Drake"_ the alien replied, _"Because of you, my men are safe. And because of you, we will have a chance to see tomorrow"._

Sid nodded thoughtfully, before typing into the console on his armrest, "I'm sending your our personal transmission code and IFF designation so that we can coordinate with you when the time comes. We're taking a big gamble, trusting you".

"_I know. But do not worry, Sid Drake. When you call, we will come. I honor my debts. I am sending my codes to you as well"._

Sid nodded, "Safe travels, admiral".

"_And to you"._

The communication closed, allowing everything to sink in for the four rangers scattered about the bridge.

"...We're going to have to do a lot of patch jobs" Nikki said finally as she took stock of the ship's damage report, "We're pretty banged up".

"Ideas for a safe port?" Sid asked her.

"There's an independent trading station about eight hundred light-years from here" she replied, "Pirate haven mostly, but mostly clans we're already aligned with".

Sid gave her a sign of approval, "Do it".

As the Megaship's new course was set, Trok finally let something that had been weighing on him since they'd escaped the animarium out, "...That place. The 'animarium'. It was unique, special. We could have learned so much from it".

The weight of what they'd done settled on everyone. They'd destroyed something impossibly old, something which didn't have many surviving relatives, if any.

"...We had to" Nikki said, trying to remain cold and stern, but regret in her voice as well, "...It was them or us".

"And we chose us" Xolin added, stewing in her own guilt.

And Sid? Sid remained silent. Today he felt a little less 'superhero' and a little more 'antipode'. And he didn't like it, not one bit.

* * *

_**To Be Continued...**_


	35. 3x09: The Choices We Make

_Author's Note: Welcome to the endgame! Or the start of the endgame, at any rate. For those of you wondering about epilogues and stuff, have no fear: the last episode will have plenty of wrapping up. And aside from that, I do have ideas for post-series stuff (though nothing immediate) which I'll talk more about after the series has been wrapped up._

_Now, enjoy:_

* * *

The end for the United Alliance, when it came, was swift and brutal. Within hours of the Antipodes' plans being released to the public, whole worlds were talking about secession, and lines were being drawn between the fleets. Within a few days, numerous successor factions were making their bid for dominance against their rivals. Technically a central government still existed, though largely depopulated by numerous defections and suicides, but it was largely powerless and ineffective against the rising tide of rebellion. It was likely they'd vote themselves out of existence.

Numerous worlds were now independent, while others had remained with the numerous Alliance successor factions, either voluntarily or through conquest. These successors had names like 'Federation' or 'New Alliance', but often looked more like imperialist warlord fiefdoms than anything else. Even who controlled what fleets were fluid; numerous SPD fleets had remained uncommitted to choosing sides and were either running rogue or were still somewhat taking orders from the gutted central government, trying to maintain a semblance of order as civilization collapsed.

It was a strange thing, watching a society suffer an existential crisis. The Alliance had long since been held together by two pillars: the first was that the member worlds were stronger together against potential hostile threats—that pillar was now ground to dust as it had become apparent the government, on some level, had sold them out to said hostile threats. All of the wars, all of the bloodshed...all of it only so everyone could die later. The other pillar was the hard military force and power that the Alliance wielded which kept everyone in line—but the first Confederate war had proven their will wasn't absolute, and their actions had only served to make people angry.

As Machiavelli had once said, if you can't have both, it's better to be feared than loved, but you should always avoid being hated. Hatred had now won over fear.

So what did this mean for the former Confederacy? It meant the most bizarre and miraculous thing, really. SPD, all its fleets and armies and ranger units; they just...left. They packed up their bags and took off, to deal with more pressing matters back home. In a matter of days the occupation was over, as if it had never happened, leaving the burning wreck of what had once been the Confederation to fend for itself. Never the most put-together government, now that any central authority having been destroyed, there was only chaos. Some worlds that had held out under siege found themselves in a decent position, but those who had been subjugated now scrambled to assemble any sort of provisional government. Never mind the damage to the infrastructure from the war, occupation, and rebel insurgencies.

The Alliance and the Confederacy had gone to war, and in the end they had dealt the others' death blow.

* * *

**Power Rangers Peacekeepers**

**Season 3**

**3.09: The Choices We Make**

* * *

The Karovian colony of Itasas II was one of those who had fallen to the SPD advance. After the destruction of the Confederate Fleet they'd held on for a few weeks, but against such heavy pressure they'd never really stood a chance, and all too soon SPD forces broke through their siege. A mostly water world, it had actually been one of the numerous exile colonies created when the Karovians had temporarily fled their home colony of KO-35 near the end of the twentieth century. It had remained populated however, and soon the colony began to expand. Prior to the war, it had boasted a population of over a billion, with numerous glittering karovian cities scattered across its scattered island chains.

Today, many of those cities were in ruin; the rest were falling apart from lack of resources and the resultant power vacuum from SPD's withdrawal. They'd been attempting to rebuild, and in the past week had made some significant progress...but today the city of Kais was under attack.

The silver ranger made his way through the war-torn upper-level streets of the city's downtown, civilians fleeing for their lives in front of him as his small krybot army laid waste to everything around them. A pyramid building, already half-destroyed, was shot up by the robots. Several decorative pillars in a courtyard were obliterated. A karovian himself, Isdilian never really 'got' karovian asthetics. Odd tetris buildings? Useless columns? Pyramids? So much space wasting.

Oh well, it didn't matter. They'd all soon be a forgotten memory soon enough. He just had to draw out—ah, there they were.

Four rangers—red, blue, green, and black, rushed up through the escaping crowd, making sure to avoid the smoking rubble littering the road; the downed hover-cars and debris. They came to a stop a few yards away from Isdilian and his troops.

"...I thought sixth rangers were supposed to *start out* evil and then switch sides?" Trok asked him, the disgust obvious in his voice.

Sid cracked his knuckles, "I guess Izzy here didn't get the memo on ranger etiquette".

"You came" Isdilian said, half a statement of fact, half in relief, "I was hoping it'd be you who showed up".

Xolin glanced around at all the destruction, "...You did all this just to get our _attention_?!" she gasped.

"How many people did you kill!?" Nikki demanded to know.

The silver ranger took stock of the chaos, his robot soldiers waiting on his command. So much more practical than the SPD troops he'd commanded before. "Does it matter?" he asked, "Their fate is sealed one way or another".

"If you're trying to piss us off, it's working" the red ranger stated, "We've dismantled your boss's plans one by one. We're going to stop you, him, and whoever else you've got in your little club".

Xolin added, "Stand down and we won't kill you. It's a damn better deal than you've given anyone else here".

But the silver ranger was undeterred, "I've come with a proposition for you".

"Oh? And what would that be?" Nikki asked.

"We worked well together" Isdilian said, "I miss those days. Join me; you can come with me, you can see Sel. We can all be together again; Alpha has assured me he has a place for all of you".

Sid squinted in disbelief, "...Are you _insane?_ You kill our friend, kidnap another, lay waste to entire city blocks, and you think we'll just join you?!"

"We're not going to let you kill the entire universe just for kicks" Nikki added, "And where would we go anyway? How would that benefit us?"

Isdilian grunted with annoyance, "You sound just like her. You're not killing a universe—you're saving one!"

Xolin shifted uncomfortably, looking at the silver ranger like he'd grown a second head "...The hell are you talking about?"

"Enough talk" Sid interrupted, "Take him down. Lethal force is fine with me".

"Hiyah!" the four rangers shouted before charging in. With another irritated grunt, Isdilian ordered his troops in, and the battle began. The blue ranger flung herself into a squad of krybots, tearing them apart with lightning-quick jabs. The green ranger took his hammer and slammed it into the broken asphalt, letting a shockwave of green energy radiate out into another group. Three more came up beside him, only to be taken down by a decloaking black ranger from behind.

The red ranger knocked aside a krybot that was in his way with a roundhouse, but it wasn't his target. There, ahead of him stood Isdilian. Taking a second krybot and throwing it to the ground, Sid turned to the silver ranger.

"Don't do it" Isdilian said, "Listen to me; don't be an idiot".

Sid summoned his ax, "It's a little late to be worrying about my well-being".

Reluctantly, Isdilian pulled the sword from his shield as Sid ran towards him, the latter issuing a war cry as they met. White and red energy met and exploded where they collided, their weapons clashing against the other.

"You're throwing away your chance to survive!" Isdilian continued to plead, "Think of your team! Do you really want them to-"

Sid cut him off, anger flashing in his voice, "NO! Don't you EVER! You have NO right! You lost that right the day you sold us out to the lowest bidder!"

Isdilian replied by pushing Sid away before slashing him twice. As the red ranger rolled back, the blue ranger flew in from the side, coming with with her lance like a spear. Weapons collided, then legs and arms as the two swung at each other, Isdilian blocking many of her attacks with his shield. "I did it for all our benefit! For all their benefit! My purpose, Sel's purpose, was to save the universe, and that's what we're going to do!"

"Save it?" Xolin asked in a mixture of bewilderment and contempt, "You're trying to reformat it! You'll kill countless trillions of people!"

"I'll SAVE countless trillions!" Isdilian corrected her.

"...What?" she asked, genuinely certain he was absolutely mad. Her moment of confusion cost her though, when he rammed his boot into her gut and sent her flying. He raised his sword into the air, allowing it to collect electrical energy before pointing it at Xolin's prone form.

SLAM! Trok's hammer came in from behind. He was absolutely livid, "You betray us, kill innocent people, try to kill us...and you say you're trying to help!? If you want to help, GIVE SEL BACK!"

Isdilian spun around to meet Trok, but his blade was intercepted by Sid's ax.

"...You're making a mistake!" the silver ranger pleaded, "I'm trying to save you! When the Shift happens-"

"When the Shift happens, everyone we've ever known will be dead" Sid said, matter-of-factly, "And we'll be just as trapped in our suits as the Antipodes are now. Right? How is that saving us? Why would you ever think we'd be okay with that?"

"It's over, Isdilian" Nikki said, knocking down the last krybot. The silver ranger glanced around; sure enough, he was now alone on the ruined street. And his bid had failed.

"...It wasn't supposed to be this way" he said, frustrated.

"Surrender; NOW" Sid demanded, "This is your last chance".

"No. It's not" replied the silver ranger, "This isn't over".

And just like that, Isdilian teleported away, leaving the rangers behind in a devastated downtown.

* * *

The rangers piled onto the Megaship's bridge a few minutes later, each of them a flurry of pent-up emotions. The planet below hovered on the lower left of the viewscreen as they pondered.

"...I'm really getting sick of these indecisive fights" Trok muttered as he moved over to one of the wall consoles and began to attempt to track Isdilian's movements, "Is a clear victory too much to ask for?"

"...Izzy seemed weaker than usual" Sid observed, "Like way weaker".

Nikki agreed, "If I had to guess, I'd say the Antipodes were already busy draining him regularly for their big machine. We probably caught him just after a session".

Xolin took a seat at navigation, her expression one of perplexment at what had just happened, "...Was it just me, or did he seem seriously unhinged? Like, more than normal?"

"Yeah. What was that about killing this universe to save it?" Trok asked, "I think he's gone off the deep end".

Nikki, having already taken a seat turned from her console to the others, "...Actually, if I had to guess, he probably means the Antipodes' home universe?"

Sid froze. Uh oh.

Trok and Xolin gave Nikki a look of bewilderment, "...What are you talking about?" Xolin asked.

Uh Oh.

Nikki gave them an equal expression of confusion. Weren't they all on the same page? "...Sid didn't tell you?"

A dangerous look flashed on Xolin's face as she glanced at Sid for a split second before returning to Nikki, "...Tell us what?"

...Oh, well. This was going to be fun.

"The reason the Antipodes are trying to convert our universe" Nikki said, "...Their universe is dying. Rather quickly, if Iota's logs are right. Some kind of vacuum metastability crisis, and this was the most compatible universe they could find on short notice".

Comprehension dawned for Xolin, "So if they don't succeed here..."

Nikki finished her train of thought for her, "...Everyone in their home universe dies. Probably horribly".

Xolin turned to Sid, who was currently bracing himself for the coming storm, "...Why didn't you tell us?" Confusion, exasperation. An undercurrent of anger and indignation that was quickly rising to the forefront.

"You didn't need to know" Sid replied, even though he knew this was not the answer they wanted to hear.

The triforian's eye twitched as she stood up. NOW she was angry, "Didn't need to know? The hell is that supposed to mean?!" She'd always heard that shit from her father, and from Iota, but to hear it from Sid was chilling.

"I didn't need us distracted!" Sid threw back at her, trying to find a way to defend himself, "Does knowing we're going to kill countless people really help? Are you really better off knowing now?!"

"I don't think it's your call to make!" Xolin argued as she approached Sid, "And yeah, I'd like to know what I'm up against so I can make my own trinity-damned choices instead of finding out ten years later that OH HEY OOPS I LET A BUNCH OF PEOPLE DIE. GOOD WORK TEAM!"

"And if you decided not to help?!" Sid demanded to know.

"I didn't say I wouldn't" she replied, almost hesitatingly, "I haven't said anything yet. I'm still in shock and more than a little angry!"

"And that's why I didn't tell you!" Sid said, "Because right now we can't afford distractions. Yeah, people are going to die, but we need to make sure it won't be our people".

Xolin's face contorted into one of contempt, "So you just decided for us what we're going to do. That's nice. Thanks, Sid. It makes me feel *so* much better" she prepared to storm out.

"Don't do this, Xol" Sid warned, moving to stop her.

She sneered as she brushed past him, "Yeah, whatever, Iota". Sid visibly flinched. She caught that, and actually felt a little bad that she'd felt good about it.

"...I'm not Iota" he growled with distaste, composing himself. Iota had only ever done anything to serve himself; he manipulated them and used them as tools. Sid...he'd only done this to protect them.

"Bullshit" she replied, "You kept knowledge from us so you could make the choice for us. That is *exactly* what he would have done!"

"I won't do it".

Xolin froze at Trok's quiet but determined voice. The other three rangers looked at him, as he was staring at the floor in distress, still seated in his chair.

"...Trok?" Xolin asked, the anger in her voice gone.

He reaffirmed his position, stronger than before, "...I won't do it".

"...We have to" Nikki said, "We don't have a-"

Trok shot up and wheeled on her, "That's a lie! We *always* have a choice! And I refuse to kill an entire universe! I won't!"

"...It's not that easy" Sid replied sadly, not even daring to keep his eyes on the horathean, "We don't know how to save their universe; we don't even know if we *can* save it. It's literally them or us".

Trok let out a bitter laugh, "So that's it then? We just become monsters ourselves? We just become the antipodes? I signed on to *HELP* people, not be the biggest monster in history!"

Nikki shook her head, "We're not invading their universe, it's not the same-"

"It IS the same thing!" Trok shouted, becoming more unhinged by the second, "Don't start with me about semantics! We're taking away their only chance of salvation and leaving them to die! That's genocide, plain and simple!"

"...If we don't, they kill *us*" Nikki said, remaining firm. She'd committed to this months ago.

The horathean gave her a look that was a mixture of rage and despair, "...And it's all about us, isn't it?" He didn't wait for a reply; Trok rushed out of the room before anyone could do anything.

"Trok!" Sid called after him, but Xolin kept him from following.

"...How long did you know?" she asked him in a low voice.

Sid didn't even meet her gaze as he quietly responded, "...When I was in prison, after we separated".

She gave him a glare of absolute disgust. "All this time? Gods damn you, Sid. We trusted you". Xolin stormed out, leaving only two rangers behind.

"...Why?" was all Nikki could ask him. A question of bewilderment, of absolute loss-of-words, hiding the guilt that she'd just set this all in motion just now.

Because he wanted to protect them. Because he didn't want to see them hurt. Because he didn't want them to leave. Because he'd been afraid, and the longer it had gone on, the easier it had become—and the harder it would have been to break. Sid looked up at her with a forlorn look, "...Because it's my job" he said, not even believing it himself. He walked out of the room as well.

Nikki slumped down into a chair, mentally trying to digest what had just happened.

"...Well, shit".

* * *

Isdilian stepped off his personal transport and onto the Antipode base's hanger bay. He was alone; his entire contingent of krybots had been destroyed by the rangers. Not that it mattered as they could always acquire more. Still, it felt...empty. Of course, that was probably amplified by the fact that the bay was devoid of activity. When SPD had worked here, this place had always been staffed. But now that they'd been replaced by krybots, none of the usual traffic happened anymore; no longer did anyone need logistics shipped in or did any personnel come and go. Only six living beings ever came aboard this place, and none of them needed much. So, when cargo wasn't being hauled in, the krybots were elsewhere, or offline

"They're not dead".

Alpha stood there expectantly with his arms folded. He wasn't amused.

"...You said if I could convert them to our cause, there wouldn't be any need for killing" the silver ranger responded.

"...And have you managed to convert them?" the red antipode demanded to know, even though he already knew.

Isdilian became hesitant, "Not...yet, but I'm sure that I can-"

"You had your chance, Isdilian. They have rejected your offer. It's time to neutralize them".

"I just need a little more time and I know that-"

Alpha wasn't budging an inch. The exact opposite really, as he walked up to Isdilian and stared him down, "Time is no longer a luxury we can afford, Omega-Theta". Ooh, his project code name. Isdilian knew he was in trouble, "In case you haven't noticed, your friends are building an army against us—fairly quickly I might add. In addition to that, your other won't last much longer. Our options for victory are slipping, fast. If you can't do the job, then I'll assign someone who can".

….Wait, his other? Isdilian's usually unflappable demeanor fell as panic surfaced, "...Sel? What's wrong? What do you mean won't last long?"

"...She was foolish. Her attempt at sabotage damaged her, fatally. She's still alive for now, but she's...degrading. We only have a short window of opportunity left" Alpha said, impassive.

His sister. His own sister, dying. "...Is there nothing we can do?"

"I'm afraid not" Alpha replied, "We're harvesting as much power from her while we can".

Isdilian almost asked to see her. But he knew she'd never accept his visit, not unless he brought the others with him. Not unless he could convince them.

"...Can you do your job?" Alpha asked the karovian who was currently in a state of shock. Isdilian's mind reeled at the implications. Sel was dying.

"...I..."

"Can you do your job?"

Taking a moment to compose himself, Isdilian nodded firmly, "...Yes. Yes I can".

Alpha nodded in return "Then I expect a report on your victory upon your next return. Your ship will be restocked and resupplied, and then I expect you out in the field, understood?"

"Yes, sir".

With one last nod, Alpha turned and left as a number of krybots came in with supplies. Isdilian let them go about their work as he contemplated all of this. He loved his sister. He cared for her, even if he wasn't always the best at showing it, even if she didn't appreciate it. To have her dying with no way to fix this...it was almost more than he could bare. Was this all for nothing? He dropped to his knees and issued a guttural scream as the tears came, the krybots paying him no mind as they worked.

He had to deal with the others. Time was no longer an asset. Failure was no longer an option. He WOULD get them to side with him, or else he'd make that choice for them. By any means necessary.

* * *

It was hard, focusing. Sel was kind of absent-minded to begin with, and this damned pain only made it worse. Which pain? The constant surge of power being forcibly drained from her, or her body slowly disintegrating? It didn't really matter, it just hurt. She'd considered giving up several times, having ALMOST achieved her goal, only to have it ripped away again. After all, wasn't it all futile? She was dying, soon there would be nothing left of her. Her eyes remained closed; she was too tired to open them anyway. So she sat there, in her dark little pod, awaiting death.

At some point she'd drifted off despite everything, because at some point she no longer felt like she was pinned to a pod chair, having her physical form ebb away. Sel opened her eyes, finding herself once again where she'd wanted to be: the room with the doors.

"...Figures" she muttered to herself as she got to her feet, her body in this state completely intact, "I can't do it when I try, but when I fall asleep..." she trailed off as she approached one of the doors. Sel pulled, with the usual effect of...no effect.

"...This can't be what you want" Sel said. She wasn't exactly sure who she was talking to really, she was just...frustrated, "They're going to kill everyone; everything. You can't be okay with this". God, maybe? Gods? Those spirits Trok sometimes referenced? The Grid itself?

...Did the Grid even have a consciousness?

"...What does it take to open you?" she asked the door, then looked about at all the other open doors, "I'm being used as a sieve for Morphin energy. I am housing the power of the universe. What does it take!?" She pounded the door in a fit of anger. It was short lived though; the rage she felt had been quenched by hopelessness.

It didn't matter. Nothing she did mattered; she'd been stopped at every turn. All she was was a tool.

"...Fine" she said as she sat down, "If you don't care what happens, why should I?" The xybrian bunched up her knees to her chin and wrapped her arms around them, becoming as small as possible. "...All I ever wanted was to go home. To have a chance to be me, to find out who I am. I didn't know that's what I wanted until just before it was ripped away. And now I'll never get that chance. I'll never get to see them again...and they'll all die anyway. And you don't care".

A beat.

"...I give up".

A light appeared behind her. Cautiously, refusing to hope, but still turning, she looked in its direction, finding that a door on the opposite side of the room had unlocked and now hung loosely. Beyond it, she saw light. The former yellow ranger stood up, cautiously walking to the door. Extending her arm, she felt the warm light of the Grid dance over her fingertips. Pulling her hand back, she took a deep steady breath, and walked through.

* * *

Upon storming out of the bridge, Trok had eventually made his way to the cargo bay that he had converted into his quasi-workshop when Tesas had been onboard. His head was swimming; a few hours ago they had been the unquestioned good guys and now...now he didn't now what to think. It wasn't supposed to be this way. It wasn't supposed to work like this.

The horathean had set himself at his desk, and was supposedly trying to get his newest device working (surrounded by all the failed prototypes that had never gone anywhere—the Battle Yacht was still dominating the room), but he couldn't even begin to focus on any of this. Spirits, what were they doing!?

There was no way out of this either. Either they died, or the Antipodes died. In either scenario, they were all monsters. Trok suddenly regretted ever joining this team. If he'd just stayed away, he could have just gone on with his life for however long that would have been, without having to worry about this.

He set the device down and put his head in his hands, his brain about to burst from the endless cycles of logic and emotion running through his mind.

"If it's any consolation, I don't like it either".

Nikki's voice. Trok didn't even bother to turn around, "Go away".

She almost did. The two of them had never really gotten along; too far apart on the practicality vs idealism spectrum, but they had gotten to at least leave the other be. Yet something inside her pushed Nikki to continue, "You can't just run away from this, Trok".

"Did you even look for another option before you decided to commit genocide?" he asked acidly.

Ouch. "...And what option would that be?" she bit back, a bit more forcefully than she'd intended, but she WAS on the defensive here. "Do you have some secret weapon to save the day?"

He hesitated slightly, "Not yet but-"

"Do you have any idea how to stop the death of a universe? Do you know how to reverse a false vacuum event in an antimatter universe?"

"Not...exactly-"

"I have all of Iota's files, all of his schemes and plans and everything the Antipodes tried. I ran the calculations myself. There is no other way. Believe me, I wish to god there was, but there's not".

The horathean let out an empty, almost hysterical laugh, "...That's easy for you to say. You don't like it? You wrote the book on it! Masked Rider Apollo, back when we met, then the Tenga refugees. You're the poster child for shoot first, ask questions later!"

Ouch. He wasn't wrong mind you, but it it still hurt to have it summed up so bluntly. "...I was right about Apollo" she said, then a bit less certainly added, "And you were right about the Tengas. That's how it goes, right? We can't always be right?" She hated this; it was like running everything through her mind when she'd first found out after the Megaship had been captured, desperately combing the files for any hope, anything at all, and finding none.

But Trok couldn't hear her. He was already moving on to the next step; "And just last week, we killed an entire Animarium world for our own benefit! Billions of years of history, an entire zord ecosystem just...gone. How does that make us any better than the Antipodes?!" he finally jumped out of his chair, turning to her. Tears were starting to form in his eyes, "I didn't want to be a monster!"

Nikki rubbed her arm absentmindedly, "...It's the Trolley dilemma" she said sadly, looking away.

"...What?" he asked.

"You're on a train that can't stop. Ahead of you is a fork in the road. If you continue on the path you're on, people die. If you switch tracks you can save them—at the cost of other people. The dilemma is all about ethics. Is it worse to let people die, or to actively intervene and kill others yourself?"

He glared at her, "You call out for them to get off the track".

"They can't hear you".

Trok was getting increasingly irate, "Then you get out there and stop the train yourself!"

"And then you die and everybody else does as well" Nikki countered.

"Then...then..." Trok fumbled for words, for an idea, but none came. Even though he KNEW if he just...thought a moment longer…

"You can't stop it Trok" Nikki added, "There is no third option, there is no last-minute win. You have to choose".

"That-that's not fair!" the horathean belted out.

She regarded him with a cool mixture of pity and remorse. How many times had she said that about life? That, sometimes no matter how hard you tried, you still came up short. "...No. No it's not".

The horathean gave her a hopeless look as the facts came crashing down around him, "...I can't do this" he said, shaking his head, "I just...I can't-"

"Yes. You can" she replied. He paused, giving her a chance to continue, "I know you can because...you're me. Or her. Whoever. When I was your age".

"...I find that hard to believe" he replied, though she saw the faintest glimmer of mirth in his eyes—the idea of 'naive little girl Nikki' tickled him.

Despite herself, she gave a small laugh herself, "It's true. She was your stereotypical pink ranger; the heart of the team. I was always there to make sure everyone was okay and working together. I believed in SPD, in being a hero, in doing what was right. I thought that if you just tried enough, if you were steadfast enough, you could always persevere. I guess that's why you pissed me off so much when I first met you; I couldn't stand being reminded of that".

"...What happened?" Trok asked, but quickly regretted his admittedly stupid question when he saw her expression flicker with sadness, "...Sorry".

"...What were you working on?" she asked him, changing the subject as she pointed to the device he'd left on the desk. Trok sat back down in his seat and grabbed the object as Nikki leaned over the side of his chair to get a better look.

Trok fondled the object, "...It's another project of mine. The Peacekeeper zord arsenal is fairly modular, so I was trying to go up another step since we can't use the Guardian Megazord without the Lights".

"...An Ultrazord?"

Trok nodded, "Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get it to work yet. Not enough of a power source, and honestly there's only so far I can push even a modular design. The zords simply weren't built for a super configuration".

"So it's a no-go?" she asked, a bit sadly. He nodded with a sigh as she looked out at all his other projects, "...Are these all no-gos?"

"Just don't have the resources I need" Trok said in defense.

She placed a hand on his shoulder, "...You ever thought about just focusing on one? You know, quality over quantity?"

Trok managed a small laugh despite it all, "...I don't think my mind works that way"

Her hand left his shoulder, "...I know. But Trok? The world doesn't work THAT way. If you're too concerned about getting everything done, sooner or later you get nothing done".

"Yeah, I guess" he said dejectedly, "...This isn't about projects, is it?" he asked, looking back at her as he cradled the device.

"...I'm just saying. Sometimes…sometimes you just can't save everyone. Sometimes you just have to choose and hope for the best. It doesn't make you a monster...god, I hope not, it just means that….I guess, we're not gods. We're just people, doing the best we can with a shitty situation". When Trok didn't respond, she added, "...What about Sel? Would you just leave her to die? What about Xolin? Sid?"

Trok gave her a horrified expression, as if she'd dare consider he'd ever do that. "...That's-"

"Not fair, I know" she said, quietly. The silence lingered on as neither could find anything else to say. Finally, Nikki gave in, exiting the room just as quickly as she had entered. Trok sat there for a bit, looking down at the device in his hands as despair closed in around him.

It wasn't supposed to be this way.

* * *

Three days. It had been three days since she'd blown up at Sid, and since then the Megaship had been a much colder place. Xolin hadn't been out of her room that much except to visit the food synthesizer and the simudeck, but she had noticed group activity was down even without her around. She and Sid weren't on speaking terms obviously, and the two hadn't seen much more than an accidental run-in at the synthatron yesterday. Trok was either in his room or hiding in his makeshift workshop downstairs doing trinity knew what. Nikki was...well, Nikki.

She was just so frustrated, and angry. Angry that Sid had hid such an important fact from her. Frustrated that she *was* so angry with him. Worried about the whole thing. Sick to her stomach over the obvious Sophie's Choice style dilemma that she'd just been saddled with.

Worried about how Trok was handling this.

She'd tried meditating, hadn't worked—too worked up. She'd tried blowing off some steam in the Simudeck—too preoccupied to enjoy it. She'd tried watching TV—just got bored. So now here she lay on her bed, perpendicular to it and staring at the ceiling in quiet contempt of the universe.

"_Everyone to the bridge, now!"_

She groaned at Sid's voice blaring over the comm; didn't he know she was very busy hating all of creation as intensely as she could?

In truth she'd been dreading this—the inevitable moment they'd all be called together again for another mission. The last thing she wanted to deal with right now was...well, everyone really while she figured this all out, but especially Sid and his...Sid-ness. She really was angry at him. After all this time; all they'd been through, and his first reaction was to start lying to them? She knew full well she had a poor sense of self worth, and this didn't help!

Xolin noticed as she stepped onto the bridge that she was the last to do so—Sid was standing ahead on the captain's chair on alert, Nikki was near him, and Trok was leaning on one of the consoles just behind the captain's seat. "What does our glorious god-king want now?" she grumbled...Then she saw what they were looking at on the viewscreen.

Sid glanced back at her, then back at the screen as he ignored her jab, "Alright, we're all here. The hell's this about, Izzy?"

The karovian, speaking from some sort of warehouse, sneered as he counted stock of all four rangers, "Good. Very good. Now, listen up. I'm sure by now Trok and Nikki have traced my signal to Korac II. It's a nice little world, very rural, very scenic. It's a very popular place for science teams; lots of variables that created some very unique flora and fauna".

"The point, Izzy?" Sid stressed, having no time for games.

Isdilian growled at the sound of his unwelcome nickname, "My point is this" he moved away from the camera, revealing a group of scientists from various Confederate worlds being held on the floor bound and at gunpoint by a fairly large contingent of krybots. The scientists looked, for obvious reasons, distressed and worried. Isdilian turned back to the camera, "I have these scientists with me. I am going to kill them, one by one, every six hours until you show up and face me".

Trok gasped. Nikki and Xolin switched between expressions of shock and anger. Sid gritted his teeth, "Are you insane?"

"They're going to die when the Antipodes complete their project anyway, what difference does it make if it's a few weeks early?" Isdilian asked, "I'm not the bad guy here, Sid. I want you to come home".

"...Come home?" Xolin asked him with disdain, "How many times do we have to tell you we're not interested in helping the Antipodes destroy everything?"

Isdilian glared at her with quiet fury, "...Six hours" he said, gritting his teeth at having decided not to get goaded into an argument, "Be here. Surrender. If you don't, people start dying and it's on your hands. And don't bother trying to teleport them up; I've had the entire complex put under a dampening field". He cut the link, the viewscreen returning to that of a starfield image.

For a split second the rangers stood there, dumbstruck, before they burst into a flurry of activity, their earlier arguments and hangups forgotten. Sid turned to Trok, "How soon can we get to the Korac system?"

"Five and a half hours at maximum hyperrush".

"Xol?" Sid asked, turning to the triforian as he took a seat.

Xolin was already plotting a course before he'd even asked her, "Done".

"Looks like you're going to get your rematch after all, Trok" Sid said with determination, gripping his armrests. He didn't see Trok's look of worry and disgust. "Punch it".

The Megaship wheeled about, turning towards its destination as its engines primed. A moment later, it was gone.

* * *

The second it arrived in orbit over the orange and blue planet, four pulses of light shot out of the Megaship's launchbay towards the surface—one red, one blue, one green, and one a dark violet verging on black. As the lights hit the planet's atmosphere, the energy evaporated, leaving four rangers and their skycycles rocketing towards the science station compound below.

Korac II was very...reddish-orange. The plant-life here was distinctly alien; a hodgepodge of tall, stick-like deep-red ferns and orangeish, bulbous plantlife whose leaves would inflate into sacks. The science outpost sat on the dividing line between two biomes; between the cliffs of the inland, and the marshy maze of the river delta. It was comprised of several prefabricated buildings with a dirt road between them; nothing fancy, but serviceable for a small operation.

...Also two automated defense turrets, because of course why not. The rangers easily evaded the civilian-level defenses, Sid and Xolin blowing them both apart with their skycycle's weapons as they swooped in. They didn't bother to park their vehicles; the rangers jumped right off near the entrance to the main structure and allowed the cycles to return to the ship.

In front of the door, as the rangers discovered, stood Isdilian and a squad of his krybots.

"Twenty-six minutes to spare" the red ranger said, "We beat your stupid time-limit, now let the scientists go!"

"I didn't say I'd let them go. I said I wouldn't kill them" the silver ranger replied, "Now I suggest you surrender. Demorph, throw down your morphers, and don't resist".

"We've got a better idea" Xolin said, "How about we don't, kick your ass, and save the scientists ourselves?"

Isdilian growled, "Why can't you ever just do what's good for you? I'm *trying* to save you!"

"We'll take that under advisement" Sid replied. With that the four rangers threw themselves into the fray.

* * *

She was pretty sure she was lost.

It wasn't a particularly fun place to be lost, either. Sel found herself wandering through what she could only describe as a haunted forest—dead, twisted trees that were so overgrown they blotted out the sky, marshy, wet dirt where you couldn't move two steps without stepping into another puddle, and wild, overgrown undergrowth.

Hooray.

And, right on cue, she thought she heard something rustling in the grass. Assuming a fighting stance, she gave a frantic sweep of the area for the origin of the sound. Nothing. Just the wind?

Hah, no. She'd seen enough of Sid and Trok's movies to know that it was *never* just the wind.

...A growl. Behind her!

She spun back around, where she'd been before. Nothing. Another rustle of the undergrowth came from her right. Then another sound, at her eight o'clock. She had a bad feeling—there was more than one.

Well, crap.

The first attack came from her left. A wolf-like monster...thing came at her, much of its flesh having rotted off. She almost didn't catch it in time, being focused on another spot. The xybrian barely spun out of the way, landing on the ground on her side. She scrambled back up, just in time to avoid the monster's next attack-oh good, and here came its partner. The other wolf attacked and Sel gave it a nice, solid kick to its mouth. Quickly grabbing a fallen branch, she swung at the first attacking wolf—unaware that its companion was rebounding. Its weight crashed into her from the side, sending her flying into a tree. Her body crashed into its trunk and she crumbled to the ground in a heap, as third wolf emerged. They began to converge on her.

At first she struggled to get up; she had to. If she didn't, they were going to kill her, and she still had to...had...to…

What did she have to do?

She'd come here, to the dreamlands, to find a way back to her friends, to warn them. But she didn't even know where they were. She didn't know how to reach them; she'd only ever been here once before, and that had been under extraordinary circumstances, and then she'd had someone to guide her.

Sel literally had no idea what she was doing.

Futile. It was all futile. She didn't even get here under her own power; she'd given up and then...she'd found her way here. Nothing she did mattered.

...Why *not* let the wolves do her in?

Wait, what?!

No, no, there was sound reasoning here. Certainly, this was only her astral form (of a sort), but it WAS the representative to her connection to the Morphing Grid. If she died here, she didn't know if her body back in the real world would perish as well, but she was pretty sure her connection to the grid would probably be compromised. And without her, well...so much for converting the entire universe, huh?

She could end it, right here and now. End the Antipodes' ambitions in one simple move. It would be her last act, but it would in the end be the only act she could possibly make.

She could die.

And what of the others? Of Sid, and Xolin, and Trok? She'd give anything to see them again. But...it was not meant to be. It would be best if she stopped fooling herself otherwise.

And so Sel stopped struggling. She stopped trying to get up. Instead she laid back down and deliberately closed her eyes, awaiting the end. She hoped the end of her sad story would allow the others to live.

There was the sounds of a scuffle—and she was pretty sure she hadn't been eaten yet. Sel opened her eyes, and to her surprise found an elderly man in a ceremonial robe fighting the wolves off with his staff. He had pretty good moves for an older person; slamming aside one wolf with the stick before spinning around and blocking another wolf's jaw before forcing it away and then delivering a blow to the head. The last wolf came at him—wait, did he have green hair? The last wolf went down just as easily as the first two. The trio whimpered and scampered into the forest as the man turned to Sel.

Wait. She knew him!

"...Elder Sesh" she breathed, now in a sitting position.

The man who had unofficially taken her under his wing way back when she had first visited Xybria when this had first begun offered his hand, "As a friendly warning, shadow wolves were an intelligent species. Playing dead is not a viable strategy".

None of this made any sense, "...How are you here?" Sel asked as she grabbed his hand and rose to her feet.

"I am exactly where I need to be" the man responded cryptically. He waved off in the direction Sel had been walking before this happened, "Shall we go? I believe we have much to talk about".

"Uh...lead the way. I guess" Sel replied, following in step behind the older man.

* * *

Despite the apparent haphazard and gung-ho actions of the rangers, they really did have a plan. After all, for all they knew, Isdilian had taken the last few days to charge back up; they didn't even know if they could beat him conventionally right now. So while to the untrained eye it looked like they were just trying to force their way through the krybot swarm, in truth they were maneuvering Isdilian right where they wanted him.

Trok and Nikki focused on the krybots, tossing them about easily. Sid and Xolin, as the team's best fighters, took on Isdilian directly. Red and blue met silver, launching at him and grabbing him by the arms as they pulled him away from the entrance. The silver ranger landed in the complex's central dirt road, turning about to face his two foes.

"Any words of wisdom before we kick your ass?" Sid asked him.

"Your confidence is always quite annoying" Isdilian grunted before striking at them. Sid leaped overhead, evading the strike as Xolin met his limbs with her own, the two parrying the other's attacks. From behind Sid came in with a kick, the silver ranger blocked, catching Sid by the leg and tossing him aside. He dodged Xolin's next attack, before charging up his hand like an energy blade and cut into her with a wide slice. The blue ranger fell back.

Red struck again, coming down as blue rolled away with an arm chop. Isdilian blocked, then returned the favor with two strikes from his blade arm. Sid fell and the two rangers regrouped.

"When the hell did he get blade attacks?!" Sid gasped.

"Yeah, you don't like it when things are hidden from you, huh?" Xolin shot back.

"Can we not do this now?" he snapped at her.

The two didn't have many more time to spare as Isdilian launched himself at them, both arms now charged up and ready to strike.

* * *

Trok and Nikki had drawn their sidearms and were now in the process of disposing of the krybots, switching their weapons between sword and gun mode at will. Most of the krybots didn't stand much of a chance against two veteran rangers and they fell easy.

...The resident bluehead commander however, was another story. Its wrist blaster caught the two rangers off-guard while they were fighting, and while Nikki barely managed to evade, Trok was hit dead-on. The black ranger swung in, firing with her blaster before switching to sword mode and attacking at close range. The bluehead draw its own sword and the two clashed—briefly, as Nikki was still a far better fighter than an above-average grunt soldier robot. It also didn't help that Trok had entrapped it within the confines of his hammer-mace, binding it within chains. Charging up her sword, Nikki brought it down, cutting through her foe like butter.

The two ranger surveyed the remains of the battlefield. Krybot husks littered the ground and lay draped over railings and other low-laying objects of the outpost, each of them sparking and sputtering. Trok gave Nikki a nod towards the main building. She nodded back, and together the two moved inside. They knew they had to hurry; the longer Sid and Xolin had to keep Isdilian occupied with just the two of them, the worse things would be. They had to rescue the science team as quickly as possible.

Only a few of Isdilian's krybots had remained inside, just to keep the scientists under guard. With just a few quick movements, the black and green rangers had disposed of them as well.

The interior of the building was pretty much like the exterior; pre-fabricated. While not a military operation, everything was still very same-y. White chairs, white tables, very basic and modular furniture all around. It was evidently the central work station for the group, as the room (and the one beyond it) was full of computer consoles and sensor equipment—though a number of them had been knocked over or smashed. The scientists, about seven of them—two humans, an aquitian, three edenoites, and a rock golem person—sat in the middle of the floor, bound together.

The despondent scientists stirred at the arrival of the two rangers—first with confusion over what was happening as the scuffle with the krybots broke out, then with joy as they realized the new arrivals were likely friendly.

"Oh, thank god you've come" one of the humans, a female, said as Trok quickly cut through their bindings. Nikki remained at the door, on alert just in case. "They were going to kill us".

"Don't worry, you're going to be alright" said Trok as he freed them. It was second nature, helping people. Yet he couldn't shake the feeling that he shouldn't be here, that this wasn't right. By being here, he was implicitly endorsing the genocide of an entire other universe. Yet...he couldn't let these people die too.

Focus on the immediate was what he told himself. Do good now.

"Where's the silver ranger?" the aquitian, a male, asked worriedly.

Nikki replied as she glanced out a window, "Don't worry, the rest of our team is keeping him busy. As soon as we're out of here, we're going to lead you outside the teleporter jamming zone and get you to our ship. Then we're going to deal with your captor".

"Done" said Trok, cutting the last scientist loose, "Come on, we gotta go".

* * *

Well, Izzy had certainly powered up again since the last time they'd met. Sid again evaded Isdilian's attack, rolling away from his foe as he took up a fighting stance upon recovery. They'd successfully led Isdilian away from the base and into a thicket of those weird alien treets, but those twin energy blades on his arms were not to be trifled with—if the black marks on Sid's suit were anything to go by, anyway.

Still, something felt...off.

Xolin blocked Izzy's attacks with her lance, before jamming her boot in his midsection while using said lance as a launching-point. She spun about, landing a second boot in his face. The silver ranger stepped back and she pressed her attack—only to be cut down again by the arm blades.

Sid caught her, "I'm starting to hate those things" she grunted.

"Does any of this feel off to you?" Sid asked her.

They hadn't made up; Xolin was still pissed in several different ways and Sid was still doubling down, but in combat at least none of that mattered at all. They still trusted each other enough to do their job.

She nodded as they watched Isdilian circle them, waiting for his next opening, "...A bit. He hasn't used his sword and shield at all".

"Or his Morphing Grid powers. And I'm not sure when his suit was upgraded for energy blades".

The two contemplated the situation. Sid wanted to try something, "I've got an idea, if you're willing".

"'If I'm willing?' she asked with bemusement.

"We can argue as much as we want later, but I need you to trust me on this" he told her. He wasn't Iota, he refused to be Iota. He was better than Iota.

She fought down the desire to throw out another snippy one-liner at him; this was important. She could tell in his voice. Xolin nodded, "Do it".

The two rangers rushed the other. Sid's ax met Isdilian's energy blades, energy crackling as each tried to push the other back.

"NOW!" Sid commanded.

The blue ranger leaped over the red ranger, using him for a springboard before he fell back, allowing her to strike with her feet. She flipped back from her hit, allowing Sid to grasp her boots, pushing her forward for a second attack. Her powered-up lance struck Isdilian dead-on, and as he sparked and burned, his suit vanished—though notably not with the standard demorph effect.

...Nor was it Isdilian underneath, but a battered and bruised krybot orangehead. Both rangers gasped as they realized they'd been played.

"A holographic illusion" Sid said with a sinking feeling, "...He lured us here".

Xolin was on the same page as him, "Trok and Nikki...We have to get back to the others, *now*!"

"Right with you there!" Sid declared, powering up his ax. The red ranger jumped into the air, coming down like a tornado as he cut through the damaged robot and broke it in two. The two rangers didn't even wait for the krybot's remains to explode as they raced back to the science outpost, hoping that they weren't too late.

* * *

Trok didn't even see the hit coming as he turned around, leading everyone towards the exit of the building. But suddenly the green ranger's chest exploded; Nikki shouted a warning, but it was already too late. The scientists screamed at the sudden violence. Trok tried to fight back, but suddenly found himself being flipped over onto his back. Nikki tensed as she saw his attacker.

A cloaking device. Isdilian had kept one of her damned cloaking devices when he betrayed them. The silver ranger had materialized and thrown Trok across the room with his sword. The black ranger attempted to counter with her sidearm blade, but Isdilian countered it easily and struck her directly. With her dispatched, Isdilian placed his foot over Trok's chest and pointed his sword at the horathean's chest, an effective threat to keep him from moving. Nikki attempted to intervene, but stopped when Isdilian threatened to stab Trok right here and now. The black ranger clenched her fists, still in a half-crouch.

"Do I have your attention?" he asked her.

"...How?" she asked. She'd seen him go off with Sid and Xolin.

He shrugged, "Decoys. Now, throw down your morpher or I kill him".

"Really?" she asked him, "Your big plan to get us to join you is to kill us?"

Frustrated anger flooded through Isdilian, "My orders are to neutralize you. I am trying my best, but I cannot leave here without you, one way or another" he jabbed the end of the sword closer to Trok's body, "Now surrender!"

"You really want to try that on me?" she asked him, "Remember I'm the team pragmatist".

The silver ranger called her bluff, "And yet, you haven't budged an inch. Throw down your morpher. No more delays".

For a second Nikki debated going through with attacking, but in the end she knew Isdilian was right—she couldn't go through with it; she'd never forgive herself if it cost Trok his life. Not after knowing the others for so long—and something in his voice told her he was desperate enough to do it. Silently cursing herself for her own inadequacies, she prepared to demorph.

But Isdilian had made a mistake. He'd focused too much of his attention on Nikki, not imagining that Trok wouldn't risk attacking himself. If the situation had been reversed of course, Trok wouldn't have dared move, but if Trok was only risking himself? Well, that was different.

With one quick movement, the green ranger drew his sidearm blaster and fired a steady stream of laserfire at the silver ranger. Isdilian's suit sparked as he stepped back in a mixture of shock and pain, allowing Trok to scramble to his feet as Nikki rushed over to him to help him up. Taking the opportunity, the two of them quickly herded the frightened scientists out of the building, giving them a wider room to maneuver. Isdilian quickly followed.

Isdilian roared at them, enraged that they'd beaten his scheme—AGAIN. "Why?! Why can't you ever just do as I say!? Why do you have to fight me every single step!? I was your leader! I was your commander! I have Sel! I'm your only hope at salvation! Why fight me?!"

"Because you're wrong" Sid's voice called out. Isdilian cocked his head to see the other two rangers running towards their little group. Great, just great. Isdilian's entire plan had just gone up in smoke; a platoon of krybots, gone. His hostages, gone. The element of surprise, gone. And he had nothing to show for it but being outflanked.

Sel was dying. There was nothing he could do. Nothing except fight.

"...But I'm *not*" he tried to reason, "If you stop the Antipodes, you sentence an entire universe to die".

"And if we help you, we kill this one" Sid replied, "Everything we've ever known, everyone we've ever loved. Why on earth would you ever think we would do that?" It was exactly what Sel had told him when they'd fought, exactly what she'd predicted.

"What happened to their universe is a tragedy beyond comprehension" Nikki chimed in, "But we can't let the people here suffer in their stead".

"We're not gods" Sid added, "And we're not going to let you pull off this twisted Sin Eater scheme". Trok didn't say anything, but at the same time he didn't object. Xolin remained impassive.

Isdilian watched them form up around him. Frustration, anger, rage. Loss, despair.

Fine. They would fight.

Channeling his emotions, Isdilian tapped into the Morphing Grid, summoning as much power as he could. Normally power would flood back into him gradually, but if needed to he could force it—though he'd been warned the consequences would be dire. Was that what was happening to Sel? It didn't matter; he would show his former teammates power. Morphing energy surged through his body, an aura building around him as he utilized his newfound strength. The wind picked up, energy rippled through the air. Isdilian pulled his sword from his shield.

"If you won't come with me peacefully, then I will make you come with me in pieces!"

"EVERYBODY GET DOWN!" Sid shouted as everyone bolted. A cascading wave of power rushed out in all directions, knocking everyone back as the silver ranger launched himself at his foes. They went down in rapid succession; Sid first, parrying the first blow before being overwhelmed by the next two. Then Trok, then Xolin, then Nikki. Sid rebounded, but it was clear they were outmatched.

"Hey, Izzy!" Nikki mocked as she got back up. Her taunt caught the silver ranger's attention, "Phantom Mode". Form-fitting armor materialized around Nikki's suit; black in color with violet energy lines cutting across. She assumed a stance.

"Let's go".

* * *

The atmosphere had changed dramatically with just a few steps. No longer were they lost within the haunted forest, instead Sel found herself on a grassy hill, bathed in warm sunlight. It was very odd seeing a friendly face after all this time. She'd only actually met Sesh once, but they'd kept in contact during her stay on the Megaship.

"...Where are we?" she asked, staring out at distant mountains.

"Another place, another time" the elder xybrian said, "Its name is likely forgotten to time. Its star may no longer even exist".

"...But you know it?" she asked him.

The old man chuckled, "I know many places. Not by name, not by what they were originally, but by what I found their memory as here".

She was still perplexed by his appearance here, "...How did you know about this? About the dreamlands?"

"Is that what you call it?" Sesh asked with bemusement, "I am old, Sel. When I was younger I served as an acolyte to our people, and I traveled, and I meditated, and I learned things. I sometimes come here to relax, or to learn".

"Learn what?"

Sesh contemplated his answer for a moment, "...Our people are telepathic. Some might confuse this for clairvoyance, but we simply have a knack for predicting what people might do from the knowledge they unconsciously share with us. Together, we form a sort of hivemind, a telepathic link where every xybrian is part of a greater whole. In this way, we aren't really separate, but part of a greater whole. Likewise, here in the afterimages, the forgotten memories of what was, it's clear the entire universe is this way. We are all one thing, shattered though we might be" he regarded her, "Even if we seem like those we love are out of reach, in a way they never left".

All she could think about was Sid, Xolin, Trok. How long it had been. How many months.

"...I wouldn't know" she said glumly, "I was never able to connect with the hivemind".

Sesh nodded sadly, then sat down in the grass, "That is correct. But you were a much different person then, and I've heard your telepathic abilities have manifested since then".

"Pfft. Barely" she groaned, plopping down beside him, "...They kind of came and went at random. Then...stuff happened". Her grid powers had overtaken her, and nothing else had really mattered.

"It's like a muscle you don't use. If you've never really been around our people, or trained it in any way, then it falls by the wayside. Besides, you're not an average xybrian, are you?"

"...No" she admitted, "How much do you know?"

"Only what your team managed to leak. I'm not a scientist".

"...My team?" Sel asked in surprise, "They're still fighting then!" Hope surged.

"Indeed!" the old man replied in affirmation, "They've been looking for you, doing everything they can to disrupt the Antipodes' plans. Word is they're building an armada".

Holy shit. The only news bits she'd ever gotten had been filtered through Alpha and Isdilian's conversations with her—she'd never imagined the others were turning the tables. Leaking enemy schemes? Building armadas? Yet her face dropped when she realized that while they were looking for her, they would not find her in time.

"...Why the long face?" Sesh asked her, "I would think this was happy news".

She began idly playing with the blades of grass at her side. Anything to distract her, "I..." How to explain this? "...Bad things have happened, Elder. The Antipodes, their plans...there's not much of me left. I won't be around much longer".

"You seem fine to me now".

True, but this wasn't the real her, "...Yeah but this is my...astral form, or whatever. Dream form. It's not real".

"Seems real enough to me" the old man said, "Who's to say what's real? Is reality the place we came from, or is it here, and our reality is but a facet of a much deeper plane?"

Waitwhat? "Um..." Sel actually wasn't sure how to respond to that particular detour.

"We xybrians believe that when one of us dies, the memories we've imparted are spread across our telepathic link. In essence, we don't die, not truly. As long as our collective memory remembers, we persist. Our physical form is just a shell, a vessel we inhabit for a short time".

A nice sentiment, but it didn't help Sel at all, not least of all because as had been pointed out, she wasn't your typical xybrian. "...I don't want to die" she admitted, her voice tiny and scared as the enormity of their discussion fell on her. It had been one thing when she'd been dealing with it or ignoring it on her own terms, but now that she was openly having this discussion...even Sesh's option didn't leave her with much comfort even if she WAS part of the hivemind. "I don't...I don't want to just be memories, or an afterthought. I don't want to die. I want to go home. I didn't want any of this". Tears began to form as she ran her fingers through her hair, putting her head down in her knees.

"And yet when I found you, you were ready to end it".

Her head shot back up, "...How did you..."

"I'm old, Sel, and I'm not a fool". As she rested her head again, he continued, "Why?"

She slumped over on her side, still curled up in a ball, "...Nothing matters. I tried to fight. I gave everything I had. It wasn't enough. Everything I try to do, it just...it doesn't matter. And I thought that, if the end is coming, then at least maybe...I could face it on my own terms, if nothing else".

"The second hardest lesson in life is that you can fail. You can do everything right, and still come up short".

She nodded numbly, "...Yeah".

"The hardest is that you have to get up again".

She squeezed into an even tighter ball, "What's the point?"

The elder xybrian regarded the girl for a moment. Like this, she seemed even younger than she already was; just a frightened child. "...When I was young, I wanted to be a lawyer. My father had been a lawyer, and his father had been too. It was expected, and more than that, I wanted it. My entire schooling had centered around it. So you can imagine my disappointment when I failed my exams".

"...What did you do?"

"I tried again, and again, and again".

"...Did you pass?"

The man laughed, "Hah, no. If I had, I wouldn't be here, with you now. But that's the thing about life, you never know what's going to happen next. You could fail at one thing, only to have something completely different happen. I failed my exams, and somehow ended up as a member of xybria's Elder Council".

She couldn't help but be infected a bit by his enthusiasm. Yet, that quickly faltered when she realized his story didn't really apply to here, "...But I don't have other options. I'm going to die".

"Are you dead now?"

"Well, no but-"

"Then you are still alive. Yet you would throw your life away".

She sat up, looking him right in the eye. Fear was evident, but also now irritation as she found him talking in circles, "But what's the point?"

He gave a half-smile, "The point, my dear child, is that your friends are looking for you. And while you think you're being selfless, trying to save them by removing yourself from the picture, in truth do you think they'd be happy you were gone?"

"But I'm going to die *anyway*" she stressed, annoyed.

"It's a strange sort of comfort, knowing what's going to happen, isn't it?" he asked her, "It's not a good end, in fact it's terrifying. But it's reassuring to know that there's no surprises. So you resign yourself, to reassure yourself. Because the alternative would be to try again, and that's even scarier, isn't it?"

"...What?"

"Hope can be the scariest thing of all" Sesh clarified, "If you give yourself hope and then fail anyway, it's all the more devastating. But if you give up on hope and let fate have its way, then you feel you can lessen that blow".

"...Is that so bad?" she asked him, "Hope only works when you've got a chance. Why should I set myself up on purpose?"

"You are here now" he said, with that even tone of voice that was quickly driving her up the wall, as if he wasn't even listening to her, and instead responding with the same five options like he was a doll and she'd pulled his string, "That is enough of a chance".

Sel shot to her feet, frustration at his lack of consideration towards her fueling her anger, "No, it's *not*! Why won't you listen to me?! I'm DYING. My body is literally giving out and there's nothing I can do! I'm strapped in a pod, being used as a battery so some assholes can kill the universe, and I can't do anything about it!" the existing tears began to run as she finally broke, "I can't! I can't do it! I came in here to find my friends and I can't even do that right! Nothing works, I can't..."

Elder Sesh stood up as she sobbed. "It's not fair..." she said, before he embraced her in a hug, "It's not fair..."

"No. No it's not" he said with complete sincerity as she cried into his shoulder, "Yet I believe you can rise to the occasion" he pulled her away gently, locking eyes with her, "You say you have no chance, that nothing you can do can prevent what is to come. Yet I know for a fact that you are a conscious representation of the Morphing Grid, with all that entails. I know for a fact that your friends are some of the most resourceful and intelligent people I have ever met. And most of all, I know that you are a brave young woman, a hero who has risked her life for others more times than either of us can count, and who despite everything life has thrown at her, will get up again and again, because that is who she is. I believe you will find a way, even if you don't".

Sel wasn't entirely sure how to respond to that; she simply stared at him in awe for a moment, until she felt a presence. Looking back towards the haunted forest that hadn't been there a moment ago, she saw a very familiar girl a fair few years younger than her. Andromeda said nothing, but smiled and beckoned Sel to follow her.

"I believe your friend means to guide you" Sesh told Sel as he let her go. He had a wry half-smile on his face, "You should probably follow her".

Sel switched between Sesh and Andromeda, her mind still processing all of this. "I..." Hope, huh? Despite her best attempts to squash it, Sel felt it trickling into her soul again. Sesh hadn't been wrong—all things considered, she WAS a part of the Grid, and her friends DID know what they were doing. She might not have been fully confident in herself, but if everyone else did, well…

She wiped her tears, giving Sesh a worn-out but still the best determined face (and a little sheepish) she could give him, "...Thank you". She still had a lot of questions about how and why, but that wasn't important right now.

He nodded with a smile, "Thank me by ensuring that there's a tomorrow".

She couldn't help but laugh at that, nodding in affirmation and offering one last quick hug. Then, turning towards Andromeda, she headed towards the phantom form of her one-time friend. The girl vanished as Sel got close, but somehow she knew Andromeda hadn't abandoned her. Sel looked back at Elder Sesh one more time, then descended into the shadow of the forest. She raised her fist to her field of vision and squeezed it as if she was promising herself. With a flash of yellow energy, she transformed into the yellow ranger.

* * *

Isdilian was a whirlwind of destruction, striking through each ranger as if they weren't even there. Even Nikki, powered up, was having a hard time trying to be anything more than a practice dummy. He was angry and hurt, frustrated that all his plans had gone to waste. He'd tried everything; he'd tried diplomacy, he'd tried forcing them, he'd tried commanding them. Nothing worked! Why wouldn't they see?! Why wouldn't they see he was trying to save them!?

And yet Sel's words rung in his head, the same words Sid and Nikki had said to him: why would they join him when their loved ones would die? So selfish of them; Isdilian couldn't save *everyone*!

"I gave you chance after chance!" he yelled, his powers strong enough to begin picking up dust as he struck each of them in turn, "I'm trying to save your lives and all you give me in response is this!" his blade cut into Trok's suit as he turned to block Xolin's next assault. "This would have been so much easier if I'd stuck to Alpha's directives and done my job, but then you made me care about you!" Blue and silver clashed, blue on the defensive as her lance held silver's sword at bay, "Alpha wanted me to kill you! I convinced him to give you a chance, and you're throwing it away!"

Knocking Xolin's lance away, he slashed across her body as Sid and Nikki swung in from the sides.

"I did this all for you!" he cried out, knocking Sid aside as he focused on Nikki and her energy wristblades, "Everything! Everything I did, I did for you! Why can't you understand that?!"

Nikki dodged with her jetpack, but it wasn't enough. She tumbled to the ground, but before he could get another hit in, Sid's ax met with Isdilian's sword.

"...For us?" Sid exclaimed, "You killed Anthren! You kidnapped Sel to be a living battery against her will!" he pulled Isdilian's sword back away from Nikki, "You don't get to say you did this for us! You think you love us, but you don't".

"That's not true!" Isdilian crowed as he struck Sid down, "Despite everything, I do! Despite all the crap you've made me do, I *do*!"

"...Made you do?!" Xolin spat out, having returned to the fight. The two clashed, "No one 'made' you do anything! You did this yourself! None of this was needed! You're the one who betrayed us, you're the one who killed Anthren, you're the one who planned to kill innocent people just to draw us out!"

Sid joined in, forcing Isdilian to fight both at once, "You don't get to be the victim!" Sid added, his ax blocked by Isdilian's shield. He struck again, "You don't get to be the victim after you carved a bloody swath through a karovian city!"

Frustration continued to bubble over for Isdilian. Too much...too much! "...Sacrifices...sacrifices must be made for the greater good!" with a powerful burst of energy, both rangers were knocked back.

"Who's good?!" Nikki demanded to know as she flew in, actually managing to get a decent hit in, "Our good? Or Alpha's?!"

"Both!" Isdilian countered, "It can be both!"

"No it can't!" she yelled back, even as he knocked her back. She ducked, dodged, then went on a counter-offensive only to be struck again.

"It can!"

"No, it can't" Trok said. Every ranger paused mid-attack as the green ranger stood there, looking down at his boots. This battle had been raging, and Trok had been busy discussing this with himself, discussing what Nikki had said to him with himself. He wasn't happy; this was a betrayal of what he believed in. It was a dirtying of his hands, a blemishing of his soul.

But it *was* necessary.

Trok looked up directly at Isdilian, having steeled himself and having made his choice, "You can't have it both ways. Sometimes you just have to make your choice, or you lose everything". He activated his morpher, "Battlizer".

The armor appeared and wrapped itself around the green ranger. As the transformation finished, Trok assumed a pose, "And you DID make your choice. I think you're just regretting it".

The silver ranger regarded the powered up green ranger, "...The only thing I regret is letting you worm your way in to my feelings" he growled before charging at Trok, "Alpha created me! Gave me purpose!" Isdilian's aura grew stronger as he summoned even more power, deflecting Trok's artillery barrage as he closed in. He and Trok met in battle, "I was given a mission to save their universe, and I WILL carry it out!" The two struggled, until Trok was blasted backwards by a beam of pure morphing energy. Isdilian readied another attack, to which Trok evaded by igniting his boots and flying out its path. Isdilian attempted to follow, swinging his beam of light around in pursuit. The science base never stood a chance.

Seeing a chance, Sid bullrushed Isdilian, landing right in his abdomen. The silver ranger grabbed red and, after struggling for a moment, threw him aside before delivering a powered-up kick that sent Sid flying. Nikki and Xolin closed in from either side, but Isdilian extended his sword into a laser whip of blinding white power, striking both of them before going after Trok who was now on an intercept course.

"Ignorant children!" Isdilian screamed, lashing out at all of them. Trok narrowly evaded, crashing into the dirt as Isdilian created an electrical storm overhead, "I gave you reprieve after reprieve! I gave you chance after chance, and you squander it like spoiled children!" The electrical strikes came down both from above and from his own weapons, hitting each ranger. Sparks flew, explosions erupted, and the rangers collapsed onto the ground, their suits smoking and charred.

"You..." Sid struggled to move, "You never cared about us. You think you do, but you only care about your ideal of us, the concept that you can 'have' and put in your little box. You don't care about the Antipodes' universe, you've never even been there. You only care about the mission. You only care about yourself. You call us spoiled and selfish, but look in the mirror! You've done all this, and for what? So daddy will love you?"

Isdilian's outward rage seemed to be replaced by calm—the kind of calm that masks inner rage. The silver ranger deliberately made his way over to the fallen red ranger, putting his sword back in the shield. He picked Sid up by the neck.

"...So, what now?" Sid asked him with contempt, "You...you going to kill me? Do you 'love' me that much? How many more do you have to kill?"

Everything in Isdilian's mind was a mess of confusion. Everything the rangers had said, everything Sel had said, everything he'd held to be true. None of it made sense.

"...Put him down, Izzy" Xolin said weakly, having managed to get up with Nikki's help, the latter supporting the former, "It doesn't have to end like this". Izzy. The name Sid had originally chosen in light mocking, then as a term of endearment, even if Isdilian had never really liked it. Then...then it had become a term of hatred when everything had gone south.

"Please" Trok added, his armor scarred, "Just...put him down".

Time stood still as the silver ranger considered his options. And for a moment, it looked like he was going to give in. Fate however, made the choice for him. Isdilian's suit crackled with ambient energy as Isdilian began to scream in pain. He dropped both Sid and his weapon as he stumbled backwards, and then dropped to his knees. No one dared touch him, taken off-guard by the sudden reversal. Isdilian doubled over, his ranger suit fading in and out as the Morphing Grid overload took its toll on his body. The other four backed away as the power intensified.

And then, his back arched and contorted in abject agony, Isdilian looked to the sky, the orifices of his mouth glowing with eerie power as he channeled that power into the sky with a thunderous boom, the clouds that had been growing only further cascading from the influx of energy. A shockwave emanated out in all directions, blowing dirt everywhere before the storm finally faded.

Isdilian, again the silver ranger, his breath shallow and his body shaky didn't resist as Trok dared to help him up.

"...You used too much grid energy, didn't you?" he asked Isdilian.

The silver ranger looked at his hand—one of his fingers was just...gone. His breath catching, he looked down and saw that his body was...no. NO! It was evaporating! He was evaporating! Parts of him were gone. His body was literally burning up.

Just like Sel.

In a fit of utter fear, he pushed Trok away, stumbling but ultimately managing to keep his balance. He wanted...he didn't know what he wanted. He wanted Sel to be safe, but that was impossible. He wanted the rangers to...what? What did he want? He didn't want to die, that was for sure, but he was dying, his mission unfulfilled. He was a failure. He'd failed Alpha, he'd failed his people.

"NO!" he screamed in despair as particles evaporated into the air.

"What...what's happening to him?!" Sid asked as he stood up.

"...His body. It's burning up" Trok said, in a bit of shock, horrified at what he was watching, "He's used too much grid energy, his body wasn't built for that!"

"Is...is that what's going to happen to Sel?" Xolin asked, equally horrified.

Sel. They were worried about Sel. If they were worried about Sel, they should have come with him. This was their fault! All their fault! Rage consumed Isdilian, "You don't get to talk about her!" he exclaimed, charging up again, "This is your fault! ALL YOUR FAULT!" If he was going to die, then he'd take everyone else with him.

Summoning as much power as he could, he unleashed another flurry of attacks, and in their current state the rangers couldn't do much to even slow him down as he kicked their asses. He was a humanoid maelstrom, cutting into them so quickly and so effortlessly they might have not even been there. Sid went down first, followed by Nikki who's Phantom Mode finally shut down from the sheer amount of damage that it had suffered.

Trok attempted to open fire with the battlizer, but Isdilian closed to gap too quickly and struck him down. Xolin attacked from the side with her lance, but he tore it from her grasp before striking her with it—repeatedly. He then turned back to Trok. The green ranger struck first, but as he was already exhausted, Isdilian quickly gained the upper hand.

"Don't do this!" Trok exclaimed, just before another blow deactivated the battlizer. Isdilian grabbed him and struck him repeatedly with his powered up fist, both to the head and the gut. He released the green ranger, and then unleashed a burst of electrical energy on his hapless foe. Trok tumbled backwards, finally demorphing in a heap on the ground.

Isdilian staggered towards him, the blinding pain nearly overwhelming even as he forced more energy into him. "No...no more..." He WOULD carry out Alpha's orders. He WOULD succeed at his purpose. He drew his sidearm sword. He aimed. Lighting flashed. Thunder roiled.

He swung down at Trok.

He stopped. Isdilian's eyes went wide in shock as the sound of impact hit his back side. Pain rippled through the point of impact...and out the front. Looking down, he saw the chest of his suit sparking and shorting out as the blade of Xolin's sidearm clearly stuck out of it. The blue ranger herself seemed just as shocked and appalled at the sudden turn of events, and pulled her blade out as if that would somehow undo what had just happened.

Isdilian managed to turn around to get a good look at his subduer. Xolin was in shock, not quite processing everything and about a step away from having a meltdown. The silver ranger suit sparked and spurted more and more, until it finally just gave out and Isdilian demorphed. From there he quickly collapsed, Xolin managing to catch him after throwing her sword aside and also demorphing. She landed on her knees, trying to understand what she'd done.

"Trinity..." she whispered in horror, "I...I didn't mean..." Trok, clutching his chest in pain, pulled himself up to a semi-seating position via a group of rocks he'd landed next to. Sid and Nikki rushed over, demorphing in the process.

Isdilian, his body beginning to evaporate faster now, managed to lock his gaze at his killer. He breathed only shallow breaths, and couldn't maintain focus for long, "It...it wasn't supposed to...be this...way..."

He was gone.

His body disintegrated in her arms, flaking away into the aether as his form returned to the Morphing Grid. The four surviving rangers just stayed there, unmoving as each tried to process what had just happened.

It began to rain.

* * *

The main command center of the Antipodes was silent as the feed to the battle went dead. Isdilian was gone. One of their two primary conduits was dead. And with him went the plan. A scheme years in the making, up in smoke.

"...Idiot" Delta managed to whisper as the implications set in.

Alpha was silent. He stared aimlessly at the central pillar of the room that contained the energy collected thus far.

Beta tried to rationalize this, grasping at straws as she went, "...It's...it's fine. We've still got that other conduit relic from Eltar. We can-"

"The Eltar relic was supposed to replace the girl" Epsilon reminded her, her voice dead as all hope had been extinguished, "She won't last much longer".

"Then it's over" Beta said, in a half question, "Everything we did...it was all for nothing?"

Epsilon didn't have an answer for her. Alpha, however, finally spoke; "...If we used the girl and the relic now, what would our chances of success be?"

"I..." Epsilon was supposed to crunch numbers *now*?! She was barely holding it together as she was. Still though, "I don't...ballpark figure, maybe? Forty percent, on a good day. But I'd need a few days to jury-rig a new setup. And...if it fails, the results could be disastrous".

"How?" asked Beta.

Epsilon was blunt in her assessment, "As in, that black hole outside could get much bigger. Infinitely bigger".

"If we lose, then we lose" Alpha said, his voice distant and unreadable. He didn't even bother looking at them as they argued, instead sitting at his desk and watching the Morphing Grid energy dance in the column, "But if we win...this is all we have. Epsilon, do what you have to. All of our resources are at your disposal".

"I...yes, sir" she replied. Epsilon walked out to tend to her shattered emotions, leaving just three.

"...What about us?" Beta asked Alpha.

Finally Alpha turned to the blue and green Antipodes, "Kill them".

The two of them bowed slightly, "...Yes, sir" Beta said before they took their leave. Alpha turned back to the energy column, and then to a small picture frame on his desk of a young schoolgirl; a daughter he was now certain he would never see again. All because of them. All because they couldn't just lay down and die.

Rage consumed him.

* * *

Everything was wrong. Trok's hands were dirty; he couldn't find a way to feel clean again. He knew there was no way out; the only alternative was that THIS universe died, and by not acting, he was indirectly endorsing that fate. He was a butcher either way.

Yet that didn't matter right now. He stood outside of Xolin's room, despondent. She hadn't come out since they'd been back, and hadn't said anything since the battle at all—she'd come here directly and shut her door. And at the end of it all, it had been his fault; if he'd not been in the way, Xolin wouldn't have felt the need to defend him. She wouldn't have had to kill Isdilian.

"...Xol?" he asked pleadingly, "Can...can we talk? Please?"

Silence.

He placed his hand on the door, leaning against it gently. She wouldn't even talk to him. "...It's not fair" he whispered to himself, before turning around and sliding to the ground and huddling against the door, "If...if you want to talk, I'm here".

More silence. It was deafening; more than anything, Trok just wanted to talk to someone; anyone. He was ready to explode. But no one wanted to talk, because of the horror.

Isdilian was dead; at their hand. Sel was probably dying horribly. The team, this family, had been broken...violated by its own members. And it would never be quite whole ever again.

Everything was wrong.

* * *

Nikki scoured Iota's old database for the thousanth time for everything, anything that could help them end this nightmare. But like always, she found nothing—everything they'd tried, everything they'd imagined had come up short. Converting this universe had been the Antipodes' final gambit.

She did this for two reasons: one, because she was spurred on by her confrontation with Trok, and two because it kept her from thinking about...well, everything else. She couldn't think about that. Not now.

Everything was wrong.

* * *

The workbay was silent, save for Sid's breathing and the hum of the holographic map of the universe he'd activated that filled a good chunk of the room as of present. He'd been checking the same status update for over an hour. Ostensibly he was narrowing down the search parameters for where the Antipode base could possibly be; he'd sent numerous scouts out from numerous factions in an effort to track down the location. But even with all the files they'd stolen from Zeta's base, even knowing that the Antipode base would light up like a Christmas tree even from a distance because of the sheer amount of power it would have to store...space was still huge. Hundreds of galaxies. Hundreds of trillions of stars. There was no way to cover it all.

The latest update stated that an Aquitian scoutship hadn't found anything in the Vika Galaxy. Another dead end. So many dead ends.

She'd called him Iota.

Sid shook the thought from his mind. There had to be something they were missing something…

He'd manipulated them, just like Iota. He'd taken their agency from them.

No. NO! Not now. Sid focused, despite how tired he was. ESPECIALLY because of how tired he was. Because if he fell asleep now, he knew he'd have The Dream.

Fire and smoke and ash and ruin and oh god their bodies STOP IT.

She'd killed Isdilian. They'd killed Isdilian. Isdilian, one of their own, was dead. Nothing would bring him back, and no matter how much Sid tried to distract himself that fact was inescapable. A fundamental law of rangerdom had been breached; they'd murdered one of their own. Killed him. Watched his body decay into nothing. Regardless of anything, this was a sin that could not be undone. It didn't matter how necessary or right it had been, they were still wrong.

Fire and smoke and ash and ruin and bodies and alarms and fire and smoke and ash and this all could have been avoided if he hadn't been such an idiot. It was just like before, and again people had paid for it. Xolin...god, poor Xolin. And Trok. And Nikki, for a second time. And Sel, wherever she was, if she was even still alive. It had been his job to protect them and what had he done?!

THIS WAS HIS FAULT.

Rage overtook Sid as he bolted from his seat, grabbing the portable holo-generator and throwing it, the map vanishing as the device smashed against the wall. Then he turned and swept everything off the next table. That not being enough, he roared as he grabbed the table and tossed it into the first.

His strength spent, his rage converted into tears as he let one last pitiful kick to the tables go, before sliding to the ground and clutched his head in his hands. He was a monster. Sid Drake was a monster, and he never should have come aboard this ship. He never should have let this happen. He'd KNOWN this would have been the result, that he would have messed up somehow, and here they were, broken and shattered.

Sid Drake was a monster. And so Sid Drake wept.

Everything was wrong.

* * *

_**To Be Continued...**_


	36. 3x10: Family

_She dreamed of stars. As she looked up into the night sky growing up, seeing only inky blackness had been the norm. It had been accepted, as it had for trillions of years. The void had become a normal fact of life since the earliest era of the universe, back when creation was young enough that stars could form. Now all that remained were the leftovers; red dwarfs that hadn't grown cold yet. Black holes, white dwarfs, neutron stars...stuff too dim to be seen from a distance. It was the end of the universe, though it was a slow end that would still outlive their entire civilization, for hundreds of hundreds of more trillions of years._

_Still, it was dying._

_She dreamed of stars though, from the stories. The myths and bedtime stories she'd been told as a child, of when the worlds were young, of when the night sky was an endless show of lights. Of when the universe had more stars, more galaxies than grains of sand on a beach. Back when life and energy were overflowing. Back before they had to ration what little energy remained._

_She dreamed of stars. And now, today, she might be able to help make that a reality once more. She'd been handpicked to help work on a project that would bring back the stars, by reversing entropy itself. Matter and energy could not be destroyed of course; only transferred. All that they required to reset things was to rewrite the rules on entropy._

_Could you imagine it? She'd only graduated from the academy last week, about to start her new job—and here she'd been handpicked for The Project. Her! Fresh graduate! Could you believe it._

_Her new fellow coworkers seemed friendly enough, too. Spirits were high; they were close to a breakthrough and everyone knew it. And the project lead seemed to think that with her onboard, they'd crack this in no time. Maybe, someday soon, the universe would be renewed._

_And so the woman who would one day become Epsilon dreamed of stars._

* * *

**Power Rangers Peacekeepers**

**Season 3**

**3.10: Family**

* * *

The yellow ranger raced through the forest, dashing from one dirt patch to the next, her bladed bow weapon in her grip. As she flew into a clearing, she turned about at a ninety degree angle and fired a laser arrow right into the wolf-beast that had been keeping pace with her just as it turned to intercept. She then swung around, bringing her weapon down and across diagonally into the wolf that was in the process of pouncing into her from behind. A third wolf almost struck; she attempted to block but wasn't fast enough-

Andromeda's ghostly form intercepted for a split second, confusing the wolf-beast and giving Sel precious seconds to counter-attack. Sel knew it wasn't Andromeda—not really. Andromeda was gone. But this was the 'dreamlands', where afterimages remained-impressions long since forgotten by all but the Morphing Grid. And she knew she carried part of Andromeda with her at all times; the Lights, after all, were Andromeda's power, her gift to Sel and the others.

More wolf-beasts were coming, Sel could hear them. Alone again, she ran, away from the forest as the pack broke through the tree line. Ahead was a rickety wooden bridge linking this floating island to the rest of the endless maze of floating rocks, all hovering above a churning maelstrom of clouds.

She almost got caught once; Andromeda intercepted again and Sel finished the beast off. Another one struck from the side, coming down on her after leaping into the air—Sel met its fangs with her blade, before shooting it square in the mouth and tossing its carcass off into the void. The yellow ranger charged across the bridge.

There was no way she could take this entire pack like this.

Fortunately, she had an idea. Sel came to a stop on the other end of the chasm, and even as the wolves closed in, she aimed her bow and fired, blowing the bridge apart. The wood planks collapsed as the ropes snapped. A dozen wolf-beasts fell into the storm below, leaving the rest of their pack stranded on the other side, away from Sel. She took a moment to catch her breath and congratulate herself on her own quick think-

A sudden sharp pain overtook Sel, and she clutched at her chest as she dropped to her knees, her vision blacking out for a moment as a splitting headache suddenly gripped her. Doubled over on the ground, she tried to catch her breath as the pain slowly subsided, and she knew.

...Isdilian was gone.

Her opposite, her twin. The presence that had always been there, even long before she'd known it HAD been there, was gone. There was a hole in the Morphing Grid. Honestly, she wasn't sure how she *should* feel, considering. On one hand, he...was gone, dead. Likely destroyed by the others or maybe he just overdid it like she had and simply hadn't survived.

...On the other hand, screw him. All that talk of sibling bonding and all he had ever really seen her as was an instrument, like the rest of the Antipodes. He'd kidnapped her, sent her to the Antipodes. If anyone deserved to die, it was him. If anything, she was more surprised (and worried) that she found she *didn't* care about his death all that much.

Yet, she knew that with him dead, and the Antipodes ambitions unfulfilled, this changed things. Likely they would be stepping up their plans, panicking at the sudden loss of one of their main tool. If she was their last hope, then she might be in serious trouble.

Knowingly or not, the others had probably set off the endgame.

"...I have to find them" she whispered to herself. Andromeda offered her hand, which Sel used to pull herself up, even though once she was standing again, she was once again alone. The yellow ranger looked up at the other bridges and floating islands, raising further into the sky.

"…I will find them" she reaffirmed, before racing forward to the next bridge.

* * *

The Megaship was quiet. It had been quiet ever since...well… The workbay was still a mess; Sid hadn't bothered to clean up after his meltdown. Instead he just sat at the computer, working...or rather, trying to work on building his alliance. He was doing anything, everything, to try and cope.

It wasn't working too well.

A blip on sensors caught his attention. Sid redirected ship sensor controls to his terminal here in the workbay, curious and mildly concerned. Sure enough, sensors were detecting a small craft at their six o'clock, in direct pursuit. They were keeping an average distance, a few light-years back with no intent of closing the distance or veering off.

...They were being followed.

A more detailed scan concluded that it was an SPD shuttle, and while Sid initially wondered if it was that admiral they'd saved, he knew that if that was the case they would have been hailed by now...and further, the ship was unregistered—it had never officially entered service. SPD itself was collapsing, and Sid doubted they'd be out this far just to hunt down Peacekeeper Team Twelve. Sid's face curled into a frown as the answer he didn't want was staring him right in the face.

The Antipodes were coming for them. It wasn't entirely unexpected of course; Izzy's death probably would have complicated things significantly, so it was obvious the Antipodes would try to deal with the threat directly. They hadn't attacked or tried to board yet, and instead kept a respectful distance—Sid surmised they were waiting for them to land somewhere. Sid reached for the ship-wide comm.

...He paused. Everyone was still reeling from this whole mess; a mess Sid had helped put them in—they were in no shape to fight. And how many Antipodes were after them? One? Two? All four of them? And how many krybots or carded monsters did they carry onboard?

Sid Drake had once thrown his team of rangers into the grinder and they'd paid the ultimate price. Every night for years he'd revisited that fact, and now no matter what he was making everything worse all over again. And still, they didn't even know where the Antipodes were based at or how long they had left, and they were no closer to finding out.

No. Not again. He wouldn't let them die again.

But they couldn't just keep flying forever; eventually they'd have to stop. And Sid couldn't take them alone.

...At least, not head on. An idea came to him.

Sid wasn't Iota. Iota was smart and could scheme as well as Sid if not better, certainly, but Iota never would have stuck his neck out for them. Iota had seen them as little more than tools. Sid saw them as far more than that. And Sid *would* stick his neck out. If nothing else, Sid could protect them.

His decision made, Sid got up and headed to Trok's workshop, checking the internal sensors first to make sure the horathean was actually in his quarters sleeping. He had a job to do.

* * *

_Everything had gone wrong. At first, it had seemingly gone right; they'd collapsed entropy further, creating a deeper, truer vacuum. In response, the energy within had ignited—a proof of concept! They could reverse the slow heat death of the universe!_

_And then everything had gone wrong._

_They'd barely escaped the system in time before the chain reaction went critical and their defenses were overwhelmed...and just like that, the dim red dwarf system, one of the last in the galaxy they'd been stationed in, was obliterated, its constituent particles of matter and energy disassembled by the collapse of the physical laws of the universe within the quickly expanding sphere of lower entropy—a new order was rearranging itself within. For all intents and purposes, they'd created an shockwave of infinite destructive power that was propagating at light speed. They'd chosen this galaxy due to its isolation and low population—thank the gods—and while it was expendable, unless they figured this out everything else would die too. Already the closest galaxies were preparing to evacuate their worlds._

_The team had pulled together, though. The girl who would be known as Epsilon had met another woman on the team; the one who would one day be known as Beta. The older woman, though often irritable and driven, had gotten a soft spot for the younger, and had taken her under her wing. Then there was the one who would be known as Iota—the best friend of the team leader and closest confidant, as well as the lead idea man. Epsilon looked up to him. The three of them—Beta, Epsilon, and Iota, had gotten the go-ahead from the team leader to try their hand at one of their ideas for fixing this._

_There were other projects of course; Sigma, Zeta, and Theta were doing their own thing, while the team leader, Gamma, and Delta had taken to another hypothesis. Personally, she never got why Delta was here—he was a nice enough guy, fun to be around, but not much of a scientist and more of a jock. She'd suspected, considering how well he got along with the leader, that they'd been close friends and that the latter had simply invited the former on in a bit of nepotism. Not that she'd ever voice that opinion of course; she was honored to be here and wanted to prove herself._

_Her own team was headed by Iota, who'd come up with what Epsilon thought was a brilliant plan: pocket universes. They'd simply whisk the expanding bubble of entropy away by folding it out of this universe into its own dimension. Early tests were positive—they just needed enough power to pull this off._

* * *

Entapur. An odd name for a little out-of-the-way world that orbited two K-class orange stars in a tight orbit. It wasn't a pleasant planet by any stretch of the imagination; being so close to the binary stars it was effected by both the gravitational pull and the heat, ensuring it would be a volcanic world. It had once hosted a large human mining operation from Earth, but when it turned out the world was too volatile for continued use as mineral veins would continually move, the corporation had packed its bags, leaving the planet's natural forces to slowly dismantle the various bases they'd built across the planet.

It had also been right in the path of the Defender Megaship, making it a perfect choice for Sid Drake as he departed the ship in Isdilian's old APC craft—the Megaship having flown through the outer edges of the system as it continued on its path. Not that the Antipodes would know; he'd installed one of Nikki's cloaking devices onto the ship—he knew it wouldn't last long under the pressure of having to hide an entire starship, but it'd last long enough to give the Antipodes the slip.

...Especially considering that Sid had ALSO fudged his ship's sensor readings so as to appear to BE the Megaship, apparently making a sudden B-line for a volcanic world in an otherwise empty system because well would you look at that, sudden engine leak. Guess we gotta pull over and check it out. It wouldn't fool anyone with a detailed scan or at close range of course, but as bait it was perfect.

Sid's ship made a landfall on one of a launchpad of one of the larger surviving complexes, though it was clear even it was starting to succumb to natural forces. He'd have rather had this showdown elsewhere, but this had been the only system close enough to avoid suspicion that had a planet. Beggars couldn't be choosers, he supposed.

The complex rested on the side of a basaltic mountain range, tucked in and above a small valley that looked out towards a semi-molten plane and a front-row seat to the twin suns that dominated the sky. From the mountain end of the valley, a molten 'water'fall cascaded out just behind the base. The structure itself was built into the mountains, with numerous towers and spires that jutted out and were connected by numerous pathways.

Stepping out onto the landing pad, the red ranger found himself surrounded by sparks from the falls. That...wasn't good; it meant the station's shields were starting to fail.

...Well, if they ALL died horribly in hot lava, he supposed it was still a win.

Sid didn't have a lot of time; the Antipodes would be arriving within a few minutes and he still had a lot to set up. He'd spent the trip here studying the layout of the base, figuring out where to best place everything. Opening up his morpher's holomap and, connecting it to the APC vehicle, he began programming drop-off locations. Supplies he'd filled the vessel's hold with to the brim began teleporting out to their assigned locations. The Antipodes would have the advantage of strength, power, and numbers, which meant that Sid wouldn't be able to take them head-on. He'd have to try for something...trickier.

Once the vessel was empty, Sid ordered it to launch and veer off. It would hide on one of the base's undersides with another cloaking device activated. Detecting an incoming ship in orbit, Sid made haste, vacating the landing pad and hurrying further into the doomed complex.

Deep down, he knew this was wrong. Second thoughts riddled him. More than once he'd almost opened a channel back to the Megaship only to back down. Why was he doing this?

* * *

You can only stay cooped up in your room for so long before you start to go a little stir crazy, no matter how much you don't want to have to deal with shit outside. And Nikki was discovering that, despite her computer-ness and inherent access to all information everywhere...that this rule still applied to her.

But the ship was empty, as she found as she wandered the halls. Not that she expected a bustle of activity, considering that only three other people currently lived on the ship and after what had happened...well…

Still, this ship wasn't THAT big. The workbay was empty, yet...trashed. Someone had had a meltdown. The simudeck was empty, ditto for the bridge, and Nikki wasn't about to go knock on someone's door because she just...needed to be out, not have a personal conversation with someone.

...Screw it. She'd get some more work done as she watched the stars fly by in the lounge. Nikki had been trying to narrow down possible Antipode base locations in conjunction with Sid and the various scouts they had on the job, but it was tedious and likely fruitless. Yet it was all they could do.

Nikki let the door to the lounge slide open, light spilling into the dark room. ...Why did they never turn the lights on in here? She didn't think she'd EVER had the lights in in here. This room's purpose had never really been fulfilled and so had really become the 'moping room', for whenever someone was sad.

Flick. She turned the lights on.

"AUGH!" Xolin's addled shout rang out from one of the chairs, "OFF! Turn it off!"

Nikki sighed flatly and did as she was told, "...Sorry, didn't realize you were in here".

Xolin gave her a mildly irate yet unfocused glance, before taking another drink from the bottle of something she'd procured from the bar cabinet, "...Issalright. What are you even doing here anyway? It's like...three...four...forty-three AM".

Nikki shrugged as she moved further into the room. She couldn't help but smile at Xolin's drunk misspeak, "Turns out robots do not, in fact, dream of electric sheep".

"...I'm going to assume that's a reference to something".

An inebriated Xolin struggled to pull herself to her feet, nearly falling back over twice before unsteadily balancing herself, swaying slightly, "So what, you come here to mope too?" she asked, slurring her voice.

"...How much have you had?" Nikki asked, sidestepping Xolin's own question as the latter took another drink.

Xolin removed the bottle from her lips and looked down at it despondently, her voice cracking slightly. "...Not enough".

"...I disagree" Nikki said with sadness, reaching for the bottle. She tried to pull it out of Xolin's hands, but the triforian pulled back.

"What are you doing? It's mine!"

"Just give me the bottle!"

"No!"

"Please!"

With another yank, Nikki won as Xolin seemingly just gave up. The latter rubbed her face, "...How much do I have to drink before it stops replaying in my mind?"

Nikki's expression fell. Right now, part of her wished she *could* get wasted, "...That only works if you black out. And only until you wake up again".

Xolin gave a dry, bitter chuckle at that, "...He was one of us, and I killed him".

"He didn't give us a choice, Xol".

"Yeah, that's becoming a theme, huh?" she slurred as she pointed a wobbling accusing finger at Nikki, "We blow up an ani...anima...the zord...place...thing...we kill our teammates, we kill a universe because...why not!" She threw up her hands as she spun around towards an imaginary crowd, "Goooo Rangers! Go good guys! Kill all the things!"

Nikki caught Xolin as the latter tumbled back, "...Would you rather we get killed ourselves?"

Xolin's response was subdued as she stood back up, "...I'd just rather not find new things to hate about myself when I look in the mirror every morning". A thick silence settled over the room for a moment, before Xolin added, "...You know, I figured that by the time I got to this age, I'd have figured it allll out. That at least some of my shit would be fixed, but it's not. I just get more shit added to it. Shit sucks". She moved to take another drink, but remembered she no longer had the bottle. A look of disgust flashed across her face.

Nikki actually let loose a small laugh, "...Life would be so much easier if it was like TV, huh? Easily wrapped up character arcs, ten minute epiphanies that change everything, not having to carry around baggage your entire life..."

"...How do you deal with it?" Xolin asked her, slumping down in another chair.

The hologram shrugged, "...Day by day, I guess. Some days I deal with it better than others. But it doesn't end".

"...No, it doesn't" Xolin said, "Thanks".

"For what?"

"...For being here"

Nikki couldn't help but smile at that. "...You know, the others are here whenever you need anything. We're all pretty alike, more than we'd like to admit".

"...Yeah, I know" Xolin muttered, looking away, "...You know, when I ran away from home, all I thought about was fighting. I thought if I fought hard enough, believed hard enough, I'd make it through".

"I'd say you made it pretty far" Nikki replied, sitting down next to her.

Xolin snorted with derision, "...I think I'm tired of fighting. Tired of..." she waved to their surroundings, "...This. The death, the destruction, the doing the bad thing because it's right..."

"What would you do?"

"Psh, I don't know. I've never really thought about it because it scares the crap out of me. I'm not really good at much else. I dunno, maybe I'll retire".

Nikki gave her an odd look, "...Retire?"

"Yeah, retire!" Xolin said, a faint grin forming on her lips, "Someplace warm, sandy, without stupid people..."

Nikki's bemusement grew, "...You'd go crazy inside a day".

Both laughed at that, "...Yeah, you're probably right" Xolin replied, then sobered a bit, "...I want more than this. I deserve more than this".

Nikki gave her an odd look. A very different Xolin than the one she'd come to know over the last few weeks was forming in front of her. "So what are you going to do for it?"

Before Nikki even knew what was happening, Xolin had snatched the bottle from her hands. She gave a slightly mischievous yet determined grin, "Fight for it".

* * *

He couldn't sleep.

Trok had tried, of course. He was pretty sure he'd actually managed it for an hour or so, but then woke up feeling even worse than before. All the stress of everything was getting to him. Deciding there was nothing for it, he'd finally given up on the idea and had headed down to the loading bay he'd repurposed into his private gallery of half-finished projects. He wanted to try another go at the Ultrazord concept; maybe he'd get lucky and have a flash of inspiration-that kind of thing sometimes happened to the sleep deprived, right?

Trok opened the door, and immediately noticed that something was off. For one, half of his projects were missing. His mind spun into overdrive as he tried to come up for explanations for the sudden disappearance of his rejects. Antipode shenanigans? Quantum probability? Machines coming alive and killing everyone? Misplacing them in his sleep?

"...This can't be good".

* * *

"...He saved me once, you know".

Nikki turned to Xolin, both of them still seated on the couch in the center of the lounge, with a front-row seat to the windows that consisted of the far wall.

Xolin continued, "Izzy, I mean. I was...we were split into our three individual aspects and couldn't recombine because of a monster's spell. All he had to do was push a button, but still, he did it. He could have let someone else do it while he wailed on the monster, but he did it. He said...he said that he also knew what it was like to hate himself" she paused, "...And then I killed him".

Izzy. Isdilian. He was a person everyone on the team had always had mixed feelings about. When he'd first come aboard, the core four had hated him and he did everything he could to make sure it stayed that way. Even when Nikki had shown up, he was an outsider, though she quickly outpaced him in that regard. But as she stayed on the sidelines, she'd watched him slowly but inevitably get reigned into the group dynamic. By the end, he'd basically become one of them.

Nikki curled up into a ball on the couch, "...It must have been hard for him, knowing he was going to betray you the entire time.

Xolin snorted, "Izzy never knew what he wanted. He had every opportunity to turn back, but instead he wanted a fantasy world where he made his father figures proud AND got us to go along with it and somehow we'd all be one big happy family in his new world. He used to berate us for acting like kids, but I think deep down, that was him".

"Father figures, huh?"

Xolin regarded Nikki then turned away, "Life is full of disappointments".

The conversation halted there, as the door slid open with a sense of urgency, with Trok stumbling in, "GUYS! Big trouble! Sid'snotontheshipandhalfofmystuffisgoneandI'mprettysurebadthingsareabouttohappen!"

"Woah, slow down" Nikki cautioned as Trok caught his breath, "What was that about Sid?"

Forcing himself to calm (though still visibly agitated), Trok tried again, "I went into my work room to tinker because I couldn't sleep, and like, half of my projects are missing. I thought for a second we'd been robbed somehow, or there was some sort of quantum probability event, so I contacted Sid, except I couldn't because he wasn't on the ship"

"Sid's not on the ship?!" Xolin and Nikki both exclaimed as they shot up from their seats, to which Trok nodded in frantic confirmation. Her brow furrowing, Nikki searched the ship's internal sensors herself—just as Trok had said, their leader wasn't onboard. Odd...there hadn't been any alerts that he was leaving, no logs of launches, even though...Isdilian's ship was missing. They'd brought it onboard along with the rest of his arsenal after his death, but now it was missing?

"...This is bad" she muttered, "Izzy's APC is gone too".

"He left without telling us" Xolin surmised, her voice an odd mixture of concern, worry, and disappointment, "...Idiot. Where did he go?"

Trok was already on it, bringing up his morpher's holoscreen, "We can trace his warp trail. I'll need to get to the bridge for a better reading".

Xolin nodded, "Let's go".

"Woah, wait up" Nikki said, stopping Xolin, "You were wasted like, five minutes ago".

Xolin shrugged, "I'm Triforian. I metabolize three times as fast".

Nikki blinked, "...How does that even begin to make sense?"

"Guys, come on!" Trok called, already halfway down the hallway and clearly panicked. The two girls dropped their conversation and quickly followed.

* * *

_It didn't work._

_Their attempt to section off the false vacuum event into its own personal pocket dimension had failed. Their math had been right, their work had been flawless...but the destruction wave had moved much faster than anticipated. It had started at merely light speed...and then had sped up considerably, because as it expanded, it somehow tapped into the underlying expansion of space-time itself which at great distances moved faster than light itself—it was now growing exponentially. They simply hadn't been able to match it._

_The other projects had fallen through as well; everyone was panicking. Tempers were running high. More attempts to stop the wave were underway, but they would fail as well._

_...Then came the first sacrifice. As galaxies were swallowed up, fleets of ships escaped; exoduses of whole people. But in a universe already close to entropy, energy was hard to find, even harder for whole races on the run. There simply wasn't enough to go around. Wars broke out, people slaughtered each other, left each other to die._

_The team who would one day became the Antipodes were no exception. They agonized over it of course. They deliberated over it, argued over it. Tempers flared, terrible things were said. Declarations that this was not what they were about were stated. But in the end, it was inevitable. They needed the power, they needed the supplies. One ship, one fleet was ultimately an acceptable sacrifice in order to save the universe._

_None of them slept well though._

_Then came the second sacrifice. And the third. And the fourth. It became a running tally. It became normalcy. The heroic spirit of their endeavor vanished in their numbness, as their hearts became colder—a necessity to deal with the horror._

_Each of them drew inwards. Beta became bitter, their friendship shriveling a bit. Delta became stoic. Alpha threw himself into his work._

_Hope died._

* * *

Landing on the launchpad of the mining base, Beta and Delta stepped out of their shuttle, looking out at the battlefield the rangers had chosen for them.

"...Someone likes dramatics, I see" the blue antipode noted, "...But no sign of the Megaship".

"...Reading only one life-sign" Delta grumbled, "Human".

Beta actually laughed at that, "I should have known. Of course the red one would sacrifice himself as a decoy while the others got away. I figured trailing them would make them crack, but I didn't expect this".

"...Should we go?" Delta asked her, "We could still pick up the real warp trail".

Beta shook her head, "No, this actually works out to our advantage. Picking them off one by one is far more palpable than facing the whole team. And taking out the leader first? Icing on the cake". The decision made, she pulled out a deck of SPD cards and tossed them out across the ground in a heap. Channeling some blue energy into them, the cards melted away as the army of monsters trapped within grew to form.

"...Congratulations; you've just won your freedom. However, I think you'd all be interested in knowing that somewhere on this base is a red ranger. Kill him, and you will be rewarded generously".

The monsters were not averse to this arrangement.

* * *

The monster army spread out throughout the complex fairly rapidly in a disorganized mob-like fashion.

Just as planned.

The golden robot-themed monster and the humanoid zebra creature wandered into one of the base's ancillary control towers; a small room with a central control pillar with various consoles ringing the outer wall. Well...correction, it HAD been an ancillary control tower until about six seconds ago when Sid had activated the five detonator charges he'd littered about the room. Now it was a shower of debris falling into the lava lake below.

As the red ranger walked away from the severed bridge, a beer bottle monster rushed onto the scene to see what the ruckus was all about.

"I found him!" the monster declared before charging at the red ranger in an attack. But the red ranger flickered on contact as the monster's arm swung right through him. Sid then vanished, having been just a hologram. "What?!"

That was when the monster was met by a battlizer's main gun at point blank range on his backside.

Three minutes later, another ancillary tower went boom.

A minute and a half after that, Sid collapsed a bridge between one of the cargo bays and the main northwest complex, taking three monsters with it.

Needless to say, Beta was not amused. She'd anticipated Sid would play games, but the sheer amount of damage he was doing was almost silly. The hunt had only been going on a few minutes, and they'd already lost over half a dozen monsters.

"...He's really beginning to test my patience" she growled. This had been the boy who had outwitted her the last time they'd met, upsetting the Antipodes' plans and killing off Zeta right when she'd thought they had been on the cusp of victory. And now here he was doing it again; they had all the advantages and yet he was tearing them apart like nothing.

"Allow me" Delta grunted, moving to enter the complex from the landing pad they'd stayed at.

Beta stopped him however, "No. If you go in there, you'll only get yourself killed. We need a plan first".

The large warrior looked down at her, "Like what?"

The wheels in her head were turning, "We need to use his own strategy against him. We need to trap him into a single section where he can't escape". She brought up a holomap of the base. Sid had already taken out a few sections and connecting bridges, and if she could take out a few more… "...We need to guide him here" she said, pointing to one of the secondary hubs just off the main structure, "Then we blow the bridges".

* * *

"Found him!" a pterodactyl monster with a scratchy voice declared as he double-checked his scanners, leading his two companions, a lizard monster and a typewriter monster around the corner and into the empty domicile wing of the base. Arriving in what had once been the common room, the monsters looked around confused.

"...I don't get it. I got his energy signature right here!" the pterodactyl exclaimed.

That's when a machine that had been sitting in the corner supposedly gathering dust came to life. It was actually Trok's half-finished transtek monstrosity, and Sid had just set it on autopilot from a distance, its guns heating up and the detonators attached to it counting down. The doors to the wing slammed shut, leaving the three monsters to their grisly fate.

Two hallways over, a hapless vocabulary-themed monster was being devoured by a swarm of Trok's spider-bots.

Another bridge blew, taking with it another handful of monsters after they'd been 'guided' there by a group of hostile aerial drones.

The less said about the poor performance of Trok's half-finished Android with Kung-Fu Grip, the better.

Having just unloaded his battlizer's weaponry on a half-dead monster in the hallway, Sid un-summoned the armor and sprinted towards the nearest exit of the secondary hub he found himself in. It was the last exist standing; his plan was to blow the bridge after making it to the other side, and then cutting the last supports holding his habitat in place. He was almost upon the bridge...and that was when the bridge went boom. Sid ground to a halt at the edge.

This was bad.

The scuffling of feet behind him alerted Sid to the fact that he was now hemmed in. The red ranger turned about, taking stock of the menagerie of mismatched rubber creatures that now half encircled him.

"...Is this all for me?" he asked coyly, "I'm touched".

"You were a fool to come here by yourself" Beta said, pushing herself to the forefront of the small army.

Sid smirked, "About a dozen and a half of your buddies would say otherwise". In truth, he knew this was bad; there was no conceivable way he could win this fight straight up. So as always Sid fell back on his second plan of attack: keep them talking and make them mad enough to make a mistake.

True to form, he was getting under Beta's skin, "Yes, that was very impressive; but it ends now. You're outnumbered and outgunned".

"Let me guess" Sid said, "Surrender now, etc etc?"

To that, Beta actually gave a laugh, "No, not exactly". She motioned to the group to prepare to attack.

"They better aim good" Sid told her as he shifted to a fighting position, "The last time you cornered me with enemy forces, I got better".

She grunted, "Yes, you have had an annoying habit of coming back for more. Kill him".

That brief moment of quiet certainty. That was all Sid needed. As the disorganized mob charged in, Sid activated the last of his cloaking devices he'd 'borrowed' from Nikki, vanishing under the tsunami of rubber flesh before reappearing several feet away from the chaotic pile. He gave Beta and Delta a cocky salute before rushing off down the hallway that ringed the perimeter of the hub.

Flustered, Beta looked at him, then at the monsters who were still trying to fight a non-existent red ranger they had assumed they'd tackled, "...Y-you idiots! AFTER HIM!" she shouted, pointing in Sid's direction.

Sid couldn't help but smile as he raced down the hallway—already he could hear several of the monsters following in pursuit. Up ahead was one of the severed bridges.

He had an idea.

Typing in a few commands into his morpher, he rounded the corner towards the next exit and avoided a few laser blasts directed at his person.

"You guys wanna see a hat trick?" Sid called back to them, before issuing one last command to his morpher.

As Sid neared the severed bridge, the hallway behind him exploded with fire as Trok's Battle Yacht crashed through the ceiling, catching the entire monster hoard off-guard. Approximately one second later, the entire hallway was vaporized by the explosives Sid had stashed on board going off. The fireball almost consumed him, but Sid used his running start to dive off the bridge—which in hindsight as he fell through open air towards the lava pit below he decided was not the best idea—barely grappling and flipping himself over a loose bar of metal before flinging himself to the lowest level—a maintenance catwalk on the very bottom of the base, not too far above the lava. The red ranger tumbled onto the catwalk and rolling to a stop. He was pretty badly bruised—his entire body ached as he forced himself to stand and hobble off to the nearest section of the base; an ancillary maintenance hut.

Up above, Beta and Delta stood, watching with contempt.

"Now what?" Delta asked, eying Sid even through the smoke and fire.

Beta didn't answer him directly, instead speaking into her wrist communicator with barely controlled fury, "Beta to all surviving forces. Red ranger's heading for maintenance bay fourteen. It leads to an auxiliary launch bay. Take him out". She closed the link and then turned away, heading for the elevator to get to a lower level.

* * *

The bridge of the Megaship was a blur of activity. Trok hadn't wasted any time backtracking Sid's path while Nikki had started reviewing the ship's sensor logs. Xolin had waited as patiently as she could in the captain's seat, wondering what the hell had happened. She gripped the armrests tightly, fidgeting subconsciously as she waited for the other two to figure it out.

She wasn't very good at waiting.

"...Entapur" Trok muttered finally, "He went to Entapur".

"Where's that?" Xolin asked him.

He turned from his console, "The sole planet in the Uldar-19 system. Small, volcanic, orbits two stars. Has a bunch of old abandoned terran mining stations".

Volcanic? That didn't make any sense, that he would go to such an inhospitable place, "...Why?" Xolin asked.

"...Because we were being followed" Nikki surmised, before throwing her console's holodisplay onto the main viewscreen. On it, everyone could see the ship's sensor records. Including…

"...An SPD shuttle?" Trok asked, confused.

Xolin's gaze narrowed, "...Antipodes".

Nikki nodded somberly, "They were probably waiting for us to stop somewhere and nab us then. Or maybe psyche us out a bit first to make it easier. Sid used one of my devices to temporarily cloak our ship, then used a sensor dampener to make it look like Isdilian's APC was our ship. …And took a lot of weapons with him".

Trok's brow furrowed in further confusion and concern, "This doesn't make any sense though. Why would he leave us? Wouldn't we stand a better chance together? And he didn't even tell us!"

Xolin sighed in irritation, rubbing the bridge of her nose, "I'm getting real tired of Sid assuming he's god's gift to whatever and leaving us out of the loop. He was like that back when we first met and then I thought he grew out of it, but all of the sudden..." she trailed off, shaking her head in distaste.

Nikki digested this information, slowly and silently coming to a conclusion as she thought back to their short exchange after she'd spilled the beans on the Antipodes' objectives a few days ago, "...I don't think he does it because he thinks he's god's gift" she said finally, "...I think he does it because he cares about you".

"He's got a weird way of showing it" Xolin muttered grumpily. She was incredibly frustrated, between this and the whole hiding information thing...damnit, what if he got himself in real trouble? They were supposed to be a team, not Sid and Friends.

Nikki closed her eyes, repressing some awful memories, "...If anything happened to you, I don't think Sid would survive. I think in some way, he's trying to atone for his sins". All those times she threw The Incident in his face. All the times she was awful because she was angry and bitter and wanted him to hurt because of how much she hurt.

And somewhere, she still felt that way. She still wanted him to suffer. But the truth was...she had been right there with him. They'd all made that choice. And she wasn't even the original Nikki. Did she even have the right to be mad for something that happened to her? Did she have a right to her feelings?

Still, she'd pushed him and now felt a bit guilty for it.

A flood of memories rushed through Trok as he connected the dots. Back when they'd first met, when Sid had wanted nothing to do with them or any of this. That time Sid had stupidly messed things up while trying to help when they'd visited his clan on Horath and then had angsted for days afterwards. That time he'd rescued them on Triforia, bringing an entire fleet with him and towering before the SPD commander like an angry god. Whenever he was reluctant to talk about his past. That time he'd told Trok just *why* he hadn't wanted to join the team.

That time after he'd left them—and then came back.

"...It doesn't matter what happens to him" Trok said, his voice barely above a whisper, "As long as we're safe".

Xolin's eyes widened as she locked her gaze with Trok's. Understanding flowed into her: she'd misjudged him. "...I'm an idiot" she managed, then steeled her voice, "How soon can we be there?"

Trok checked his console's readout, "...We passed the system about half an hour ago. I can get us there in half that if we go at maximum hyperrush".

"Do it" she nodded at him.

He nodded back and turned back to the computer. The Megaship made an about-face at FTL speeds and shot back towards its new destination.

"I hope he can hold on long enough" Nikki frowned.

"He will" Xolin said without an inch of question, not peeling her eyes from the viewscreen as she gripped the armrests of the captain's seat even tighter, "And then we're going to kick his ass".

No one else was going to die.

* * *

Sid limped a bit into the launch bay. A large chamber, it was actually built into the side of the mountain and housed several ground vehicles for when the mining team had needed to traverse the surrounding area. Ugh, he hurt. Note to self: don't do that ever again.

It also contained three monsters, dead ahead. One was an office supply monster, another was a humanoid pig that had eaten too much. The third was some sort of japanese ghost with lanterns.

"Well well well" the office supply monster chuckled, "Looks like we caught us a ranger!"

"The bounty for you is pretty high!" the pig stated, "You know how much barbecue I could eat with that?" As they spoke, other monsters began trickling in: a firefly sumo wrestler, twin beetle monsters, an elephant in battle armor, a number-themed creature, and a representation of the constellation Sagittarius, among others.

Despite his tiredness and injuries, Sid put on his best show, "Really, you think it's going to be that easy? Your buddies thought that, and I just blew over two dozen of them up. How lucky do you think you're going to be?"

The hoard, despite increasing in size, became visibly more skiddish. Sid grinned, "...Yeah, you're a little nervous, huh? Don't know what else I've got up my sleeve. Maybe between you and me I've turned this section of the hallway into a minefield. Maybe I'm not really here, but just a hologram, and the real me's waiting for you to make a mistake. Or maybe-"

"Or maybe you're just out of toys" Beta growled as she and Delta moved into the room from an elevator shaft to the side, "I know desperation when I see it".

...Wait. Was this…? Ah, it was. Sid's attention flickered to Beta with confidence, "Then by all means. Be the first to try".

Her patience at an end, Beta drew her sword, "ATTACK!"

The army charged, but Sid was ready. He only had one more card to play at the moment, but he intended it to be a good one. Activating it, the ground between him and the nearest monster exploded, sending the wolf-beast flying back into a clock-themed monster. Out of the hole popped another of Trok's unfinished devices, which Sid had strapped a battery pack to: a would-be replacement and/or addition to the Defender Cannon—a laser minigun. Sid threw the weapon's pack over his shoulder and opened fire, mowing through the opposition.

It didn't last long though, as Beta slipped in from the side. Sid tried to counter, but she was too close and kicked the weapon from his hand. Sid dodged her next strike, only to be slammed into the side by Delta's heavy fists. The red ranger went down, rolling back into a crowd of irate monsters. They pulled him up, striking him repeatedly until he managed to kick a few of them away and then pull himself free. Knowing he only had a second's worth of reprieve, he drew his sidearm sword and his battle ax, going on the offensive even though he knew at this point he was likely doomed.

But by god he'd take as many with him as he could.

* * *

The journey was endless. As far as Sel was concerned she'd been here only momentarily and yet forever.

Then again, time was a bit fluid here. Or non-existent.

Still, this felt endless. She'd long since left the floating islands and had crossed frozen tundras, deep jungles, empty cityscapes, and even places she had no name for. Now she found herself in the barren expanse of a sandy desert, losing hope again.

How was she she supposed to find three other people in a near-infinite cosmos?

Sel popped down in the sand, exhausted as she let the hot breeze wash over her. The sky above was dominated by a large gas giant and two smaller moons—inwardly she wondered if this place still existed in the 'real' world.

And there was Andromeda, waiting for her in the distance, as usual.

"...What?" Sel asked her with irritation, even though she knew she wouldn't respond, "What am I supposed to do? You've been leading for spirits know how long, am I any closer to finding the others now than I was when I started?"

Andromeda simply gave her a warm smile.

Ugh. She wasn't going to be any help. But that's because Sel knew it wasn't really Andromeda; it was just an after-image, a memory. A projection of what really remained of her friend—the power that now resided within Sel and her friends.

...Wait a second.

"...That IS what you've been trying to tell me, isn't it?" she asked the ghost as realization dawned. Andromeda gave her a mischievous grin, then turned to walk away, vanishing into the air. Sel tapped deep into her connection with not just the grid, but her own soul, finding the part of the Lights that resided within her.

Then she searched for the others.

Landscapes flashed before her senses. Lunar craters, red swamps, towers that reached the suns. She let herself fly, drawing close to her missing counterparts.

Yes, that was it.

She felt Sid—SAW Sid. Her relief and giddiness was squashed however as she saw him as he was...fighting. Struggling.

Losing.

He shouted in pain as his weapons fell from his hands, the swarm of enemies surrounding him. Beta and Delta were there.

Where were the others? Sel felt for them—above! In orbit! Why weren't they helping?! She shifted to them—they were arguing, panicking. They couldn't find him; an entire planet and they had no idea where to look. She had to get their attention somehow. She had to help him! Yet as much as she wanted, she was stuck on this side of reality, unable to reach Sid.

Or could she?

Sel pushed forward, her astral form igniting as she roared against the barrier of reality. She would not be stopped here, not this close and NOT NOW. Not when the others needed her!

PUSH.

* * *

Sid's weapons flew from his hands as he received multiple blows to his body. Monsters came to him left and right; the Sagittarius monster and a cloud monster fired their weapons at him. The armored elephant struck him with its staff. Delta's massive fist collided with his midsection, before Beta followed up with three quick strikes from her sword. The twin beetles placed their staffs together and fired a powerful blast of electrical energy at the red ranger, sending him to the ground just outside the launch bay on the volcanic rock itself, prone and surrounded by his enemies. His suit was charred and blackened in places, ravaged from the battle.

This was it; his gambit had failed. All his smarts, his preparation, his will—all of it had been for naught. The best he could hope for was that the others had gotten away and would survive long enough to rebound.

And that was when a brilliant, bright light filled the area. It had no source and no focus—it was omnipresent. And it grew brighter and louder.

"AH!" Sid shouted in reflex as he was forced to close his eyes. The monsters reeled in pain as well as the light overtook them.

* * *

"Where is he?!" Xolin demanded to know.

Trok tried a few more controls, then slammed his hands on the console in frustration, "I don't know! The planet has over two dozen mining complexes, and that's even assuming he didn't decide to fight on open ground! I detect morphing energy, but the radiation from the stars are keeping me from getting a lock".

"...Planets are big" Nikki said worriedly, "It'd take hours to find him sector by sector".

"He doesn't HAVE hours!" Xolin shot back, "We need to be down there NO-"

Trok cut her off, "...Woah".

"What's up?" Nikki asked him.

Trok motioned to the holoscreen, "Readings just went off. Like, off the dang charts. I'm reading...I'm reading an insane amount of morphing grid energy".

"Can you track it?!" Xolin asked him.

Trok typed in a few commands, "...Yes! I've got it. I don't know what he's doing down there that's causing that kind of energy release, but we've got him".

"Then let's go!" Xolin ordered. Nikki was already halfway off the bridge, with Xolin following. Trok however stopped her.

"...Xol, I know this is a bad time and all but...are you okay?" he asked her.

She looked at him quizzically, "Okay from what?" she asked as they resumed moving.

"...Everything" he said, "You went to your room after...after the last fight and didn't come out. And everything with Sid and I know it's been rough for a while and...I just want to make sure you're alright". The words spilled out, not a breath between them. It was clear he'd been trying to find a good time to ask this since they'd met in the lounge and just had a chance.

She stopped, looking back at him with an odd yet warm expression, putting her hand on his shoulder. She'd been torn—and while she'd certainly weathered killing a teammate better than he ever could, and while her conversation with Nikki had certainly helped, right now the only thing keeping her together was the mission itself.

Yet no matter what happened, Trok was always looking after her, making sure she was okay. And he was like that with the others as well. Because Trok understood, sometimes better than any of them. He understood what they were really fighting for. No matter how much she and the others got sucked into their own issues and inadequacies, all Trok was ever concerned about was how to keep everyone together.

Xolin brought Trok into a sudden tight hug, "Thank you" she said, before pulling apart.

"...Xol?" he asked, unsure.

She resumed moving down the hall—quickly now, "Nothing's okay right now. Maybe it'll be better tomorrow, huh?"

He got what she was saying as he followed, a smile growing, "...We'll make sure it is".

She couldn't help but return the grin, "That's why we keep you around".

* * *

_Time had been running out. Every option they tried, every project they helmed, every simulation they ran, all ended in failure._

_The camaraderie they'd once shared was all but gone...and yet stronger than ever because they were all they had anymore. They were dead inside, their birth names sloughing off as bit by bit, they began naming themselves by their project code names instead._

_It had been Theta who had first suggested the option of colonizing another universe. If they couldn't fix this one, perhaps they could simply move to another one. Hope flared for the first time in ages. It was certainly feasible; they'd been trying to create pocket universes since their attempt to stop the void had begun._

_But as it turned out, it was much harder to find a new universe than they had anticipated. Far too often they were met by nothing. When they DID contact other universe, they were found to be too hostile. The rules of physics didn't apply the same way—too few or too many fundamental forces. Or maybe matter and antimatter had wiped each other out. Or maybe it was simply too alien to even comprehend—laws of reality utterly askew to what they could even envision._

_Universe after universe they looked, finding nothing. As they searched, people died as the universe collapsed around them. Civilizations ended._

_...And then they found one that, while not perfect, was suitable. Their universe had been made of negatively charged matter—this universe was positively charged. Matter vs Antimatter. Most everything else fit—the fundamental forces, the laws of thermodynamics, it all worked. It's just if they tried to colonize it, they'd never be able to exist within it._

_Thankfully, this universe had a fifth fundamental force: some sort of underlying energy dimension that they eventually realized was named the 'Morphing Grid'. Sigma, Iota, and a few of the others had done the calculations: if the grid's power was channeled correctly, they could convert this universe into something liveable. It was a resource intensive project with a lot of risk, but it was doable._

_Unfortunately, this universe was already crawling with life. In order to convert this universe, the existing life would have to die. It was either them...or them. There was no other option; there was no guarantee that they'd find another match within the little amount of time they had left—nor was there any guarantee that that universe wouldn't have life as well._

_So many sacrifices had already been made. So many lines had already been crossed. Yet still the team was split on what was the right course of action—to save their universe and damn this one, or let it stand and doom them all. Salvation was at hand...what was one more sacrifice in order to ensure it?_

* * *

Sid blinked, squinting as the light faded and his vision slowly returned. Before he could do anything though, a very large foot pressed down on his back—a magma rock monster had him pinned to the ground.

"As far as hail marys go, that one was rather disappointing" Beta told him, "What was that? Some sort of flash grenade?"

"...Something like that" Sid replied. In truth, he hadn't an idea what had just happened, but she didn't need to know that, did she? As far as she knew, he still had more tricks up his sleeve. He didn't and was likely screwed, but might as well make her guess.

The blue antipode keeled down in front of Sid, "Now what, red ranger? Pinned to the ground, defenseless, battered and broken. No more tricks? No more clever ploys? Because I'll be honest, I would love to see you try to get out of this one".

Sid gave a token struggle to get up but quickly surrendered; his body protested every movement. "...So just how many grasshoppers did you pull the wings off of as a kid?" he snarked at her.

"Defiant to the end" she replied, "It wasn't a very smart idea coming here alone; you know that. But...I think I understand why you did it".

"Oh?" Sid asked her, "You sure do love monologueing, so sure, why don't you tell me?"

If her face had been visible, Sid was sure he would have seen the most malicious grin possible, "...You like to put on the role of the confident ace, don't you? You fool everyone. The red ranger's the leader. The red ranger knows what to do. You've always got the plan. And sometimes, you even fool yourself" she stood back up, gesturing around to the crowd of monster, "But being an insufferable jackass only gets you so far. Sometimes, Sid, you have to stop running and confront the truth".

"...This more of your first year psyche student bullshit?"

Beta turned back to him, "You're a fraud. Oh sure, you're clever, but only enough to give your friends rope to hang themselves".

Ouch.

She continued, "You got your first team killed. Then your ex-girlfriend comes back as some holographic abomination—boy, you ever wonder what it must be like for her? She can't eat, can't sleep, can't *feel*..." Beta trailed off for a second, as if ruing her own life, trapped in her suit, "...She's not even really human anymore, just some ramshackle cybernetic ghost. She must *hate* you". Beta giggled at that last part as the fight left Sid's body.

"Most people would have given up there, but you come back with a whole NEW team!" Beta exclaimed in amused exasperation, "And how has that gone for you? We have one of them" she keeled back down, coming in close, "The girl's ours, and there's nothing you can do about it. She's dying, you know. The power's too much for her. But I'm sure she'll be wishing for it before the end; she suffers every moment of every day" she gripped Sid's chin, pulling his face up to look at her, "I want you to know that. I want you to know her existence right now is torture. And it's because of you; because you failed her".

She let go of Sid, "And then you had the *gall* to kill one of your own. Do you have any idea how much that pissed us off? And before you get too happy about that, know that I intend to make your friends suffer for how much you've made US suffer. After I'm done with you, they'll be next, and I will *not* be merciful".

Calming herself, Beta returned to the topic at hand, "So, one ranger in the hands of the enemy. Another dead by the hands of one of your own—I wonder how she's dealing with having blood on her hands...so really, it's no wonder you're here, by yourself. It's perfectly understandable. You're poison; you hurt those you're near. You make them suffer. And in the end, you lead them to their death".

Sid tried his best to resist the flashbacks that were coming fast and hard. No. NO—stay here, in the present. Don't...don't remember smoke or flames alarms were blaring—NO.

Beta stood back up. "You came here alone because deep down, you knew; they're better off without you. You know that you don't deserve them".

And deep down...Sid knew she was right. He hated it of course; these were the simple mind games she liked to play on everyone...but that didn't mean that a broken clock wasn't right twice a day. He'd spent so much time trying to make up for his sins, so much time trying to do it over...and for a while he'd even fooled himself into thinking he had been starting to move past it. But he could never; he was tainted, broken. He hadn't even succeeded here; he was going to die, and Beta and Delta would track down the others and kill them, to say nothing of Sel.

Right then and there, Sid finally surrendered.

"That's not true!"

Beta cocked her head. Wait, that hadn't been Sid. That had been a girl's-

Several laser blasts cut into her and the monsters. The mob fell back as three skycycles roared overhead in formation, flying past as they dropped their cargo. Three rangers—blue, green, and black, now stood in a circle around the fallen red ranger, defending their leader.

Beta rebounded, "...And so the sheep arrive" she sneered, "It's just like you to come to the defense of someone who's failed you time and time again".

"No one's failed anyone" Xolin declared, her gaze focused solely on her blue counterpart, anger and hate building inside her. "When are you going to learn that no matter how much you try to break us with words, we just get back up again to spite you?"

The antipode cackled, "Look around; look where he's led you. Look at how much you've lost. Look at how many mistakes he's made. Look at how many sins he carries with him. You should be demanding your pound of flesh".

"...She's right" Sid said as Trok and Nikki helped him up, "You shouldn't be here". Part of him was glad; exuberant even that they'd come for him—that they cared enough to. But another, louder part part of him was screaming about how this was a mistake on their part.

Trok spoke, "...I left home because I didn't fight for my parents' legacy, instead letting their murderer, my brother, to take control. Then I almost didn't come back to stand trial, even though not doing so meant that innocent people would die in my place. I was a coward. And I've made so many mistakes since; I trusted people I shouldn't, I hurt my friends when I was frustrated, I tried to rewrite time to suit my needs, not thinking of others when I should have".

"I push people away, hurt them. I wallow in self-pity when others' need me. I've made so many mistakes in my life; I can't even count them. If Iota hadn't found me, I'd have ended up dead in a ditch somewhere" Xolin said, turning to Sid, "But you were always there, making sure we were okay. And you messed up...but you messed up because you care. Which is more than I can say for anyone in my life growing up. I shouldn't have called you Iota, and I'm sorry".

"I got myself killed" Nikki said, "And then I denied my guilt by blaming another so that I could be angry". She also turned to Sid, "...You might have led us, but we were all guilty. We all went along with it. We all pushed for it. If you hadn't, I would have. And...I'm sorry".

This was overwhelming; Sid wasn't sure what to say. There were so many things, so many emotions, "...You guys..." he managed to croak out, "...You shouldn't..."

"We're here, got as far as we did, because we did it together. Because you led us" Trok said firmly, "Because we're more than just friends. We're family".

Xolin took notice of Sid's mental freeze, "...Look, we can have our big emotional sitdown after this is done. We need you now. Are you here?"

They were here. They'd come to save him. They wanted him to lead. It meant everything to him. Sid forced himself to push all his emotions aside for the moment; all the questions, all the unresolved tension and issues.

Right now they had a war to win.

The red ranger nodded at blue with a renewed sense of willpower, "...Yeah". She nodded back, and together the rangers turned outwards towards the monster mob.

"...Such a touching moment" Beta sneered, "But it's time to die now" she motioned to the monsters, "Kill them all".

Before the monsters could attack though, something...well, something happened. Light shone forth from the rangers as a warm, familiar power filled them.

"...What's...what's going on?" Xolin asked, looking down at her suit as a golden aura enveloped them.

Sid knew what it felt like though, as bizarre and as unlikely as it sounded, "...It's the Lights of Andromeda" he whispered in disbelief. Then his mind flashed back—the light from before! That must have been…

"...It's Sel!" Trok said with a wide smile, "I don't know how, but she's here! It's the only way!"

"The power surge we detected from orbit" Nikki said, agreeing, "Sel must have a better grasp over the Grid than we thought!"

Warmth filled Sid's soul. They'd all come to help—even Sel. They were all here, together. How could he disappoint now? Tightening his fist in confirmation, he called to the others, "Alright, let's do this! Lights of Andromeda!"

"Phantom Mode!" Nikki commanded, not to be left out of the power-up sequence.

"ACTIVATE!" the team shouted.

The five rangers exploded onto the scene, armor forming around their suits as the aura faded, an explosion ripping through the ground behind them.

"...Impossible" Beta whispered in disbelief, before rage consumed her, "Kill them! Kill them NOW!"

"Break and attack!" Sid ordered as he ignited his jetpack, "Go go go!"

The rangers split off, flying into the enemy forces.

Sid flew into the twin beetle monsters, blocking their staffs with his energy wrist blades, before elongating them into energy whips and pulling them out of the monsters' grips. The clock monster tried to strike from the rear, but as Sid turned the yellow ranger deflected the clock's attacks.

Or...Sid was SURE he'd seen the yellow ranger. So had the clock monster evidently; as it was looking extremely confused. Sid grinned; she really was fighting alongside them, somehow. He kicked the clock monster aside, letting his boot deliver a burst of crimson power into the monster. The stag beetle monster attacked, which Sid deflected, but almost didn't see the horned beetle's attack—only for it to also be deflected by the yellow ranger.

Sid spun as he leaped up, his energy blades cutting into the monsters like angry propellers. As he came back down, he landed multiple hits with his boots before swinging around and stabbing both beetles in the chest. As they fell over and exploded, the clock monster charged in again, wielding twin swords that looked like clock arms.

But Sid wasn't done; he came in with a flurry of attacks, and before it even realized what was happening, the clock monster was gone.

The magma monster opened fire as Xolin rushed in, the blue ranger deflecting each energy blast as she rapidly closed the distance. The last attack outright missed; the blue ranger had jumped into the air, landing twin kicks on the larger monster as she flipped behind it, landing a second set of kicks before bouncing off a metal beam, launching forward again and striking with her energy blades. As the magma monster staggered backwards, Xolin prepared to keep attack.

...Except that she suddenly found herself bound with her arms pinned at her sides. A black circle some sort had her trapped. Looking to her side, she saw a number-themed monster cackling.

"The hero's been trapped by my zer—WHA-" the monster sparked, having been hit from three laser shots from the yellow ranger's blade-bow. The zero holding Xolin vanished, giving her a chance to turn the tide. The monster shot out several more numbers—all of which were evaded by the rapidly multiplying blue ranger. The three Xolins struck fast and hard, and the monster didn't stand a chance.

The magma monster had rebounded and charged, firing blasts that the yellow ranger deflected, giving Xolin a chance to attack three on one. They flew into the air, coming down with their energy blades and cutting through the enemy creature. It toppled over, exploding.

Trok spun in a circle, his energy blades extended and sweeping in a full arc as he took out multiple monsters. The ghost monster flew in in his blind spot and attempted to gut him with her talons, only to be blocked by the yellow ranger. The green ranger's fist soon met with the monster's face for her trouble. The monster floated back in pain, allowing Trok to press forward, cutting repeatedly before landing his foot on her chest, and upon charging his boot up, obliterated her with its green energy discharge.

The pig monster struck at Nikki, only to find she wasn't there anymore.

"...Wha?!" it managed to snort out, before being struck in the backside. Nikki cut through the monster's rear, destroying it in just a couple of moves as the office supply monster came in from the side. The black ranger blocked its first attack—its weapon of choice a giant pen, but almost feel victim to its second weapon—the dreaded stapler gun. Thankfully, the yellow ranger intercepted, allowing Nikki to knock the weapons from the monster's hands. She gripped the monster, throwing both of them into the air with her jets, before tossing the monster back and down. As the creature landed in a heap, she came back down, striking at sonic speeds and leaving a small crater where the monster had been.

Sid struck at Beta, the two trading blows as rapid-paced equals, each narrowly evading the other's strikes in equal turn. Delta attempted to but in, but Sid merely evaded the larger green warrior.

"...How?" Beta demanded to know as they fought, "How are you so strong now?! You were beaten! Defeated!"

Xolin intercepted Delta, her foot flying into his face before she twisted around and delivered a second powered up kick.

"You don't get it!" Sid declared as they locked weapons, "We fight because we have something worth fighting for. We fight because we're a family, and we'd do anything for each other!" Understanding dawned, "...You've forgotten that, haven't you? You don't even remember what you're fighting for. All you have is the mission".

She roared, "Don't you dare try to psychoanalyze *me*!" with a second wind she broke Sid's hold and almost struck at him directly, only to be deflected by the yellow ranger. "YOU!" she seethed with rage, "HOW?!"

She had no time to ponder this though, as Nikki and Trok flew into her, knocking her back.

Delta roared and charged. Xolin and Trok leaped into the air, weapons in hand as their lance and hammer struck into Delta's form. Nikki came next, throwing her daggers at the antipodes. Upon landing, the four rangers gripped their arms together into a platform. Sid jumped on, then leaped off, ax in hand. He came down, his weapon charged up with flaming energy as he struck the antipodes.

Beta rolled back in a heap, Delta staggering backwards in her direction, their armor smoking and charred. By the time they realized what was going on however, it was already over.

Sid, Trok, and Xolin had combined theirs and Sel's weapons into the Defender Cannon. Next to them, Nikki had loaded up Isdilian's Sentinel Cannon.

"DEFENDER CANNON!" Sid declared.

"SENTINEL CANNON!" Nikki followed up.

"Ready!" Xolin reported.

"Aim!" Trok added.

"FIRE!" Sid, Trok, and Xolin ordered as a powerful beam of ranger energy burst forth.

"FIRE!" Nikki followed suit. The twin beams rolled around one another, combining into a singular wave of destruction that washed over the two unfortunate Antipodes. Their suits sparked, their armor ruptured as explosions rocked the area around them.

"Lights of Andromeda!" Sid declared as the red, blue, green, and yellow rangers rushed forward together, "POWER UP MODE!"

The four rangers united into a singular fireball that ripped through their two enemies, reappearing on the other side. As they turned back around, they saw the two Antipodes stagger and limp as their suits finally began to give out.

"Not...not this...way..." Beta declared, pulling out a small object, "Scroll...of empowerment..."

The two Antipodes toppled over, exploding. But before the fireball even dissipated, the two had reformed and grown forty stories. The rangers pulled back at the sudden development.

"Guardian Megazord!" Sid ordered.

"Defender Megazord!" Xolin followed up.

"Sentinel Megazord!" Nikki added.

All seven zords flew in, transforming and combining as the rangers leaped into their respective cockpits. The Defender Megaship, piloted by Xolin and Trok, rolled on its axis, transforming into megazord mode—ditto for Isdilian's old megazord, now piloted by Nikki. Lastly, the five Guardian axillary zords swooped in, unfolding and forming together to form the Guardian Megazord—something that hadn't been seen in months due to their former inability to use the Lights of Andromeda. Sid landed in its cockpit.

The three megazords landed, making defensive poses as they stood opposite the two revitalized antipodes.

"Three on two!" Sid taunted, "Boy I bet you guys wished you'd stayed home today".

"Take the small fry" Beta told Delta, "The red ranger is mine".

Delta nodded in acknowledgment, and the two teams met in battle. The Defender and Sentinel Megazords took on Delta, while Beta rushed into the Guardian Megazord and its staff. While powerful, the Guardian simply wasn't up to the task of blocking Beta's lightning-fast reflexes, and it quickly found itself outmatched and dying of a thousand cuts.

The other megazords found themselves with the opposite problem; while the Defender Megazord was reasonably fast, the simple fact was that Delta was so tough and large that it simply didn't matter. The Defender struck repeatedly while the Guardian blasted at range, but it simply didn't matter. Delta struck at both, knocking them back and to the ground with his powerful fists.

"Final Strike!" Xolin and Trok ordered, as the Defender Megazord swooped in, sword ready as it initiated its finisher. The zord spun on its axis, coming in like a tornado with its sword pointed out front, attempting to gut Delta right through his midsection. Delta however, merely grabbed the Defender as it closed in, before tossing it aside. It crashed into the half-molten hillside.

"Cosmic Blitz!" Nikki declared, the Sentinel unloading its own finisher as every gunport opened fire. Delta was struck dead on, but mostly seemed annoyed more than anything. Powering up his fists, Delta pummeled into the Sentinel, sending it falling to the ground.

Nikki gripped the controls tightly as her zord crashed, "...This isn't good: his power level's way above ours!"

"Then let's change that!" Xolin replied from the Defender, "Defender Battlezord!"

The two megazords transformed and combined, forming a larger, more powerful creation. The Battlezord rolled forward on its treads, unfazed by the barrage Delta unleashed upon it. It slammed its fists into Delta, who knocked them aside before pummeling this new zord just as easily as he had its individual parts.

"Imperial Defense!"

The Battlezord's finisher came down, twin powered-up swords combined into one, but Delta blocked with his gauntlet, knocking it aside and punching again.

"Zenith Phalanx!" Sid ordered as the Guardian Megazord powered up its own finisher. The head of the megazord's staff came to life, twirling rapidly as power gathered. The megazord spun the staff around in a circle, collecting energy. When it made it to the peak, the megazord slashed down diagonally, then opposite. Then it thrust forward, impaling b-

Oh wait no it didn't.

Beta's swords snapped the staff in half, breaking the finisher in mid-function. Powering up her blades, she struck at the megazord, hitting it again and again and again, endlessly as the zord shuttered under the assault. Sid gripped the controls tightly as the megazord hit the ground, soon joined by the Battlezord.

"Delta, now!" Beta commanded. Together the two antipodes powered their blades and fists with blue and green energy respectively, before bringing them together and unleashing a torrent of destruction on the downed zords. Explosions ripped across their hulls, sparks burst forth, and fire roared around them.

The cockpits shook as sparks flew everywhere, consoles shorting out as the zords' systems were overwhelemed.

"It's too much!" Trok cried out, "The zords can't take much more of this!"

"If anyone's got a last minute plan to save us, now would be the time!" Nikki added.

Sid grunted in frustration as his zord was overwhelmed by the continual attack. All this power, and it wasn't enough. They had the Lights back, and it wasn't enough. They couldn't be defeated here; not when they were so close, they couldn't—wait.

The lights! That was it!

"I got one!" Sid said, gritting his teeth, "Trok, you still have that ultrazord project you were working on?"

"It doesn't work!" Trok shot back, "The zords aren't compatible. We'd need to put the zords into dock and refit them!"

But Sid was undeterred, "The Guardianzords weren't meant to combine either, remember? The only reason we can form this megazord is because we believed in each other!" A beat, "...Also ludicrous amounts of Morphing Grid power, but my point stands! We have the Lights, and I trust Sel can pull this off. You guys in?"

"...We don't have a chance" Xolin told Trok, eying the worried green ranger.

Trok took a deep breath, choosing as always to believe in the rest of the team, "Alright. Everyone stand by. Initiating...Defender Ultrazord!" He pulled the program out of his belt and inserted it into the computer, "Activate!"

As he did that, a barrier of golden light surrounded the two zords, protecting them from Beta and Delta's barrage.

"...What?!" Beta exclaimed in confusion and frustration as they broke off their attack. The Lights of Andromeda worked overtime, filling the zords down to their core. As they powered back up, the twin titans stood once more—then broke apart into their individual zords.

The Sentinelzord, now in tank mode, unfolded into a base, its excess guns splitting off. Each of the Guardianzords then unfolded and combined with the Sentinel, forming a chariot of sorts as the cannons reattached. Finally, the Defender Megazord slid into the driver's seat, its shield attached to its arm. The Guardian Megazord's staff front appeared in front of the megazord, pointed forward like another gun front and center.

Light surrounded the zords, forming brilliant golden armor across both the chariot and the central megazord. Chest armor, arm gauntlets, and even a new helmet appeared. In its hand, a golden bow formed from thin air. The rangers arrived in the megazord cockpit.

"Defender Ultrazord, online!"

The Ultrazord roared to life, rolling forward in its chariot.

"...HOW!?" Beta demanded to know, "How do you keep evolving?! How do you keep getting more powerful!?"

"We already told you" Xolin replied.

"Time's up, Beta" Sid added, "Get ready for a world of hurt!"

The Megazord launched out of its chariot, flying into the air as the chariot shot forward like a bullet, powering up and flying into the antipodes. As they reeled from the attack, the Defender Megazord aimed downwards with its bow, flipping about and opening fire with several golden energy arrows. It landed back in its chariot, spinning about as the arrows impacted their targets. Explosions rocked the antipodes.

"Game's over!" Sid declared.

"FINAL BARRAGE!"

The Ultrazord's bow charged with power, preparing for a singular, final shot. Every gun, every cannon, every weapon primed. The Guardian staff spun with power, energy collecting at its head. Tension built.

And release.

The tsunami of firepower that resulted ripped through the air. In a last-second move, Beta threw Delta in front of her, allowing him to take the full brunt of the attack. An explosion erupted where the two antipodes had been, and when it disappointed, only fire and smoke remained.

Cheers went out across the zord cockpit—they'd WON! Against all odds, two antipodes were down for the count.

Only two remained.

* * *

_Theta's revelation had been the final straw. In order to convert this universe, they would need 'conduits' from which to channel the universe's Morphing Grid energy. And the options to create such devices were few._

_Another sacrifice was needed._

_An infusion of lifeforce energy, if provided correctly, could create the desired conduit—a stable unit from which to draw and transfer energy._

_Theta and Sigma had volunteered. They had gone._

_But it was too much; it had been one thing to take resources where they'd needed it even if it meant others wouldn't survive. They'd even all gone along with colonizing another universe. But cannibalizing their own? Iota and Gamma couldn't abide by that. So, there was civil war between the Antipodes. In the chaos, one of the conduits were stolen. Iota hid the girl away when she was still freshly born, preferring to find a different way, a better way to save his universe. He still hadn't given up on the idea of pocket universes._

_The other, the boy, remained with the Antipodes for a time. Then Zeta had left with him—outwardly siding with Iota and Gamma, but inwardly a mole—a traitor placed there by Alpha. When the time was right, the trap would be sprung, and all of Iota's efforts would be in vain._

_Once, there had been nine of them. Now there were four, and all were cold and distant, their friendships and camaraderie replaced by the need for The Mission. And so Epsilon continued her work._

_Once, she had dreamed of stars. Now that she lived under them, she found them unbearable, a constant reminder of how wrong everything had become._

* * *

"You failed".

Those were the words Beta was met with when she staggered into the Antipode lab, her armor nearly ruined. She gripped her side in pain, leaning against the wall as Alpha judged her.

"...I'm sorry" she said, "They...they were too much. And...the girl. Sel. She was with them".

"Impossible" he said plainly, motioning to the pod the former yellow ranger was in that was in the center of the room, "She is here. Has been this entire time".

Beta didn't understand; couldn't understand. She shook her head, "But...but she was there. I saw her!"

Alpha looked upon her with disdain, "I would prefer my soldiers take responsibility for their own failures, instead of making up excuses".

"...I have it".

Alpha and Beta turned their attention to Epsilon, currently at work at one of the computer consoles. Alpha spoke, "You have something for us?"

She nodded, "I know how to stabilize the subject's degradation. At least for the moment".

"And that would be?"

Epsilon wavered, knowing what kind of pandora's box she'd be opening, "...A second infusion of lifeforce energy would, in theory, halt the degradation by reinforcing the subject's core".

"You mean another sacrifice".

A pause.

"...Yes" Epsilon said, knowing what was coming next.

Alpha nodded towards Beta, and a moment later she found herself held down by a team of orangehead krybots. Too feeble and injured to put up a fight, she had no choice but to surrender, "...What?!" she exclaimed in a mixture of betrayal and panic, "You can't!"

Alpha glared at her, "What did I say would happen the next time you left a comrade to die?"

Her heart sank—there was no way out of this. "No, please!" she exclaimed as she was dragged off, "Don't do this! I just need more power! I can kill them! I can kill them all! PLEASE-"

"Do not fret" Alpha told her, "You are providing a vital service to our cause. You get to be a hero, a central protagonist in the narrative, a relative rarity".

Beta's increasingly frantic pleas went unfulfilled as she was locked within a backup pod. Alpha gave Epsilon a nod. For a moment, Epsilon remembered the early days, back when they'd all been comrades and friends—when Beta had shown her the ropes as the new girl. When they'd been the best of friends.

And then Epsilon did as she was told.

"I shall leave you to your work" Alpha told her. Epsilon nodded, and resumed her project.

The base had become so quiet.

* * *

Searching the wreckage of the zord fight had yielded little. The rangers, now demorphed, had been hoping for something, anything that could give them a lead on the location of the Antipodes' base.

But nothing.

"...I'm sorry" Sid apologized out of the blue as they searched. He sat down on a discarded fragment of Delta's armor, "For...well, I guess a lot of things".

"That's it?" Xolin eyed him, "'A lot of things'?"

He actually gave the barest glimmer of a smile at that, "...I hid things from you. I shouldn't have. I left without telling you, I also shouldn't have. And I just...all I ever wanted to do was protect you. So you wouldn't end up like...like..."

The rest was left unsaid. It didn't need to be said.

"We're your team" Trok said warmly, "We fight *with* you, not for you. We don't want to be protected, we want to fight at your side. We keep each other safe, because we're a team. We're family".

"And there's nothing you can do to stop us. We're responsible for our own choices, not you" Xolin said with a smirk, "But you're forgiven, provided you never do it ever again".

Sid managed a chuckle, "Understood. Thank you".

"I meant what I said" Nikki said, "Before, I mean. We were all at fault".

"...I was the leader. It was my call" Sid replied, "If I'd put my foot down, or been more careful, or-"

"We'd have gone anyway" Nikki said, "Or don't you remember that I was pushing for the mission as much as you?"

"...I see your faces every night" Sid said, his voice a hushed whisper as he looked down at the ground, "I hear the alarms, smell the smoke...I keep reliving it and I don't know how to stop. If I'd just done something different, anything different..."

Nikki shook her head, "There was nothing you could have done. You think I don't have the same thoughts? I will never stop replaying it in my mind, but there was no way we could have known, and nothing that would have stopped us from doing what we did. There's nothing to be done".

"...I'm sorry" he said.

She sat down next to him, "...In that case? I'll do something I should have done a long time ago. I forgive you".

Sid looked at her as if she'd told him she had six stomachs. Forgive? "You..."

"Forgive you" she repeated. "I've decided...I'm tired of holding on to baggage from a former life. I can't figure out if I'm supposed to be Nikki, or Nikki 2.0, or someone else entirely...and I won't be able to as long as I keep holding onto everything like a husk of a person. So...I forgive you. As long as you can forgive me".

Sid wiped away a tear, "I never blamed you".

She gave a small, dry chuckle, "And that's why you're the leader".

"Thank you" he replied. She said nothing; there wasn't much left TO say.

"...I can't feel it anymore" Trok muttered, "The Lights, they're gone".

Sid nodded, "Yeah. Wherever Sel is, she's not with us anymore".

The horathean sighed, "All that work, and for nothing. We still don't know where she is or what they're doing to her".

"If what Beta told me was true...it's not pretty" Sid replied darkly.

"We're out of time" Xolin said, "The Antipodes could bring about their endgame at any time, especially now that we just halved their numbers. We need an upset".

Sid frowned; she was right. But they had *nothing*. But they couldn't fail now, not when they'd come so far...Sel had been WITH them. They were so close…

"...Why was Sel here?" Sid asked, "Did she come just to fight with us? Or was there an ulterior reason?"

...An idea sparked in Nikki's mind at that thought. Quickly, she began scanning local Morphing Grid energy for something, anything out of the ordinary.

...Ah hah.

"...She DID leave us a clue".

The other rangers all turned to Nikki in surprise, "What?!"

Nikki took a few seconds to decode her findings, "I've found an irregular pulse in the local grid. An echo of sorts, like ripples...except Morse code. She left us a message".

"What's it say?!" Trok asked, his eyes wide as he leaned over against a chunk of metal. Everyone waited expectantly with baited breath.

The message was simple, "…'Erebus'".

"...What's that supposed to mean?" Trok asked.

Sid's brow furrowed, "...Erebus? Wasn't that something in Greek mythology?"

"Didn't sleep through that class?" Nikki asked him in good humor. Her seriousness returned, "And yeah. Erebus was an area of the underworld".

"Which...doesn't exactly help us much" Sid groaned.

"...is there a star system named Erebus?" Xolin asked offhandedly.

The group looked at each other, realization settling in. Nikki quickly scanned her database.

...Bingo.

"There's a black hole system in the Argolis Galaxy, a small spiral near the edge of the Canes I galactic cluster".

...Holy shit.

They had a lead. They had a *lead*. Holy shit. They had what they were looking for. They had...they had the means to end this.

"...We have a lead" Sid breathed in disbelief. Silence passed over them, the only sounds being that of the nearby volcanic pits bubbling and the hot breeze that filtered through.

"We...we have to scout this out first, of course" Nikki said, composing herself, "But...yeah".

"We can rescue Sel" Trok said.

"We can end this" Xolin added.

Sid nodded firmly, clenching his fist, "Contact our forces. It's time we assemble the fleet". He gave a determined grin, "It's time to defeat the Antipodes, once and for all".

* * *

_**To be continued...**_


	37. 3x11: The Trolley Dilemma, part 1

_Once upon a time there were nine who wanted to save their universe. Nine who fought and tried so hard, but ultimately succumbed to their own failings. They stared at the abyss and became monsters—in their desperation they inflicted their sin on another universe entirely and then turned on each other like starving wolves._

_Once upon a time, there were six broken souls who found themselves in the employ of one of the nine, unaware they were puppets for larger game—a family argument that had gotten out of control, and that they were to be the sin-eaters—the poor wretches who would ultimately pay for the crimes of their predecessors. Slowly but surely the storm that enveloped them forced them closer together and they grew to depend on one another, grew into a makeshift family. They laughed, they cried, they struggled. They learned that they could be more than they were._

_And then one of their own turned on them—yet another sin inflicted upon them in an already long list. They would reenact what had come before. Sin begat sin. Like the nine, they would fight each other and stare into the abyss as they realized the impossible choice between them—no matter what, a universe would end._

_But this is merely a story, a narrative. The difference between stories and reality is context. In reality events happen, cause and effect push forces forward—but there's no theme, no rhyme or reason. The narrative only comes into effect when people find sympathy for one player over another. In one story the hero and the villain exist. In another version of the same story, the roles are reversed. One should never take their status as protagonist for granted._

_Nor should they one's success, because life is everyone else's story as well._

_Two universes are colliding. Events have been set into motion that cannot be undone._

_This is how this story ends._

* * *

**Power Rangers Peacekeeepers**

**Series Finale**

**3.11: The Trolley Dilemma, part one of four: One Day More**

* * *

**Sid Drake's Personal Log:**

_It's happening. If you'd asked me three years ago—scratch that, six months ago—that I'd be leading a friggin' armada of ships from every corner of the local supercluster to save the universe, I'd have laughed my ass off and asked you how much you'd had._

_...HOPING to lead. Hoping. Shouldn't get ahead of myself. I've got a few signed on—a few pirate clans, the triforians, one of the machine empire's fleets, Lacanth's rebel SPD forces, whatever former Confederate assets Coros can bring to the table, my dad's fleet, etc etc. But it's not anywhere close to where we want to be, especially considering what long-range scouts are picking up._

_Oh, yeah. Turns out Sel's tip off was legit. There's definitely *something* in orbit of Erebus and it's putting off one hell of spike in morphin' energy. That and there's a pretty big fleet guarding it. We're still waiting on closer scans for confirmation but...yeah, you know, it figures. Of COURSE the bad guys build their super secret death station of armageddon in orbit around something ominous like a black hole. That's like the volcano lair of the twenty-third century, right?_

_We've been working around the clock since we got back to the ship. Trok's been performing last minute maintenance on the ship and our gear while Xolin and I have been sending out messages and communiques nonstop. And that's when we're not running drills in the simudeck. As for Nikki...well, she's been busy with her own stuff. Searching Iota's files for anything we can use._

_Right now we're in orbit around Rythar, a small world in the Yoguda system—it's a small out of the way planet in neutral territory, which should make it a bit more appealing to all the delegates that are starting to arrive. Apparently it used to be an ocean planet, but the star's just started to leave the main sequence and so all that's left is just a planet-wide desert made of salt. It's weird and alien and I've been to some really alien places._

_God I hope this goes well. If it doesn't, well...Nikki tells me the readings near Erebus are exponentially rising in intensity. If this doesn't, I don't think any of us will have to worry about it for much longer._

_I guess that's a cold comfort._

* * *

Another flash of light indicated the arrival of yet another ship in orbit. From his vantage point in the Megaship's lounge Sid could barely make out the outline of an aquitian warship—sleek and organic, composed of silver, cyan, and aqua-marine. A fish in space.

It was the sixteenth ship that had appeared in the last hour. Butterflies fluttered in Sid's stomach; he wasn't normally one for nervousness, but this whole thing was a little beyond even his paygrade, and right now he really had nothing to do except wait.

God, he wished he could just get this over with. They were so close, *so* close, and yet everything was so fragile right now. Everything they'd worked for could fall apart at any time.

"...Aquitian?" Xolin ventured, squinting at the new ship as it moved towards the others already in orbit—from their vantage point they could sight the triforian flagship (a massive golden battle pyramid), a machine gearship, and a grey and blocky SPD battleship. Odd, he hadn't noticed Xolin come in—must have been too wrapped up in his own thoughts.

"Probably Coros" Sid said in affirmation, both of them watching the starfield, "A karovian warship came in not too long ago; they're beyond the planet horizon right now though".

"How many you think are going to show up?" Xolin asked him.

Sid sighed in worry, "...Honestly? I don't know. I'd like to think we've created some good will in the universe, and between that and the fact we blew the antipodes' plans wide open, you would think it would raise at least a few heads..."

"...But..." Xolin continued for him.

Another sigh, "...But, the antipodes have done a pretty good job of wrecking anyone and everyone. The Confederacy's gone, the Alliance is in the middle of dissolving, and everyone else is busy rattling sabers at each other. It would be hard enough to drag major military powers into this on a good day, but now…" he trailed off.

"You would think the threat of imminent death would rally people" Xolin grumbled.

"It's always someone else's problem" Sid replied with more than a hint of cynicism, "I just don't know if we've got the clout to assemble a big enough fleet for this".

Xolin rubbed her arm in distress, "What happens if we don't?"

Sid kept his gaze on the ships, "...Then we take what allies we do have and give it our best shot. We're doomed one way or another, might as well throw a hail mary".

Xolin didn't respond, clearly digesting the odds here. Just then, another ship warped in—alabaster and gold, with a gently curved yet aerodynamic shape.

An Eltarian battleship.

"...Man, that's not a common sight" Sid mused, surprised.

"Maybe we have more allies than we think" Xolin added, "Think Lasandra's on that?"

A grin spread across Sid's face, "...Without a doubt".

* * *

The shorthand definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. She'd been over Iota's database multiple times and she knew she wouldn't find anything new and yet...she couldn't do anything except look again, in case she'd missed something.

She wasn't missing anything.

There was no magic option here. No last minute save, no deus ex machina. You know, despite that Nikki was literally an AI.

All there was were hard, cruel numbers. Sacrifices would have to be made. Iota had spent years working on other options, other avenues of success, only to find none. His plans were a mixture of half-tested and half-inconclusive attempts.

Well, that wasn't *entirely* true. Some of his projects had worked on a small scale it was just taking them to a macro-universe level were...iffy.

Nikki knew she was going to have to make some hard choices. And yet, she knew she'd probably already made them.

* * *

Rythar was a weird planet.

No, seriously weird. We're talking 'bizarre wind-blasted salt sculptures and arches' weird. We're talking 'vast empty salt flats as far as the eye can see' weird. It was like the closest one could be to a physical representation of limbo. Or a Dali painting.

This world had been chosen mostly by necessity. With so many factions and powers attending this ad-hock conference, they'd needed somewhere out of the way in neutral territory. Not only that, they'd needed someplace off the beaten path, where prying eyes couldn't easily intercept them, somewhere where no one would ever think to look. And this planet, out in the wilds of one of the lone minor irregular galaxies on the edge of the supercluster fit the bill perfectly. It also had the added advantage of being difficult to scan from a distance; something about the high salt content interacting with the star's steady decent into red giant-dom.

The Defender Megaship roared through the twilight blue skies of late evening, shooting towards its destination—an abandoned complex that had been here for millenia. Once upon a time it had been a trading station along a vast silk road-like trade route through the outer rim. Now it lay as a deralict, the civilizations that had utilized it no longer even political entities. Over the centuries it had occasionally been re-purposed as other things such as a listening post, a pirate hideout, a salt mining station, among others—each new inhabitant having had added to it, giving rise to its current haphazard jungle gym appearance. Now though, it was vacant, far too away for anyone to care much about it. The Megaship dropped to a stop over the main landing pad before descending onto the pad.

The station itself sat at the base of a mesa—the entrance to a vast canyon maze that extended for miles behind it. Ahead of it though, was flat empty wasteland. Shimmering white ground met with the blue sky at the horizon, forming a perfect flat line.

As the Megaship's exit ramp extended, four people stepped out into the open air, each taking a moment to study their surroundings.

"...Last stop for gas, I take it" Sid quipped at the empty landscape.

Xolin looked at him quizzically, "...Didn't we just reload the mega-accelerator's cores?"

Sid briefly considered explaining the joke to her, then decided against it, "Ah, old Earth joke. Nevermind".

Trok frowned, "I don't get it".

Nikki just rolled her eyes as she walked past them, "Don't worry about it. It wasn't funny anyway".

"Thanks for the support, Waldorf" Sid replied cynically as they headed for the station entrance.

She teased back, "Keep throwing out obscure Earth references, I'm sure it'll confuse and frighten our non-human friends".

Xolin's expression flattened in vague irritation, "...Actually, I think I just stopped caring".

The door slid open, revealing inside to be just as ramshackle as the outside. It was also in a vague state of disrepair, with numerous wires and pipes sticking out, and control panels having been moved 'temporarily'. The front room they found themselves in was small, but at the same time it was obvious it had once been an auxiliary cargo bay.

What an inspiring place to built an all-flags navy to save the universe.

"Boy howdy! If it ain't the gang of the hour!" General Quickspur's familiar drawl sounded as he approached them, "I trust y'all had a pleasant and unexciting trip here".

Sid shrugged, "We've had worse. How you been?"

The group began moving further into the compound as Quickspur replied, "Folks've been trickling in at a steady pace. You kids've been makin' waves".

"You made it!"

The rangers turned just in time after entering the 'main' room of the first building (a work lounge of some sort with the far wall and half the ceiling being a window) to see Sitras and Tesas bounding over to them. A round of hugs were administered.

"We heard what happened!" Sitras said as she let go of Xolin, "You took down two of the Antipodes!"

"AND Isdilian!" Tesas added with vicious glee.

Trok's face became pained as he looked away. Sid and Xolin's expressions faltered.

"...Yeah, we did" Sid confirmed, "Izzy's no longer a threat".

Tesas gave him a good look, then nodded "...Good". Again, mixed expressions filled the group. Izzy's death was at this point only a couple of days old, and was still an extremely emotional issue. While Tesas and Sitras celebrated the end of the one who had murdered Anthren in cold blood, the others still mourned the loss of someone who had once been part of their family.

Xolin especially, considering.

"Well, well, well" said another familiar voice. Lasandra, arch-mage of Eltar, stepped forward with her staff, "Iota always did have a knack for finding the most dangerous things in the universe and letting them loose".

Sid couldn't help but grin at that, "Good to see you again too, Lasandra".

The elder woman smirked, "Couldn't keep out of trouble, could you? Just had to overturn the natural order".

Sid shrugged, "Well you know, we were just thinking it was getting a bit stale, so we figured, why not knock over a few governments?"

The eltarian's smile faltered into something more serious, "When achieving one's goal, one should always be wary of unintended consequences. There's a civil war on, Sid. By your actions".

Sid knew of course she was talking about the fallout from his spilling of the Antipodes' plans and the resultant dissolution of the Alliance and SPD. His eyes narrowed as he leaned in, "...We didn't exactly have a choice. We needed to get the information out, and the second that became public, the Alliance was probably doomed anyway. We just traded one war for another".

She gave him a stern glare, "Perhaps, perhaps not. All you know is the mess you have now. Careless, rash behavior is dangerous". The elder eltaran stepped away gracefully, her glare parting from Sid's as Trok broke from the reunion with Sitras and Tesas. Sid's fist clenched in a bit of anger and frustration at the unfairness of it.

"...Everything alright?" he asked Sid.

Sid stared a bit longer as Lasandra struck up a conversation with an Edonite representative at the far end of the room, then turned to Trok, "...It's nothing".

Trok frowned, unconvinced, but let the matter drop.

"Ah, you've arrived. Good". A familiar tusk-faced alien in an SPD admiral's outfit approached the group, "Admiral Drake is waiting for you" he told Sid.

Sid glanced at the others. They gave him a nod of acknowledgment, and Sid broke from them, following Admiral Lacanth to his father.

"I'd like to thank you for being part of this" Sid told the admiral, "Considering everything, I wouldn't blame you if you'd ran off and never appeared again".

Admiral Lacanth looked back to Sid as they neared the door, "I am a patriot, Sid Drake. To what anymore, I am not entirely sure, but I have always done my best to follow the virtues the Alliance sought out to emulate. You saved my men, and I don't forget actions like that".

"So there's no self-interest at play here?" Sid said with a wry smile.

The walrus-alien chuckled, "I didn't say that". He opened the door, gesturing Sid into a side room. As he stepped inside, Sid saw what he assumed had once been an office had been turned into a makeshift war room, complete with a holographic table map in the center. Star charts blinked by as Quickspur and what looked to Sid like a pirate-themed monster studied them. His father approached.

"What's up?" Sid asked him.

His father handed him a datapad, "New intel. Our scouts have performed another, closer sweep. Figured you'd be interested in the results"

Sid took the pad and scrolled down, looking over the data. It was, in a word, alarming: at least three thousand warships were parked around a several-kilometer tall station—scans indicated they ranged from Troobian to SPD to various unaligned and pirate factions; likely the first and third were mercenaries, while the SPD fleet had to have been left over ships they'd held onto when SPD collapsed. Three thousand ships; that was not a small number, and right now Sid's group didn't even come close to matching that.

Worse however, was the increase in energy output from the station. "...The power coming off the station's even higher than we thought" he said, worried.

His father nodded gravely, "We knew it was building at an exponential rate, but we still miscalculated".

"How long?" Sid asked.

Lacanth spoke up, "At current projections? Less than seventy-two hours".

Three days. Sid glanced back down at the pad. How could they assemble a fleet in three days, "...We don't have time". His words came from his mouth empty and hollow. Panic began to bubble up.

"Our fleets will be here within the day" his father told him, "We should still be able to strike within an acceptable timeframe".

Sid looked at his father, tossing the pad on the table, "That only gives us a little over seven hundred ships. We can't take them with just that".

"Not if we're going to be fighting a delaying action we're not" the pirate monster said, "Arr. We pirates weren't meant to play defensive battles. We're like a glass cannon, we are".

"If we're gonna beat these varmints, we're gonna need more onboard" said Quickspur.

Sid and his father glanced at each other, then back at the table, "Then we need to get on this. We ready?"

"A few of the delegates haven't arrived yet" Lacanth warned, "But considering, I don't think we can wait for them anymore".

Clenching his fists on the table, Sid pushed himself away in resolution.

"Let's do this".

* * *

"...Are you okay?"

Nikki broke from her thousand-yard stare out the window at the sound of Xolin behind her. She turned, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just...thinking". A few feet away, Trok, Tesas, and Sitras were having a blast with the latter two telling the former what they'd been up to while stationed on the joint Triforian-Machine fleet. Mostly stupid stuff.

Xolin didn't buy Nikki's answer. She folded her arms in concern, "About what?"

"Just...studying Iota's files" she replied. For a moment, she thought about telling Xolin about the choice she was pretty sure she was making, but ultimately decided against it. Not now, at least—she kind of wanted to have this conversation with Sid first.

"Again?" Xolin pressured, "Still think you'll find something?"

Nikki frowned, then shook her head in tired defeat , "Yeah, probably not". Before Xolin could drag her back to the conversation though, she noticed Nikki suddenly form a smile on her lips, then nodded behind the triforian, "Looks like you have company though".

Confused, Xolin turned about to see King Ihara of Triforia standing behind her, hands behind his back and a guard on either side of him, "Hello, Xolin".

Taken off-guard by her king's sudden appearance, Xolin couldn't help but backtrack into a bit of formality, "Oh, your majesty!"

"Back to titles, are we?" he asked her with annoyed amusement.

Xolin blushed slightly; formality was definitely not a trait she was fond of, so this was a tad embarrassing. "Er...sorry. Caught me off-guard".

Nikki gave a small laugh, then returned her gaze to the window as she again began mulling things over.

"...What can I do for you?" Xolin asked her king, regaining her footing.

The king silently dismissed his pair of armored guards. Without a word they backed off, retreating to a corner of the room as Ihara focused on Xolin, "Walk with me?"

Xolin acquiesced and the two stepped outside into the salty desert.

"...We really should have picked a better planet" Xolin mused idly as they were hit by the desert wind, "This place sucks".

Ihara glanced over the empty horizon, then back at the impressive bluffs and arches behind them, "...Have you ever been to the Kydan Badlands?" he asked Xolin.

"On Triforia?" she asked, then hesitated, "...No, sorry. I haven't actually been on the homeworld that much. I was a colony kid, remember?"

"Hmm" the king mused, "Kydan was once a sea in ancient times, before it dried up. Left a landscape much like this one. Most people avoid it, find it desolate".

"You don't?"

The king smirked, leaning over the railing on the launch platform as they stopped walking, "I've taken a trip or two to the region. There's something...austere about it. Pure. It's simplistic in its majesty, yet doesn't hold back. Out here, in this expanse, you begin to understand just how little you are to the grand clockwork of the universe. Out here, alone, you are in limbo, with only your thoughts to distract you".

"Huh. I didn't think about it like that" Xolin admitted, "Still not my thing, but..."

"It's the kind of thing that is underestimated" the king added, "Most people shun it because it's only aesthetically pleasing with the right mindset, and yet there are virtues here that many will miss because they dismiss it".

Wait. ...Was he talking about more than just the desert?

"...Ihara?" she asked him anxiously. She really didn't want to have to deal with personal conversations right now. She had enough to deal with. Please, please, please please…

The king changed tracks, "...Tell me, where do you see yourself in the future? After all of this is done, of course".

Goddamnit.

"...Excuse me?" Xolin asked him, both out of shock and confusion, and also as a way to buy time while she mulled this over.

"Your plans for the future" the king repeated, "Surely you don't mean to do this for the rest of your life".

It was true, she *didn't* want to be doing this forever. She *didn't* want to fight forever. And yet, that was all she was good at. Once upon a time she had been 'content' with that, but as of late…

"I...haven't thought much about it" she lied. Better than saying 'well I gave it some thought, but shit if I have a clue'. "Not many other places for me to be".

"You mean like how there aren't many uses for this planet?" he asked with a grin.

Damnit.

"...Combat is all I know" she said finally with a hint of bitterness, "Fighting. I'm not smart, I'm not really talented. I know how to break stuff in seven different ways" she sighed, "But I'm tired of it".

"Then do something else".

She gave him an odd look, "...What, wash windows?"

"Work for me" the king said, standing back up, "During your time on Triforia, you became one of my best agents in the field. And not just in combat. You sell yourself short; you knew your way around tactics and strategy, you demonstrated a competence with technical issues, and despite your claims to the contrary, you are quite intelligent—and moreso, clever. I gave you a free reign with your assignments because I knew you didn't need careful direction. That makes you valuable".

Xolin was flustered by the sudden influx of compliments, and wasn't entirely sure how to take them. "I...I don't mean...what would I even do?"

Ihara shrugged, "What do you want to do?"

She blinked, her mind frozen as the gravity of the situation descended on her, "I...don't know".

"I want you as an attache" the king said, finally getting to the point, "A diplomatic agent. Someone who can get things done both abroad and at home. An adviser I can bounce ideas off of. You've got a sharp tongue, a strong wit, and enough brains behind those fists to wield them. And" he smiled, "A heart".

"I..." Xolin was floundering, "I'm not...I can't be a diplomat! I don't have training! I don't have any experience!" This was all so sudden and in her face and she couldn't think and she was panicking.

"We'll train you" the king replied flippantly, "I am king, after all. I can make anything happen".

"I...but I can't..."

"I'm hearing a lot of 'I can't's, but not a lot of 'I want's" the king said, "You make so many excuses for why you can't do something".

Xolin broke eye contact in shame, looking down and away, hunched over just slightly.

Somehow though, the king understood. He began to turn back to the door, "Think on it. Give it time to settle in your mind and get back to me" he stopped as he reached the door, "However, keep in mind this IS a personal request from the king" he said with a grin, "That's not something that happens often".

He left her, dumbstruck and in a swirl of emotions. Slowly, she slid down the side of the railing, plopping down on the floor, looking at nothing in particular as she contemplated her fate in life.

* * *

Trok was marveling at the constant influx of guests. He'd always wanted to go places and see new things, but why bother when you could have them all come to you instead?! Every corner of the local supercluster of galaxies was represented in some way or another and it was this vibrant cosmopolitan mix that could only ever be seen on this scale on a handful of trade worlds. Definitely not like Horath, and *definitely* not like his home-tribe. The underground cities had been a bit more of a mix, but again, nothing like this.

For a moment, Trok could even just get lost in this and almost forget that they were about to fly themselves into an apocalyptic war for the fate of the universe.

"...Trok, wasn't it?" an old man's voice asked from behind. Trok turned from his position being hunched over one of the old pieces of furniture that had been left behind here to see who had addressed him. It took a moment to recognize the older xybrian who stood in full robes and a staff before him, but before long a small smile crept over Trok's features as he remembered.

"Oh, you were there on Xybria! Elder...um..." The name eluded him; Trok blushed.

"Elder Sesh" the man bowed slightly in introduction with a slight mirthful expression, "It is good to see you are well, even if we met only briefly. Sel told me much about you in our correspondence".

Trok's expression fell at the sound of Sel's name, "...I'm sorry" he said, "She's...not exactly with us right now".

An expression of understanding crossed the old man's face, "I know".

"Right, of course you know" Trok babbled a little, "I mean, obviously you read through the info dump we leaked, otherwise you wouldn't be here. That's...that's obvious".

"I want you to know something, and I want you to tell the others on your team" Sesh said, stopping Trok's word vomit. The horathian stopped and looked at him, curious. Sesh continued as he leaned closer, "She wants you to know; she's still fighting. And she's waiting".

Trok's eyes went wide, "...You talked with her!? How? When? Is she alright?!" he asked with exclaim.

Sesh mentioned for the horathean to calm himself, "We met in a dream, you could say. We only had a short time before she had to be somewhere else. She is not alright. She's holding on for now, but the Antipodes' process is taking its toll".

"...She's dying" Trok said plainly, connecting the dots. It was finally happening; her body was disintegrating as it burned up from the constant transfer of energy. Organic beings simply were not built to be conduits.

Sesh nodded sadly, "She will hold the line as long as she can, but she needs you".

Trok looked out the window at the salty expanse, then back at Sesh, "...Thank you for telling us" he said earnestly, "And if you see her again, tell her we're coming". They *were* coming. They were going to save her. They were going to keep her from dying. And then, when they'd won they were all going to go home together.

This was what Trok told himself to keep from screaming.

"I believe" the old man said as he nodded towards the continued influx of new people, "That you will be able to tell her yourself".

* * *

More delegates were filing in; the briefing was just about at hand. The area in orbit had apparently filled up with fleets from multiple factions—in hindsight it was actually kind of amazing no one had started shooting at one another.

New arrivals, Sid noted, had included most of the former confederate species—including the Karovians, the Tenga, the Horatheans, and the Edonites among others. Much to his surprise, another SPD splinter faction had sent a representative as well, and then there were numerous pirate clans under a semi-united banner (Nikki and B'rnix's doing, of course). Most surprising though, was the group of three Senturions from the Intergalactic Police Force currently walking by into the war room of the base—one red, two blue.

"Huh" he remarked, "The League actually sent representatives". They'd mostly stayed out of everyone's affairs until now, and hadn't so far responded to Sid's invitations. Until now, at least.

"Unveil a threat big enough, and everyone will come running to see what all the trouble is about" his father replied. His expression darkened upon seeing a goat monster and a lizard monster making their way inside as well, however. "...You seriously invited the Imperium?"

Sid grimaced, perfectly understanding his father's distress, "We needed troops. And like you said, this a threat to everyone".

"You really think we can trust them?" he asked his son.

Sid shrugged, "Trust that they don't want to die any more than we do".

Admiral Drake gave Sid a concerned look, "...I sincerely hope you're right about this".

Sid sighed, nodding in agreement, "So do I". If he was wrong, this could go south, and fast.

"It's just about time" Nikki said, coming up to them, "Just about everyone's here who's going to be".

"Ah! Nikki" Admiral Drake said, suddenly incredibly awkward considering the last time they'd 'met' he was burying an empty coffin, "You look...good. Healthy".

She blinked, "...Admiral, I'm literally a projection of hard light".

Ah, yes, that had been a stupid thing to say, "Yes, well, it's...a healthy glow" he coughed and then turned to his son, "Are...you two still..."

Sid sighed, now entirely ready to drop dead forever, "...No, dad. We're not, but thanks for asking".

Another cough. The admiral was pretty sure now was the time to bow out, while he still had dignity, "...Right, well. I have...things to do. Admiral things. Goodbye".

Sid stared in amusement at his father's retreating figure, shaking his head, "You always were singularly good at making my father incredibly uncomfortable".

She had a bemused expression, "Yeah, but now I can just do it by just...standing here. Doing nothing".

"You're like a hat trick".

She smiled wanly, "...I'm pretty good with simulated fireworks too". Both of them shared in a laugh.

Almost like old times.

"...You ready to do this?" she asked him.

Panic suddenly set in for Sid as he realized what was about to happen. He was a person who had fought countless battles against monsters, saved whole planets, fought a *war*, and had undone a universe-wide conspiracy. He was the leader of Peacekeeper Team Twelve...and yet, addressing the delegates and leaders of dozens of factions at once, in person, and briefing them on his battle strategy...this was above even him.

"...No, not really" he breathed worriedly.

She grasped his shoulder, "Come on, Sid. You've got this. How many times have your plans been what won us the day?"

"...And how many times have I screwed up?" he asked her earnestly, "If this doesn't work…"

"If it doesn't work, then we'll go down fighting. Together. But it *will* work". Nikki was resolute.

"How do you know?" he asked her.

She let go, "Because I believe in you. We all do. Because we've gotten this far already. Because I've seen the four of you work together, and it's something special".

Sid looked at her, then at the room that was beckoning. Steeling himself with a deep breath, Sid met Nikki's gaze one last time. She gave him an emphatic nod, and then the two of them entered the makeshift war room.

She'd tell him later.

* * *

The room was darkened to allow for a more luminous holomap. The delegates had been seated around; Nikki noticed a few others she hadn't seen earlier; a few insecta kings and queens and their attendant stingwingers were in the back row—so some of the Hives had shown up after all. A Troobian delegate—an electronics monster with an orangehead krybot as a bodyguard. A trio of Grey aliens, funny chrome suits and all. One or two varox groups. A hydro-contaminator(!). Really, just about every major group had at least one representative faction present here.

It was quite the motley crew; many of these powers, like the former Confederate worlds, were rebel groups or provisional governments that hadn't yet had time to settle after SPD withdrew. Others, like the various SPD fleets in attendance, were parts of various post-Alliance schism factions. And that was to say nothing of the various Hives and Pirate clans. The Antipodes had done a serious number on this corner of the universe.

...Oh, speaking of motley crews.

"Arr, if it isn't my favorite hacker! We've been lookin' for you!" Yorhor said, plopping down next to her. B'rnix took the other seat.

"You're looking much better than the last time I saw you" B'rnix said, "What's your secret? New haircut? Lose weight?"

She blinked in bemusement, never sure if he was kidding or not, "...B'rnix, I'm made of photons. I can't lose weight".

"Psh, well not with that attitude you're not!" the varox chastised her before leaning in with a hushed voice, "You know, I know this bookala, thin as a twig, who says she eats nothing but carrots and liarian cabbage. See, the cabbage has magical properties and-"

"B'rnix" Nikki warned, "Really. I'm fine".

The varox shrugged and leaned back, "I'm just saying, it sounds like an easy way to shed some pounds".

"I'm literally comprised of free-flying light particles!" she exclaimed, "My mobile emitter weighs maybe a quarter of a pound at most!"

"Ah, but it could be an eighth of a pound in just six weeks!"

She resisted the urge to scream.

* * *

"Welcome!" Admiral Drake called to the room from his position in front of the holomap, "Apologies for the cramped conditions. We all know why we're here". The admiral brought up several holo-images; profiles of the Antipodes, as well as a timeline of recent events, "The imminent threat caused by the so-called 'Antipodes'".

"...I made the slides myself" Trok whispered from his seat, grinning at the stingwinger sitting next to him. It seemed to regard him for a moment, then went back to cleaning itself. Trok coughed awkwardly and resumed watching the briefing.

The admiral continued, "We've traced their base of operations to Erebus—a black hole in the Argolis galaxy. Since then we've been maintaining constant sensor sweeps of the area, the results of which have already been forwarded to your databases". A number of delegates accessed the data as the admiral continued, "As you can see, energy output from the Antipodes' base has been growing exponentially for the last thirty-six hours. At current growth rates, we expect them to initiate a singularity event in less than seventy-two, once their energy output matches that of the rest of the universe. At that point, we anticipate the paradox will allow them to begin xenoforming our universe".

Admiral Lacanth stepped up, allowing the delegates to digest this, then pressed the point home, "That means we have less than three days to put an end to this, or we all die. I realize that is not a lot of time; this is why we all must work together. Most of us are not allies; many of us have either been on opposite sides of war recently or are right this moment. Nevertheless, I implore you—we must put our differences aside for the moment to deal with this very real existential threat".

Murmurs went up among the delegates. Convinced their attention had been gripped, Admiral Drake grabbed the reigns again, "We do have a battle plan ready. To facilitate that, here is my son, Sid Drake, red ranger and leader of Peacekeeper Team Twelve—the very team responsible for bringing us all here today. Sid?" the admiral gave the younger Drake the floor, standing aside as Sid stepped up in front of the map.

This was it. Sid exhaled, mentally prepping himself. It had all come down to this.

Clearing his throat, Sid began as he brought up several new screens on the holo-map; detailed maps of the Erebus system, its location, and its composition. Then there was another zoom in of the base itself, and the fleet surrounding it.

"This is what we've dubbed 'Erebus Base', the home station of the Antipodes. Our scans have indicated it is several kilometers in height, orbiting several AU from its parent black hole, and is heavily armed and armored, on par with a Karovian or Machine command base. In addition, it's surrounded by at least three thousand warships, ranging from leftover SPD ships as well as Troobian and pirate fleets—likely crewed by krybots, mercenaries, or some mixture of the above".

A few gasps went up at the size of the number of ships—and a few glares went out towards the Troobian delegation.

"I'm not here to point fingers" Sid said, trying to grab hold of the situation before it spiraled out, "I just want you all to be aware of what we'd be going up against". He typed in a few commands as new graphics appeared on the map; a simulation was unfolding as Sid's fleet moved into the system.

"The plan is simple; the fleet moves in and challenges the Antipode defense fleet. Our fleets will break into segments and attack different parts of their line to disrupt them and keep them off balance. Due to the size discrepancy between our forces, I advise hit-and-run strikes rather than knife-fighting. The goal is to pull them back from the base and break their line into pieces. From there we will envelope them and keep them contained and isolated".

More murmurs is discontent began to surface. Sid ignored them, "While this is happening, our ground contingents will make for the base itself, landing here" two icons appeared on the base's schematics, "and here. These are what we assume to be the base's primary hanger bays. From there, our forces will begin taking vital parts of the station, including the bridge, the power station, and various tactical choke points. With luck, we should be able to shut the whole thing down".

A beat.

The Karovian representative was the first to speak up, "...You're talking about tactical seizure".

"Correct" Sid replied.

"...How can you just assume that?" the karovian, a middle aged woman, asked, "The only thing you know about this station is its location and general exterior layout. We have no idea what's inside, how it's organized, or what we need to take and hold".

Sid had anticipated this question, "Once we've landed and secured the hanger bays, my team will hack in and obtain blueprints of the station. Failing that, we'll initiate a detailed local scan and work from there. I know it's sort of haphazard, but we simply do not have time to scout out before and tip our hand".

"Why not simply blow up the station?" asked a fernovian, one of the members of the SPD 9th fleet delegation, "Why bother with landing troops at all? We have a smaller fleet and we do not know the terrain—we cannot afford to protract the engagement".

At this, Nikki stood up and spoke, "The problem with that is the energy output of the station. They're using Morphing Grid conduits to channel this universe's own underlying energy against it. If we blow it up without shutting it down first, the results could be catastrophic".

"Such as?" asked King Ihara.

"Best case scenario if something goes wrong?" Nikki asked, "Local space-time collapses; ceases to exist, kind of like a miniature Big Crunch. We could easily get sucked up into that. Worst case? A false vacuum metastability incident...and then everyone dies. Ever. We need to go in and take it apart manually".

The snake monster from the Vile Imperium delegation slithered, "...You exxxpect ussss to believe that? Our own sssspecialissstsss have assured that the chancessss of ssssomething like that to be lesssss than ten perccccent".

The fernovian added, "Our specialists have assured the same thing, as long as we strike before they reach their peak. Which is why it's paramount we do this as quickly as we can".

Crap. Things were starting to fray.

Sid jumped back in, "Assuming our forces are enough to blow the station up in time, do you really want to gamble with ten percent? That's still a one in ten chance we screw everything up for everyone".

"You're so quick to jump on the risks" the fernovian said, "But the truth is, there's something on the station you want, isn't there? That is, someone".

Crap.

"The girl" the red senturion stated, "The xybrian conduit. You want to risk all our lives for one person".

"That's not true" Sid relied, trying his best to keep his cool, "This is the best course of action with the lowest risk!"

"Lowest risk, hah!" a horathean said cynically, "You want us to fight a holding defense in an offensive battle where we're already the smaller party. You want us to actually attempt to double-envelope a superior force! This is strategic suicide; the casualties would be immense!"

The murmurs were becoming grumbling. No one had walked out yet because everyone knew this was an imminent existential threat, but it was clear Sid was beginning to lose the room. From where they were sitting, Trok and Xolin shifted uncomfortably in their seats as the crowd began to turn. Nikki looked helplessly on. Sid grimaced; in truth, the ten percent argument was all he had. Morally, ethically...he couldn't deny their arguments. He couldn't defend his plan to save one person over thousands.

"If you want to save your friend, you should do so yourself!" the edonite representative howled, "Do not use us as a blunt instrument! We shall attack, and you are free to infiltrate and risk death as we tear the station apart!"

Murmurs of approval.

The goat-monster stood up, "A perfect idea! We have a useable fleet; we just need a suitable commander! One who isn't suffering from such a..." he grinned cruelly as he stared Sid down, "...Conflict of interest".

Sid wanted nothing more than to morph, right here and right now and bring his full fury to bare on the smug goat-beast. His father had been right; he never should have invited the Imperium. He was about to lose his only chance at saving Sel…and there was nothing he could do about it. Worse...on some level, he knew the goat was right.

Goat monsters. Why was it always goat monsters?

* * *

"How are we?"

Epsilon jumped slightly at her work station, not having been expecting anyone else. The station was so quiet now with just two people and a bunch of robots. Well, three technically, but the conduit didn't really have much to say these days. She turned; Alpha stood there, expecting a report.

"We're at sixty percent" she said.

His tone was impatient, "That low? What's the holdup?"

Epsilon wheeled back around to her station and opened up a few holoscreens of data with an irritable sigh, "A couple things, actually. For one, I'm trying to do this right. Rush it, and our already delicate probably-doomed-to-fail bid is just going collapse out from under us".

"And the other reason?" he asked, still just as impatient.

Epsilon paused, looking over at the prototype pod she'd left Sel in. It was the prototype because after the xybrian's little romp a few weeks earlier, this was all they had left. "...She's fighting us".

Alpha glanced in Sel's direction; not that he could see her inside the pod, "...Fighting?"

The orange antipode shrugged, "I don't know how she's doing it, but she's somehow slowing down our progress. She can't stop the flow completely, but she's definitely doing a number on our progress".

Alpha grumbled, "...Even now she vexes us" he turned back to his subordinate, "We need this as fast as possible, Epsilon. Our scouts have confirmed the rangers's scouts have locked onto our position. It won't be long before they come for us".

Epsilon skipped a breath; well, that was damning news. "I...I'll do what I can" she said, not sure there *was* anything else she could do.

"See that you do" Alpha replied, before briskly walking out, already storming to his next location. Epsilon took one last look at the pod, then returned to her duties.

* * *

The ordeal with Beta and Delta had worn her out and broken her concentration, so Sel had retreated from the battlefield. And now, with the sudden ongoing surge of grid energy through her into the Antipode base, she was unable to do much at all except maybe stem the tide. So here she was, in abject pain, her body dissolving as it burned up as she tried to make herself less of a conduit and more of a dam—which was likely only speeding up her issue.

She had to hold on. She'd given the others the location they needed to get here. Now she just had to hold on until they did—she was literally the only thing standing between this universe and total armageddon.

But she was stretched to her limits, and she didn't know how much longer she had.

* * *

The conference was now in an uproar. The goat's words had spurred on the last crack needed in the dam to cause the roiling emotions and politicking to burst through. Sid was now no more than a passive player as the drama unfolded.

"It is obvious clear leadership is required" said the red senturion, "With the Alliance and the Confederacy fallen, the Intergalactic League of Worlds nominates itself to take direction of the situation".

"Filthy upstarts!" the goat exclaimed as he stood up, "The role of leader is Master Vile's alone! He is the true sovereign of the universe, the true lord and master! You should bow to him!"

Quickspur scoffed under his breath, "...True sovereign my boot. I'm sure my king would have a few things to say about that!"

"Sit down, child" Lasandra grumbled at the goat monster, "No one here will ever be willing to follow your master" she turned to the delegation, "Stewardship of the universe falls to the eldest, as it always has. We Eltarians helped bring you up, brought the light of civilization after the Morphin' Masters vanished. We shall again lead here, as we always have".

Incredulity broke out among the other delegates, "Stewardship?" Yorhor laughed, "Arr, what fool thing is that?"

Admiral Lacanth jumped in, "If you were our stewards, then where has Eltar been the last several thousand years?"

"Evil empires gobbling up innocent worlds, massive civil wars with no end in sight. And you sit on your hands in your ivory towers and do nothing" said a tenga familiar to the rangers—it was Delarn, the red ranger who had been escorting refugees!

"...Who are we to get involved in your petty feuds?" Lasandra bit back, "Who would you be if we solved every problem for you?"

"I think we've heard enough of Eltarian elitism for one day" said the Karovian delegate sneered.

The other rangers had removed themselves from their seats and had rallied around the silent Sid in front.

"...What are you doing?!" Nikki demanded to know, "This is falling apart!"

Sid glanced ahead, then back at her, "What am I supposed to do? They're right; I can't ask them to sacrifice themselves just for one person they don't know. That's not how this works".

"...But, Sel!" Trok tried to counter. He looked at the others, each in turn, helplessly. Nikki stared at Sid, then back at the arguing crowd, unable to come up with a counter herself. What was one person for an entire universe?

That wasn't good enough for Xolin. Her fists clenched in fury at the squabbling mass. Of all the ungrateful…

"ENOUGH!" she roared at the top of her lungs as she took the center stage, "HEY! I SAID *ENOUGH*!"

The arguing ceased. One by one, they turned their attention on the font of rage in front of them. Right now she wasn't worried about the future, or Ihara's offer, or her own self-inadequacies. Right now she was simply Xolin, and she was *angry*.

"This is how it is, huh?" she said, her voice back at a normal volume, but not anywhere near calm, "How many times? How many times have we bailed your sorry asses out and asked for nothing in return? How many times did *she* save your sorry asses, and asked for nothing in return? All Sel ever wanted to be was a person, but all any of you ever saw her as was a weapon" she glared at Coros, "And now that she's no longer of any use, she doesn't matter. How dare you".

"One girl is not worth thousands of our men and women" the karovian stated plainly, "It is simply not acceptable. What about their their lives? Their families? Do they not deserve it just as much?"

"You came here of your own volition" Sid said, backing Xolin up, "Your crews knew what they were signing up for when they entered your service!"

"So they should die needlessly?!" the edonite demanded to know.

"We never asked for a single trinity-damned thing" Xolin said angrily, "We did our job, we went *beyond* our job! We could have laid down and died after the fleet was destroyed, but we didn't! And after everything, after *everything*, this is all we get? We should have so many favors to cash in, but you can't even give us one simple thing?" She stared out at the assembled crowd, shaking her head in disbelief, tears threatening to form at the betrayal. Even after everything, they were just tools.

There was no help to be had here.

"You know what?" Sid said calmly, putting a hand on her shoulder. She turned to him, "Forget it. We'll do it ourselves, like we always have". Xolin took comfort in Sid's confident expression, then gave one last withering glance at the crowd before the four rangers began to leave. Trok was the last; giving the crowd a look of utter disappointment before following behind. None of them had any illusions about what they were doing, and none of them really cared.

But before they got more than six steps, Admiral Lacanth stood up and spoke.

"You found my men and I trapped on a planetoid filled with hostile zords. You could have left; as we were enemy combatants it would have been well within your rights. You could have destroyed the energy dampener keeping us there and took off as everything self-destructed. But you didn't; you fought alongside us as we evacuated to the last man. You didn't take off, despite fighting an animarium god until we had gotten every single person off that god forsaken rock. We owe you a debt" he turned, making sure the delegation was paying attention, "I can't speak for anyone else, but among my people at least, honor still counts for something. Whatever else happens, we will follow you".

General Quickspur was next to stand up, "When y'all first came to town, we'd been hacked and dun' turned into puppets for that no-good Capricorn fellow to be used against you. You'd been well in your right to take us out right then and there, but you didn't. You kept us at bay until you could reverse the process. I won't forget that, and neither will the Machine Empire. We stand with you lot".

King Ihara stood, "You came to Triforia in our hour of greatest need. You fought with us, fought for us. You protected my daughter; trained her into the capable young woman she is becoming" he nodded towards Quickspur, "You kickstarted an alliance between unlikely parties. You have done many things others would have considered impossible. Triforia stands with you".

Delarn stood, "Hundreds of tenga live because of your actions. The Colonies stand with you!"

"Mirinoi stands!" Admiral Drake proclaimed, from behind the rangers, his hands clasped behind his back. That was it; the tipping point.

"Aquitar stands!" Coros declared, standing up.

More people began to get up, more rapidly now.

"The Pirate Consortium stands!" Yorhor declared, "All fourteen clans!"

"Xybria stands!" Elder Sesh stated.

"Edenoi stands!"

"Horath stands!"

"The Xylith Hive stands!" one of the insecta lords declared.

"As does the Ikiyi Hive!"

The lead Gray alien stood, vocalizing its support in clicks.

Reluctant, the Karovian delegate stood anyway as they knew they'd lost this debate, "KO-35 and its colonies stand!"

A few minor powers—a couple of minor Pirhanatron tribes, a few Varox warbands, Liaria, Bookala, one of the Space Ninja Academies, they all stood. Some of the former Alliance worlds who had formally declared independence recently stood as well.

Not everyone did though. Numerous minor powers; hives, clans, other minor states, remained seated. The Troobian Empire didn't budge either, nor did the Intergalactic League of Worlds. The Vile Imperium delegation straight up left in disgust. But regardless, the tide had turned; more and more stood to declare their allegiance to the four young men and women standing around the holo-map, awestruck at the sudden up-swell of approval. It was almost unreal; after so long of working alone or off-the-radar, with little to no support…

When they'd first been recruited, they had been the Confederacy's deniable asset. As far as anyone was concerned, they didn't exist. There was no recognition for their work, no pat on the back. And then the war had happened and they'd been revealed to everyone, but instead of adulation they'd been met with scorn and distrust—the member worlds of the Confederacy still distrusted superheroes, even as they were fighting and dying for them.

And then when everything had fallen apart, for the past few weeks and months, the rangers had been effectively on their own, trapped in eternally hostile territory and in hiding. And yet, here, now, they had what they hadn't even known they'd needed. Respect; encouragement, acknowledgment.

A fleet. They had a fleet. They had a fleet, and they were going to use it.

Lasandra, at last, stood—even if reluctantly—in support of the rangers. Eltar stood. She gave Sid a worried and dissatisfied stare however. He returned with one of his own—this one defiant and resolute.

* * *

"A little under two thousand ships".

They'd returned to the Megaship after the meeting had concluded. Now they waited in the ship's war room for the fleets to assemble. Sid turned his head to Nikki, who had spoken. She added, "That's how many have been pledged and will be arriving within the next day".

"...That's more than we'd initially hoped" Xolin said.

Sid frowned, "It's still two to three odds. Not encouraging for an offensive operation".

"You think we can do it?" Nikki asked him.

"You're the computer" he replied, "You tell me".

"And you're the field commander" she replied wryly, "I can only calculate risk and percentages. I can't give you numbers for luck and sharp decision making skills".

Xolin sat up in her seat, eying the other two cautiously, "...I'm not sure I like that you two have gotten so friendly suddenly".

"...Problem?" Sid asked with a laugh, "Didn't know you were the hall monitor on friendships".

"It's creepy. Stop it" Xolin ordered.

"Yes mam" Sid said with a fake salute.

The conversation ended there, as Trok entered the room with what looked to be a rifle, "Behold my newest invention!" he declared enthusiastically as he placed the object on the table.

"...It better fire laser sharks, or I riot" Sid joked.

"...This is a bit less grandiose than some of the other projects" Nikki told him as Sid picked up the gun and looked it over. Xolin and Nikki grouped around him to get a better view.

Trok gave a goofy grin, "Only to the untrained eye!" he said, "It actually took a lot of under-the-hood work on our morpher systems".

"...This thing?" Xolin asked incredulously, "What was so difficult about it?"

Trok plopped down in a chair and put his feet up, his hands behind his head as he basked in his own technological superiority, "Building new hardware and plugging it into our power set is one thing, but this? This is part of our base coding that I had to reconstruct".

As if on cue, Sid split the rifle in two—quickly realizing that the two parts were actually their sidearm blasters, "...Oh".

"Yep, I added a new secondary sidearm to our suits!" Trok beamed, "Took some real work too. And, obviously, they combine into an assault rifle. I figured we'd need something heavier than our dinky little blasters when assaulting the enemy base. Oh, also!" he gestured Sid to hand over the guns. He did so, and Trok switched both weapons to sword mode before connecting them at their base, creating a makeshift lance, "Not the most practical, but I had a bit of extra time".

Trok handed the weapon back and Sid looked it over in approval, "More than you think. And we'll need every advantage we can get".

"You added this to all our suits?" Xolin asked as she took the weapon and began reassembling it into rifle mode.

Trok nodded enthusiastically, "All five suits are ready to go".

Five. The three rangers glanced at Trok as he produced a new yellow morpher and placed it on the table. His expression sobered, "...The old one's likely gone, so I cut its connection to the ship's power core and built a replacement from the blueprints. I figured...she'll want it when we find her".

The four rangers didn't take their eyes off the device.

Sid was the first to speak, "...I'm sure she will".

* * *

"_How did you do it?"_

Sel perked up at Epsilon's voice over the comm in her pod, "...Do what?" she asked, her voice strained and weakened as she was kept upright only by the braces that had her locked in.

Epsilon's voice replied, sounding somewhat distraught and irritated—definitely someone who had been working for far too long with far too little rest, _"Before she was...reassigned"_ a pause as she tried to come up with a euphemism for the murder of her old friend, _"Beta said you had been there, fighting her and Delta with the other rangers. So I did some digging, watched the footage"_.

Ah. So that's what this was about.

"_Ghostly after-images on tape. Movements in the fight that don't make sense, as if someone parried or block. And intense Morphing Grid radiation over the whole area. So how did you do it?"_

Sel managed a small laugh, enjoying the discomfort she was giving the orange antipode, "It sucks when things get out of your control, don't they?"

Epsilon bit back, _"Don't you dare mock me! Tell me or I swear to whatever god you believe in, I will make you suffer"_.

...Suffer? Sel actually belted out a snort at that; she was literally disintegrating slowly and agonizingly as the entire Morphing Grid was funneled through her. What more could anyone do to her? "...You want to know how?" she labored to say with heavy, pained breaths, "...You built me to be a god. Did you really think I wouldn't be able to do whatever the hell I wanted?"

"_Wrong answer"_.

Even more pain flooded through Sel's body; the amount of energy being siphoned was increasing.

"...Not concerned with me falling apart before it's all done anymore?" Sel asked.

Epsilon replied with an even tone, laced with contempt, _"You're falling apart regardless, and we're out of time. What I need now is power, not stamina. I can't imagine anyone astral projecting themselves or whatever out of that now, even you, with that amount of pain. And I can't have you resisting and holding back power anymore like you have been. It's lose-lose"_.

Wait, what? "...Time?" Sel asked as the gears in her head started turning, "What's changed?" No one replied, and even through the pain Sel genuinely smiled, "...They're coming, aren't they? That's what's happening. You're scared". Her message had gotten through.

The lack of response was all the answer she needed. And despite the fact that was what was left of her body was jolting and seizuring in abject pain, she gritted her teeth and held on.

* * *

The sky was full of ships. Another three flying saucer-like vessels had warped in, quickly joining their companions within the rapidly-growing All Flags Navy, as they'd come to call it. Sid watched from the Megaship's lounge as his armada assembled itself; Triforian battle-pyramids, utilitarian Terran warships, fish-like Aquitian cutters, the rust-colored Machine gearships...it was a sight he wasn't accustomed to seeing.

"It's quite the sight, isn't it?"

Nikki walked up behind the couch he was sitting on; he hadn't even heard her come in. "Yeah" Sid said, "It's crazy this is happening" he let loose a slightly hysterical chuckle, "...I'm doing everything I can to keep from losing it".

"...You and me both". She wrapped her legs over the couch, plopping down beside him. Sid could tell from her expression in a heartbeat she wasn't here to just idly chat; she had something on her mind.

"Okay, what's up?" he asked, sitting up.

She exhaled; not something she had to do mind you since she was made of light and didn't breath, but it was a natural human reaction she had subconsciously held on to, "...I wanted to talk to you, actually. About something important".

Sid remained silent as he waited for her to continue, "...I've been going through Iota's files. Again" she punctuated with slight embarrassment.

"...Was the eightieth time the charm?" Sid mused in good humor.

Nikki glared at time, "...It was only twenty-four. And no. Not...exactly. I guess what I needed was to stop looking for new options and work with the ones I already had".

Okay, now Sid was curious; and a little worried, "...What options?"

Another sigh, "Okay so...you read the files, right? The ones you leaked?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Right, so you know about Iota's attempt, back when when he was still with the Antipodes, to try and contain the false vacuum event in their own universe by shunting it out into a pocket universe".

Sid shrugged, "Yeah, didn't work. By the time they were ready and could pull it off, the shockwave had already gotten too big".

"Right. Iota spent so much time trying to fix it, trying to find other options. He was *convinced* that pocket universes were the answer. But Alpha and the others shut him down so they could focus on trans-dimensional colonization".

"...What are you getting at?" Sid asked her.

This was it; "If we can't beat the Trolley Dilemma outright, what if...what if we lessened it?" she looked at Sid, "What if we shunted wide swaths of what's left of their universe into pocket dimensions? We couldn't save everyone or even most of everyone; there's just not enough time or resources. But we could save pockets, and...and that's better than nothing".

Huh. That...wasn't entirely a bad idea...though, they'd need infrastructure to pull this off. It was kind of academic. Sid mulled it over thoughtfully, but he still had reservations, "...I mean...it could work but, I don't know. This whole thing started because they wanted to avoid the heat death of their universe, and now you want to trap them in pockets with even less resources?"

"...It's not a permanent solution, no" Nikki admitted hesitantly; she'd thought a lot about the pros and cons, "But it'll give them a few generations at least to work out a better solution. It's more time than they would have had. I can take the time to find a suitable universe they can colonize".

"...You?" Sid asked, referring to her slip of the tongue.

She looked down, "...I was made for a reason, Sid. Iota wanted me to be his solution. I'm data; I can move between universes unhindered by physical laws".

Sid frowned, "So in the end we're all just his puppets anyway".

She shook her head, "No, not like that. I just...this is the right thing to do. You know it is. It doesn't matter what he wanted; I'd do this anyway". A pause, then a continue, "...And yeah, it sucks the old bastard got what he wanted all along. But...I don't think spite is a good enough reason to withhold help. Not anymore, anyway". She smirked mirthlessly, "I think Trok might have rubbed off on me".

"...Or you simply found a bit of your old self again" Sid said, "The Nikki I knew would have said the same thing". When her expression became downcast, he retreated, "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that".

"No, I know. I just..." she bit her lip, thinking her words over, "...I don't know who I am. I don't know if I'm Nikki, or the station AI, or some mix in between. But...I do know who I want to be, and that's someone who can look herself in the mirror".

Another group of ships arrived outside the window; a pair of Karovian cruisers—heavy like the utilitarian Terran fleet, but more aerodynamic—warped in, approaching their designated position.

"You're not coming back" Sid said, not looking at her, instead keeping his attention on the fleet, "Are you?"

"The project would take years. Centuries, maybe" she confirmed, "And there's no telling that I'd be able to come back anyway" she paused, trying to read his face, "...You're angry".

Sid looked down, shaking his head, "No. Just..." his mind was swimming at the sudden revelation. He was trying to understand it, "...Concerned, I guess. Are you sure that's what you want? To be trapped in an alien universe forever? Because Iota wanted it?"

A painful silence was broken by Nikki's response, her voice sounding as if on the edge of tears, "...I'm not her, Sid. I can never be her. Things can never go back to the way you remember. And all of this...everything, all of it, all it does is remind me of that. I need to go away, I need to figure myself out, and I can't do it if I'm surrounded by her memories".

Sid finally laid his gaze on her, "...Do it" he said at last. She was right; things could never go back to the way they were, no matter how much they fooled themselves. No matter how much he'd fooled himself.

She looked back down at the ground, "...Thank you. I'm sorry".

"You have nothing to be sorry about" Sid replied, both of them again watching the window as an Eltarian warship warped in. He blinked away tears, "...Are you going to tell the others?"

"I should" Nikki reluctantly agreed, "I just...haven't found a good time".

"You should" Sid pressed her, "They wouldn't forgive you if you leave them hanging".

"I know, thanks dad" Nikki complained in good humor. The two shared a look, and then a laugh—even if it was simply to keep from crying.

"...You spent too much time with Matt" Sid said.

She scoffed, "Me? Who was the one that helped Matt set up that prank with the pigs and the crisco?"

Sid laughed, "Oh man, my dad was pissed, but it was so worth it. Hey, remember that time we covered Akire in feathers and turned him into a parade float?"

Nikki snorted at the comedic memory of the rock golem standing there waving, "...He was such a good sport about that. Then again, he was a really good sport about just about anything. Sarah wasn't amused though".

"Sarah was always too military for her own good" Sid said, "Probably why Matt was always trying to make her laugh".

The two talked, reminiscing about old times for really the first time since she'd come back. At some point, the alcohol store had been broken into and toasts by mildly inebriated people (well, one was inebriated. The other simply turned off one of her processors to simulate the effects) were being made. Things could never be how they had been, but for now at least, maybe they could be celebrated.

Even if this was goodbye.

After a short while, Trok and Xolin entered the room.

"You guys started the party without us?!" Xolin exclaimed in mild irritation, before claiming a drink herself.

Trok came in with what looked like a bunch of board games, "Hey guys, I brought-aaaand everyone's already drunk. Okay". Sighing, he dropped the games off on the table and took a seat in an empty chair. Outside, a bronze Triforian battle pyramid warped in with its attendant cruisers. "...So this is it then" he said, a bit in awe.

"...This is it" Sid agreed.

Three Tenga ships warped in. Sid gave Nikki a nudge. She groaned, but relented.

"Look, you guys. I have something I need to tell you".

Xolin and Trok looked at her expectantly, "Look I..." she faltered, "After this is done, I'm going to be gone a while" she paused, "...A *long* while".

"Like, 'possibly forever' long" Sid added.

"...What?" Xolin asked, confused, "Why?" She'd become unexpectedly close to Nikki over the last few weeks; she hadn't been prepared to suddenly say goodbye.

"The other universe, where the Antipodes came from" Nikki said, "They're in trouble, and Iota gave me the means to help them. He left me with his work, and I think...I think I can help them".

"Then we should all go!" Trok said in earnest, "We'll save both universes!"

Nikki shook her head, but with a grin, "It doesn't work like that. It's an antimatter universe, remember? I can't ask you to trap yourself forever in a hostile environment like that. Besides, I need...I just need to work out a lot of issues. Alone" she glanced at Xolin knowingly, "It's nothing personal".

Saddened, Xolin nodded, "I get it. It's sad to see you go though".

"You're sure we'll never see you again?" Trok asked, worried.

Nikki shrugged helplessly, "I mean..."

Sid stepped in, "She can't say for sure, Trok. But it's a definite possibility".

Hit with this news, Trok could do little but reach over and give Nikki a hug. She chuckled and returned it, even if strictly speaking, she couldn't feel it.

"I know we got off on the wrong foot" she told the horathean as they let go, "But you're a damn fine ranger. I'm sure you'll do the Peacekeepers proud after this is over".

At that, it was Trok's turn to get hesitant, "Actually...I was thinking about taking...a break, maybe".

"...Oh?" Xolin asked. This was the first she'd heard of this.

Trok fidgeted with his hands, "I uh..."

"It's okay dude" Sid said calmly, "We're not judging".

Trok rambled a bit, "...It's just, after everything that's happened, I'm tired. I signed up to see places, to have adventures and help people. And, I mean, I wouldn't trade this for anything but...there's so much going on. So much suffering due to the wars and...the horror. And I just...I want to help people. I want to try to undo a little bit of the damage we've helped create. And I want to do it without having to worry about world-ending conspiracies and being manipulated like a pawn and watching my friends suffer and die".

"...I hear that" Sid grumbled quietly, taking a drink.

"...You're okay with this?" Trok asked him, "I don't want to break the team up, but with me and Nikki both leaving..."

Sid gave him a laugh, "You have to do you, Trok. Besides, I don't think there's going to be much of a team when this is over anyway" he looked Xolin directly in the eyes, "Isn't that right?"

Xolin's expression shifted from surprise to flattened, "...He told you".

Sid shrugged, taking another drink, "Of course he told me. I'm your commanding officer. He didn't want to accidentally pull the rug out from under me. So" he asked her, "You going to take up his offer?"

Xolin frowned, looking away, "I...haven't decided".

"What offer" Trok asked curiously.

Sid eagerly pointed his bottle at the slightly blushing triforian, "Miss 'I'm useless' got handpicked by her king as an adviser or diplomat or whatever".

"...That's awesome!" Trok exclaimed, giving her a hug from behind, "Congratulations!"

"I haven't even accepted yet!" she exclaimed, pulling away from Trok's tight grip. It was clear she was very embarrassed about this, even as she would have denied it if asked.

"But you totally should" Sid told her knowingly, "I'll say this for Ihara; he knows what he wants".

"I dont-" she fumbled, "It's a big change. I still haven't processed it".

"You going to disappoint your king?" Sid asked her innocently.

"...No!" she exclaimed, "That's not fair!"

"Life's not fair, princess" Sid teased her with a smile.

"You're an asshole".

"Duly noted" Sid replied, "You should still accept though".

"...What about you?" Xolin asked, deflecting the conversation, "Are you going to be okay, leading the Peacekeepers all alone?"

Sid's smile faded as he took a drink, "...Peacekeepers won't be a thing, I don't think".

"...Wait, why not?" Trok asked. So many revelations!

"It's pretty obvious" Nikki said, "All we've got is a handful of barely trained teams who are only following us because the universe needs immediate saving. Once that's done..." she trailed off.

Sid nodded, "Whatever the Peacekeepers were, it's gone now. There's no infrastructure; the bases and hierarchy are gone. We lost most of our teams. There's no budget, we don't answer to any governmental authority since the Confederacy collapsed…."

"And to be honest?" Nikki added, "The Peacekeepers were, ultimately, just a front for a personal blood feud. I'm not sure there's any salvaging that".

"So what *are* you going to do?" Xolin asked soberly.

Sid shrugged, masking his own doubt with a smile, "Haven't given it much thought. Maybe I'll take a vacation. I've earned that" he lied. In truth, he was a little sorrowful. Here everyone else was ready to move on with the next stage of their lives, and here he was still stuck. Still just Sid Drake, professional drifter. He'd probably just go back to floating from merc job to merc job. It made him feel so small.

"So this is really it, then" Trok reiterated, "After this...the Peacekeepers are done". Everyone let that fact sink in. After all they'd fought for, after all they'd seen and done...it was all coming to an end, one way or another.

"Let's make sure we go out with a bang then" Sid said, regaining his cheerfulness.

* * *

Trok noted Xolin's snoring form as she was curled up in her seat. They'd all kind of just unofficially agreed to stay here in the lounge tonight, as no one had ever gone to their room once it got late. It had just felt...right. Instead they'd just waited here, having long since turned off the lights and endlessly talking and watching the fleet assemble—which was actually rather impressive at this point; the orbit around the planet was now filled with hundreds upon hundreds of ships from every corner of the galactic supercluster—the entire explored universe.

Nikki had turned herself off as well; shutting down into oblivion for a few hours while her systems ran deep diagnostic checks before the big battle.

Sid however, had moved close to the window, having moved a small seat to watch the unfolding display. Trok got up from his seat and settled next to him. Sid looked over at his new companion, "...I didn't wake you did I?"

Trok shook his head, "Nah, couldn't sleep".

Sid chuckled with agreement. Silence reigned for a moment.

"...Are you sure you're okay? With all of us leaving, I mean?" Trok asked finally, "I feel like we're kind of abandoning you".

Sid gave him a sympathetic smile, "Nothing lasts forever, does it? Eventually we all have to move on to the next part of our lives, wherever that leads".

"...Sid?" Trok asked him, uncertainly.

"It's fine, Trok. You have to do you. We'll all be separated, but we'll always be family, regardless of what happens".

Another moment of silence while Trok digested this. Then he said, "...Thank you. For not leaving us, I mean. Back on KO-35".

Sid knew what he was talking about; back when this whole thing started, and Sid had been just about to board his next flight out while the others fought that monster. It had ultimately been Iota who had essentially emotionally blackmailed him into staying. Sid had hated him for that, hated him for making him care. And yet...now Sid couldn't imagine his life if he HAD stepped on that transport.

"...Thank you for being there" Sid replied.

"Do you ever regret it?" Trok asked.

Sid grinned as an SPD battleship appeared, "Not a chance. I'd do it again in a heartbeat". Regardless of all they'd suffered, of everything that had happened...Sid had no regrets about his choices at all. The answer placated Trok, and the two fell silent as they watched the ships.

* * *

Sid awoke to a sudden beeping noise that nearly made him jump out of his seat. Checking the time, he found it was still fairly early in the morning. Not ungodly, but it wasn't like they'd slept in. Which was a good thing—Sid still had a lot of last-minute things he'd like to get done before they got underway. The beeping however, was a sudden incoming message. Not wanting to wake the others, he ducked out of the lounge before activating it on his morpher.

It was his father, _"Sid, something's come up"._ Sid's holoscreen suddenly blew up and was filled with incoming data. Still a bit drowsy, it took him a moment to catch on to what was happening, _"Our scouts have picked up new energy readings from Erebus"._

"...Okay?" Sid mumbled, still not quite grasping the situation, "What about it?"

"_Sid, they've spiked"._

THAT woke Sid up. He scrolled through the data, his heartbeat quickening; "…They stepped up their timetable".

"_You see the problem. We have to leave *now* if we're going to have any chance of taking them down. We've gone from sixty hours to less than twenty-four"._

Frantically, Sid checked his fleet status, "...We weren't supposed to depart until later today! Twenty percent of the fleet is still unaccounted for!"

_"Taken care of. Most of them will be able to rendezvous with us en-route. The rest, well...we'll have to do this without them. We've run out of time"._

"Shit" Sid cursed, "Fine. I'll rally the troops".

"_We leave in thirty. Admiral Drake out"._

Sid's eyebrow rose as the connection closed, "...Huh, that's funny. I thought I was leading this thing". He shrugged to himself, slightly irritated at his father impulsively giving orders because that was what he did, but decided he didn't have time for this shit. Sprinting back into the room, he began to wake everyone up.

"Everyone up up up!" he shouted, beaning Xolin's head with a pillow. Trok pulled himself up off the floor, stretching his back painfully before rubbing his eyes. Nikki flickered back into the world of the...well, living? Did that phrase apply to her?

"Oh, gods. What's wrong with you?" Xolin muttered in irritation as she got up before yawning.

"No time!" Sid told them, "Erebus's energy levels spiked, the Antipodes moved up the timetable". Everyone's eyes went wide at the news, immediately waking up, "Fleet leaves in thirty. Grab a donut or whatever from the synthatron and meet me on the bridge in half that". Before anyone could respond, Sid had already vacated from the premises.

Nikki blinked; now *that* had been some Sarah shit. The three of them looked at each other with knowing glances before Nikki followed Sid. Trok and Xolin looked out at the assembled fleet outside, then back at each other. Without a word, Trok embraced Xolin in a tight hug—one she reciprocated. They broke away far too quickly, and Xolin grasped his shoulder reassuringly as she began to head for the door.

"...Come on, let's go save the universe".

* * *

The bridge was abuzz with activity. Tesas and Sitras had relocated at Sid's request—they'd be flying the ship after the team jumped over to the Antipode base, and they couldn't have been happier to be back on the Megaship. At the moment Tesas was at tactical, while Sitras sat with Nikki at the sensor station, the latter giving the former a brief rundown of the ship. Xolin was piloting, while Trok had sequestered himself down in engineering for last second checks. Sid, of course, manned the captain's seat.

Outside, the fleet had assembled all around the Defender Megaship. Brilliant bronze and golden Triforian battle pyramids dominated in formation, flanked by the sleek silver and aquamarine colored Aquitian ships—carrying themselves much like schools of fish. Rust colored and disk-shaped Machine gearships rolled up beside them, their quadrafighters making last passes before returning to their motherships.

A wing of hodge-podge Varox fighters flew themselves around the fleet of ramshackle pirate ships—a flotilla of many different ship designs, including more than a few Frankenstein creations where parts of one ship had been welded to another. The fighters continued onwards, skimming past the Peacekeeper Megaship contingent, as well as a few Megaships from the SPD fleet. Said fleet waited overhead; silver and gray and utilitarian, but also sleek and rounded, and each class themed on a different animal. Beside it the Terran fleet had rolled up—just as utilitarian, but far more blocky. Whereas the SPD ships were meant to invoke speed and tech, the Terran ships were meant to invoke power.

The delta-like Karovian ships, just as utilitarian as the last two but with a Karovian flare, moved into position, flanked by a number of Scorpion Stinger-class vessels from the Hives, as well as the Hive motherships—these were not common pirate bands after all, but full-fledged royal powers. The motherships were almost like floating wasp nests, but made of metal and with a distinct front and end. A few Pirhanatron ships, shaped like brown submersibles, took up position with them.

The Varox fighters spun around, buzzing the blocky and scaley-green Horathean warships, long and cluttered with guns. In contrast, the Xybrian ships were silver and elegant, almost etherial. To Sid, it reminded him of your stereotypical Tolkien elven architecture, except y'know, in space. Other ships were present—the red and orange Tenga ships, aerodynamic to the extent that they looked like predatory birds. The brown and greyish Edeonite ships—basic in design. The flying saucers of the Grays. Numerous minor powers and factions.

And then, of course, there were the Eltarians. Beautiful alabaster white and silver ships with gold trim. Ethereal yet majestic. Detailed, yet functional and powerful. For Eltar, aesthetic was just as important as practicality—you had to demoralize your opponent and make them realize how wrong they were to oppose you in the first place. The Eltarian capital ships were some of the largest in the fleet, matched only by some the largest Terran, Karovian, and SPD carrier vessels, and the largest of the Triforian pyramids.

Back on the bridge, Sid took a moment to watch everyone else at their job, before Nikki's reports started coming in.

"...I'm getting ready signals" she said, "Triforians are green, Machines are green, Eltar, Mirinoi, Karovian...everyone's green and ready to jump".

Sid nodded, then opened a channel to engineering, "Trok, we ready?"

_"All systems are green. Ready and waiting!"_ the horathean replied.

Sid closed the channel, took one last look around, then nodded at Nikki and gave the order, "Tell all ships. We're moving".

One by one, the ships of the All Flags Navy powered up their engines, shining bright in the night sky. And then, they all began to jump to Hyperrush. All of them. And as they went, so did the Defender Megaship.

The rubicon had been crossed; there was no going back.

* * *

Alpha waited in the central core of his station, as power collected in the central nexus. He stood on the platform overlooking more platforms, as well as the windowed base below, giving a perfect view of the black hole's accretion disk. Long range scans had confirmed—the rangers' fleet was on the move.

It was time.

"Alpha to all forces" he ordered, "Launch".

* * *

_**To be continued...**_


	38. 3x12: The Trolley Dilemma, part 2

The Defender Megaship shot through space at hyperrush speeds, surrounded and tailed by almost two thousand other vessels from every corner of the local galactic supercluster. Machine, Triforian, Aquitian, Karovian, Human, Alliance, Insectoid, Eltarian, among dozens of others. The All Flags Navy, while perhaps not the largest fleet in history, was certainly the most diverse. Never before had so many come together—even while numerous members were still at war with each other—with one objective.

Sid sat in the captain's seat, watching the distance marker their destination count down. Not too much longer. He'd barely moved in the past hour, and not much before that. It had been a long trip too; it was a good thing they'd built up the fleet so close to Erebus, but at the same time it had still taken them the better part of a day to get here.

There was a little over an hour left on the clock.

"Almost there" Trok muttered, partially to himself, but also to the others, "Another five minutes".

Nikki looked at Sid, "...Speech?"

"No" Sid grunted.

"Comeooon"

"No".

"It'll boost morale!"

Sid gave her a withering glare, "...Aren't you supposed to be the brooding practical one?"

"I *am* being practical!" she said with a smile.

"Oh just give a gods damned speech" Xolin said with a hint of exasperation.

"Speech" Trok chanted while grinning, "Speech! Speech! Speech!" He motioned to Tesas and Sitras, who quickly joined in with glee. Nikki just basked in the sudden chaos.

"ALRIGHT" Sid surrendered, "I'll give a goddamn speech". Standing up, he nodded to Nikki who opened a channel to the fleet. Ugh, here went nothing.

"Attention" Sid began, "This is Sid Drake, Peacekeeper team twelve. Your commander. In a few minutes, we will be dropping out of hyperrush and right on top of the Antipodes' primary base of operation. At that moment, you will become the spearhead of this universe—the sole line of defense between everyone we've left behind and universal armageddon".

Aboard his flagship, King Ihara sat on his golden triforian throne in the lavishly decorated room that was the pyramid's bridge, taking a data pad from one of his subordinates as Sid's speech continued.

"There is an hour left on our clock; one hour until everything we've ever known, everyone we've ever loved, goes up in smoke. In one hour our lives, our civilizations, our species' become nothing more than a forgotten footnote for someone else. An unfortunate afterthought in someone else's play".

On the Eltarian flagship, Lasandra carried herself down the immense alabaster hall, staff in hand as she inspected her battle mages for the fight to come.

"We're here to make sure that doesn't happen. Many of your governments are engaged in hostilities with each other. Right now, that doesn't matter. None of that matters. All our rivalries, all our politics, none of that exists at the moment".

Admiral Lacanth stood in front of his flagship's forward windows, stoically looking out at the rapidly moving starfield with his hands behind his back.

"What does matter is that this is our home".

Coros stepped aboard his ship's bridge; organic yet streamlined in feel, and filled with a mixture of vibrant blues, greens, and purples. Numerous holodisplays rippled like water.

"And we're going to show these assholes why it's not nice to dig up someone else's back yard without permission".

Numerous stingwingers boarded the cocoon-like drop pods as they readied themselves for launch.

"Or at the very least, give them enough of a bloody nose so that even if we fail, they won't ever forget us. They won't ever forget what they did".

A group of tenga were aboard one of their ships, outfitting themselves with armor as one performed a small protection ceremony for one of their ancestor spirits.

Onboard the Terran flagship, Admiral Drake simply gave a small smile of approval as he heard his son's voice.

"Today we strike as one. One fleet, one voice, one universe. We're going to make one hell of a racket, and we're hell as not going to go down quietly. You all have your orders. Sid out".

"...Not bad" Nikki mused. Sid just gave her an annoyed look.

"Approaching coordinates" Trok reported, "Preparing to drop out of FTL!"

Sid watched his own control panel on his chair in agreement, "...Coordinate with the fleet. Exit hyperrush on my mark".

Time seemed to stand still—a space between breaths, between seconds on a clock. Usually transient, but here crystallized, static.

"MARK!"

* * *

**Power Rangers Peacekeepers**

**Series Finale**

**3.12 The Trolley Dilemma part two of four: The Fields of Megiddo**

* * *

It started with a single ship-the Defender Megaship. Then a moment later a second, a Terran cruiser, showed up. Then two Horathean warships. Then an SPD carrier and a Triforian battle pyramid. An Eltarian battleship, two Tenga cruisers, and three Karovian battlecruisers. Then six more ships. Then another eight. Then sixteen. Then eighty-five. Then over a hundred. Hundreds of ships poured into the Antipode station's gravity well. The sky was full of stars, and every single one was a warship armed to the teeth.

From his position in central command, Alpha now watched a thousand enemy warships barreling down on his position.

From *his* position on the megaship, Sid rose to his feet as the station –and the black hole- came into view.

"...That's one hell of a view" Tesas said, his voice barely above a whisper. The angry churning of the accretion disk was in unsettling opposition to the eerie calm that was the black disk itself. This place was alien; unholy. Sitras nodded dumbly in response.

"Open a channel" Sid ordered, undeterred. When he was on, Sid spoke, "This is Sid Drake, Peacekeeper team twelve, yada yada, whatever. You know who I am, Alpha, and you know why we're here. It's over. Stand down your forces, prepare to be boarded. Shut down your project and turn over Sel. Failure to comply will be met with due force".

Sid cut the link as Xolin gave him an incredulous look, "...You know there's no way he's going to agree to that".

"I know. Still, at least I can say I tried" Sid replied.

"Weapons charging!" Trok reported, "Enemy fleet is moving into position!"

"Aaaand there's our answer" Sid said, returning to his seat, "Hold here. Let them come to us".

The enemy fleet however, did not move far, only enough to get into a new optimal position in front of the base. They were a haphazard collection; a mixture of SPD, Troobian, and mercenary ships. The Troobian vessels were black and grey; skeletal and organic in design. The mercenary ships were a hodgepodge of odds and ends, while the SPD vessels had been hastily refitted with Troobian tech, with black skeletal bits added to much of their hulls. It was a fitting contrast to the vibrant colors of the All Flags Navy. Of course, the All Flags Navy was also only a third the size of the defending fleet—three to one odds. Which was strange for Alpha, as the incoming warp signature had indicated a somewhat larger force.

"...Why aren't they moving?" Xolin asked anxiously, "What are they planning?"

"...They aren't planning anything" Nikki said in a burst of realization. She and Sid shared a knowing glance.

"They're waiting" Sid agreed, "Why attack? Time is on their side".

"Then how do we get to them?" Trok asked, "If we just fly in they'll slaughter us. Those base defenses aren't pretty".

Sid thought for a moment; this was definitely a predicament. He studied the scans Trok had sent him; indeed, the base had a lot of short-range defenses that would help to tear their fleet apart if they got bogged down in a knife fight.

...What if they didn't go for a knife fight? Ah, now Sid had an idea. A grim smile formed, "...Well, if they don't want to come to us, two can play at that game". When Nikki gave him a quizzical stare, he asked her, "What's the range on our big guns?"

She calculated, realization dawning, "We've got a few dozen capships that can hit the station at this range. Anything smaller will just disperse, and at this range projectile weapons can just be shot down with point defenses".

Trok turned around in shock and protest, "I thought we wanted to take the station, not destroy it!"

"They don't know that" Sid told him. He nodded to Nikki, who relayed the orders to the fleet.

A few of the capital ships moved into position—a few of the largest gearships, a couple of the biggest pyramids, and the Eltarian command carrier. The orders given, they powered their main weapons up, the cannons charging and collecting energy before they cut loose and unleashed a volley of bright death on the offending station. Its energy shields held, but they had clearly been weakened somewhat by the sudden assault. Still though, no ships moved.

"...What does it take?" Sid muttered in annoyance.

"Alpha's probably calling our bluff" Nikki said, "He's still got Sel, after all".

"Damn" Sid cursed, "Prepare a second volley. I'm not done bluffing yet".

As they did however, the largest of the Troobian ships began to power up weapons.

"...Oh hell" Sid said, as the two sides exchanged a volley. The megaship shook; it hadn't been hit directly, but one of the pyramids and the Eltarian carrier had been stuck. They weren't out, but it was clear they wouldn't be able to sit here for long.

"New tactic!" Sid ordered, "Start pinpointing the merc ships and take them out".

"Why just the mercs?" Trok asked.

Nikki was already sending the orders, "Easy. The Troobian and SPD ships are likely crewed by krybots—I'm not reading any life signs. But the merc ships are real people, and I doubt all of them have formal military training".

"Exactly" Sid grinned, "They'll break eventually, and when they do, the rest of the fleet will follow or risk breaking formation".

"...If we don't first, you mean" Xolin said worriedly. Sid shared her concerns, but didn't respond.

"Fire!"

The cannons roared to life again, unleashing multicolored beams of energy on their foes. The targeted ships, a few of the merc ships in front, didn't stand a chance against the fleet's biggest weapons. Two light cruisers evaporated immediately. A heavy cruiser survived a first hit, only to be bisected by a second one. Thee more ships were hit dead on. The All Flags didn't strike all in the same place; Sid and the admirals had ensured they'd struck a number of ships across the line to maximize the psychological effect.

The Antipode fleet let loose another volley. Two smaller ships were eviscerated and a Machine gearship was moderately damaged.

"...Come on..." Sid grunted, gripping his armrests tight as his fleet fired again. More damage, but no luck.

Another return volley; more casualties on their side. Casualties they could ill-afford.

Sid was about to call for a withdrawal when at the fourth volley, they finally struck gold. A number of mercenary ships finally broke formation, some of them simply turning tail, the rest grouping up for a charge at the All Flags Navy. The rest of the Antipode fleet was clearly caught off-guard; they hadn't been prepared for the sudden opening of their lines. At first they didn't do anything, frozen by the lack of orders. When they finally did come in and filter down the chain of command, the krybot-helmed fleet finally haphazardly began to follow the mercenaries; the strategy of wait it out had failed, now they were going to go all in.

It didn't matter for Alpha of course; while he would have preferred to have the fleet hang back, ultimately Sid's fleet was much smaller and, honestly, what did Alpha care how much of a meat grinder it became? If Sid wanted a knife fight, then why not give him a knife fight.

Unfortunately for Alpha, Sid reaaaally wanted a knife fight. The human grinned with smug satisfaction. Hook, line, and sinker. The enemy fleet raced towards them; as soon as they'd passed the station's weapons range Sid gave the order.

"Sid to all ships, pick your targets as assigned and move in. Break to attack!"

The All Flags Navy was on the move; slow at first but quickly picking up speed as the two sides raced towards each other. Weapon fire began to be exchanged; beam cannons at first, followed by shorter-range pulse weaponry and projectile weapons. Fighterbays were emptied on both sides, and wings of fightercraft began to swarm ahead of their fleets, being the first to meet one another in battle.

"Enemy battle line is stretching out" Nikki observed; indeed, the Antipode fleet's main line had begun to turn into a three dimensional crescent, bordering on a concave half-sphere, "They're trying to flank us".

"Good" Sid said, "Sid to Anvil Fleet. Hammer Fleet is engaging! You are green! I repeat, Anvil Fleet is green!"

The sky lit up behind, below, and above the Antipode fleet as another thousand ships appeared on sensors—the other half of the All Flags Navy. They'd grouped themselves into ten smaller contingents, each focused on a different part of the enemy rear guard. Fire was exchanged almost immediately as they began to push and pull against the enemy line.

Meanwhile, the central fleet had arranged itself into an arrow, plunging itself right into the heart of the enemy maw. Despite all the exchange of firepower and the dueling fightercraft around them, the last few seconds before the two sides met had an eerie silence.

And then they collided.

Madness overtook the world. Chaos reigned. The half-sphere collapsed around the Hammer Fleet, despite the Anvil Fleet crashing in from the rear. Strategy quickly unraveled into an ugly free-for-all as the two sides found themselves sandwiched by the other. It was a meat grinder.

The Defender Megaship weaved in and out, evading fighter craft and stray shots as it passed by numerous ships, opening fire on any targets of opportunity it found. A beam cannon nearly sliced it in two, but it narrowly dodged. To the left and above, a Troobian capital ship was ripped apart by sustained fire from a Karovian battleship to its side, two Aquitian cutters from behind, and a Terran heavy cruiser from above. Below, a Triforian pyramid's fighter screen pulverized a wing of enemy SPD strike craft.

The Megaship soon found itself under attack from behind; the bridge shook as two mercenary fighter craft opened fire on the rangers' ship, both on hot pursuit.

"Shields holding at ninety-four percent" Trok reported.

"We need to lose them!" Sid demanded as the ship shook again. Sparks spurted from one of the consoles. At the helm, Sitras intended to do just that.

The ship weaved and turned, flying into the gap between two Terran and Troobian battleships, each multiple kilometers in length. They'd moved up alongside each other and were in the process of broadsiding the other into oblivion. The Megaship flew into this mess—a suicide maneuver, but one that paid off; neither fighter was able to keep up with the triforian's flying. One evaporated when hit by a barrage of firepower meant for the Troobian ship. The other barely evaded another incoming barrage, only to be struck in its engine by the Megaship's own megalasers. The ship's path faltered, and it ended up colliding into the much larger Terran warship. Free, the Megaship banked upwards—hard—and flew back into the greater battle.

Up ahead, an enemy SPD warship opened fire with its main guns on one of the Triforian pyramids. The latter began to buckle, already damaged in the impact spot, and it didn't look like it was going to hold. The former never got a chance to finish its job however, as before it was even done with the current barrage, twin cyan beams of light lanced out from underneath, cutting right through the hull. As it began to crumble from the assault, its assaulter, an Aquitian carrier that much resembled some sort of brightly colored squid pushed on, climbing up from below and nearing the dying warship until it exploded in a flash of light.

A trio of flying saucers swung by, peppering a Troobian warship with lasers. A Machine gearship and a mercenary band of six smaller warships got into a duel, their fighter screens screaming around them.

And as all of this happened, a new entity had entered the field of battle; the Troobian mothership, larger than all the other vessels and which had been in the rear of the fleet, finally made its way into the battle. At sixteen kilometers from front to back, it was easily the largest ship on the field. Not even the mighty Eltarian carriers could match it for size. Hundreds of thousands of fighters evacuated from its fighterbays as it opened fire with all guns.

From the bridge, the rangers watched as it eviscerated an Insecta hive ship with ease.

"That's...going to be a problem" Trok frowned. Another ship went up in smoke as the behemoth vessel inched inward.

"...We're going to have to take care of that before we break from the fleet and assault the station" Sid said, "Otherwise they're just going to get razed. Thoughts?"

"…What about what we did with Delta?" Xolin asked, recalling their mission to the Peacekeeper base. Sid glanced back at her, then down as if deep in thought. Then, his decision made, Sid opened up a holomap in front of him that detailed the current layout of the battlespace. Icons of the different ship signature flashed.

"...All ranger forces, converge on our position" Sid ordered, "Assault wings two and six, standby. We're going to take that monster of a mothership out" he turned to Trok, "Can you get me a sensor readout on that thing? Structural weaknesses?"

Trok brought up a readout of the mothership, "...Jeeze this thing's huge. I'm seeing at least three different power cores, so blowing those out in one hit is out. Uh...the neck of the ship is reinforced, but if we can overcome that and severe the ship's front from its body..." Indeed, the ship was elongated, with a distinct 'head' separated from the much wider back end of the ship.

"Then it'll be dead in the water" Sid finished for him, "Got it. Upload the coordinates. Sid to all zords, on our six. Attack wings; keep our path clear!"

Dozens of megaships and megazords flew into the Defender Megaship's wake. Some were the remaining Peacekeeper teams, others were SPD squads. And still others had been a handful of independent ranger teams who had signed on for this fight. On their flanks, two wings of light cruisers and strike craft moved to intercept. As the mothership opened fire to take care of this sudden assault, so did they. Point defense weapons worked overtime, even under the range of where they were theoretically practical. Once it became too much, the defense wings simply turned their attention onto first blasting through the shields before disarming the offending mothership by taking out its weapons one by one.

All the while, the fleet of zords picked up speed.

"Trok, I need targets!" Sid ordered.

Trok nodded, "Got 'em! Sending now!"

Sid's map zoomed in to the mothership and a number of potential structural weakpoints appeared on its neck. He spoke to the fleet, "Targets are up, pick your poison!"

Even as rapid-fire laser pulses fired around them, the zords broke to attack. A megazord composed of karovian aquatic animals readied its twin arm cannons, opening up a volley on one of the structure points. Another megazord, made up of construction vehicles, blocked an incoming missile volley, saving the first megazord.

Three megaships opened fire in formation, before veering away when they came close, unfolding into megazord mode and coming back down hard with their swords. A few 'feet' away, a megazord composed of native edenoite insect zords pulled out a drill and began breaking through the hull. Elsewhere, a megazord with a dragon theme unfurled its wings and began lobbing fireballs.

Everywhere, megazords descended on the behemoth like a swarm of bees. Unfortunately, the mothership had bees of its own. Quite soon, its own fighter squadrons began flooding into the area, attacking the megazords. The space megazords simply returned to ship formation and began a furious dogfight. The 'traditional' megazords however, were left at a disadvantage. This meant of course that everyone was more concerned about survival instead of taking the mothership out.

The Defender Megaship shuttered from the barrage of attacks as Sitras tried to evade. Tesas backed her up with laserfire, but there were so many fighters.

"...Wish we could form the ultrazord" Trok said worriedly as another hit caused one of the panels to blow. Unfortunately, they still needed the Lights for that. And to access the Lights, they needed Sel. One of the megaships exploded, vaporized by a beam cannon.

Sid's mind raced for a solution. There had to be an out somewhere. Another strike hit the ship.

"...Trok, you loaded up Izzy's APC, right?" Sid asked him.

"Yeah, why?"

Xolin's expression flattened as she suddenly knew where this was going, "...You wouldn't".

"You've got a better idea?" Sid asked her. When she just shrugged in response, he turned to Nikki, "Can we blow one of the points with the APC?"

"...I think?" she said, uncertainly, "Theoretically? But we'd still need to take care of the other two".

His course set, Sid checked the enemy ship on his sensors; there was an open hole near the central vulnerable point. Excellent. He turned back to Trok, "Get that APC airborn on autopilot. I need it wedged in on the coordinates I'm sending".

"Uh...okay" Trok frowned, but did as he was told. Sid meanwhile opened a channel to the zord fleet, "But we were going to use that to break into the base. What are we going to do now?"

"One problem at a time, Trok" Sid said, "Sid to all forces, prepare for finisher strikes at the coordinates provided" he resent the coordinates for the other two points on the neck, directing each zord to one or the other, "Prepare to attack on my mark!" He looked back at Trok, who gave him a thumbs up. Sid looked back at the viewscreen at the mammoth of a ship.

"Light it up".

And just like that, Isdilian's APC performed its final duty, having wedged itself inside the hull breach. The explosives stored onboard, as well as its own core meltdown, created a powerful explosion that ripped through one of the structural integrity points.

"MARK!"

The other zords moved in, evading the enemy fighters as best they could as they came in, finishers at the ready. Those with a projectile finisher had been relegated to one integrity point, while those with sword finishers had been sent to the other. Together both halves of the fleet ripped into the other two points, breaking them into pieces.

"Reading severe hull damage!" Trok reported, "It's still hanging on though".

"Sitras, give it a push, would you?" Sid asked her.

The two cadet rangers shared a smile before they activated the ship's megazord mode. The megaship wheeled around on its axis into robot form before summoning its saber.

"FINAL STRIKE!"

The Defender Megazord spun like a drill, sword forward, into the mothership's neck as it charged up, ripping clear through to the other side. Severed from its body, the head of the mothership sparked as it drifted away aimlessly. Now bridge-less, the body continued on without direction—its weapons silent as they would need to be aimed manually, and who the hell would be able to organize that while the ship was suffering fatal wounds. And all the while, other allied ships began disarming it and taking it apart piece by piece. The battle wasn't won—not even close right now, but now they had a chance.

The fighters however, were furious. They came baring down by the hundreds on the ranger fleet.

"All zords, break and evade!" Sid ordered as the Defender Megazord summoned and combined with the Sentinel to form the Battlezord. Charging its guns, it unloaded them on the incoming swarm. Normally it wouldn't be enough for an entire fleet of fighters, but that's when the two strike wings flew in to the rescue, corralling the fighters into a narrow pass as they flew by, and giving the Battlezord a clear shot. The remaining fighters quietly turned tail, knowing this fight was lost. They were to shore up defenses elsewhere on the battlefield.

The rangers took a moment to catch their breath, even as war raged around them.

"And you thought we'd never find a use for that thing" Xolin mused sarcastically.

"If I remember, you were right there with me" Sid teased back before turning his attention back to the Antipode base, "...We need to prep the Skycycles".

Trok already knew what to do, "I'll meet you guys down there" he said, getting up and leaving the bridge in a hurry.

Sid was already opening channels, "Sid to Sword Fleet. We're moving in on Target Alpha. Follow us in". Switching channels, he opened one to his father. A holo image of the admiral stood before him, in front of the map, "We're going in. It's your show now. Should probably initiate phase two though, if you want to keep casualties down".

"Understood" the admiral said, "...And good luck".

"You too" Sid said, knowing this could very well be the last time the two of them spoke. Weird that; he wasn't entirely sure how to process that. Things were still rough between them but...it wasn't like Sid wanted the guy dead.

One problem at a time. "Take us in" Sid told Sitras.

"On it!"

The Defender Megaship, flanked by the other ranger zords as well as a fairly good number of dropships, troop carriers, and escort cruisers and fighters for protection, broke off from the battle and shot towards the Antipode base.

"Nikki, give me landing spots!" Sid ordered as the base got bigger and bigger on the viewscreen.

Nikki looked over the outward scans of the vaguely cylinder space station, quickly finding her targets, "I'm seeing four launch bays on each side of the base. All are protected by force fields to prevent unauthorized entry".

"Can we shut it down?"

"An impact of sufficient velocity might overload it and shut it down" she told him, "Maybe".

"Bet you wish you hadn't killed the APC yet, huh?" Xolin smirked.

Sid frowned, "We really need to start carrying tactical nukes onboard" an idea came to him, "...Sitras, turn us around".

Nikki blinked in confusion, "...Wait, what are you doing?"

"Probably something really stupid" Sid admitted, "Get me a scan of the mothership debris. Is there anything of large but not so large we can't tow it?"

A few icons appeared on the map, "Got a few choices".

Sid picked one and as the Megaship flew past it grabbed one of the fragments that was about the same size as itself with its tractor beam, before spinning back around and towards the Sword Fleet.

"How much inertia are we going to need?" Sid asked Nikki.

"Uh...a lot more" she replied, "Like, faster than light".

The room dropped so silent you could hear a pin drop. Sid sighed, shaking his head, "Stupid idea it is. Sitras, get ready to take us to hyperrush one".

"...Within visual range?!" the triforian princess exclaimed. She and Tesas both looked back at him like he'd lost his mind.

"I have faith in you" Sid told her, "Go to hyperrush one, loose the tractor beam, and drop back into STL. I've seen your pilot abilities. You can do this".

The two cadets looked at him, then at each other with uncertainty.

"I'll stay here and help coordinate things" Nikki said, defusing the situation, "You guys need to get to the skycycles; I'm detecting physical shutters that'll activate in case of explosive decompression. You'll need to get in there fast. I'll meet up with you guys station-side after you've created a beach head".

Sid nodded at her as he and Xolin got up and headed to the launch bay, "Good luck!"

Nikki waved good-bye and then integrated herself into the ship's systems, giving Sitras the edge she needed.

* * *

The red, blue, and green rangers loaded themselves onto their skycycles in the ship's launch bay.

"You know this is probably the craziest thing we've ever done" Trok said with a mixture of anxiety and adrenalin as the doors opened to the madness that was the black hole's accretion disk.

Sid nodded, "Yep. Let's fly!"

The three skycycles launched from the Megaship. "Sid to Megaship! You have a go!"

* * *

Onboard the bridge, Sitras tensed.

"...Flat as a pancake coming right up" she muttered in distress.

Tesas however, wasn't having any of it, "Oh come on. This is going to be *awesome*!"

"Not if we die!"

"...I mean, I won't say *no* to fiery self-immolation" the aquitian mused.

"Tesas!" Sitras admonished.

Tesas rolled his eyes, "It's fine, trust me! Just don't mess up".

She huffed, "Yeah, thanks for the encouragement, asshole".

"Kids, please" Nikki said, "Just wait for the signal".

"_Sid to Megaship! You have a go!"_

Sitras took a deep breath, pressed the button and…

From the rangers' perspective, one moment the Megaship was igniting its hyperrush engines, then it blinked out and back into existence directly in front of the base, veering off just before impact as the entrance to the launch bay exploded violently.

"PULL UP!" Tesas roared, "PULL UP!"

"I'M PULLING!" Sitras yelled back at him as the Megaship veered upwards along the hull of the Antipode base, evading weaponry as best it could as it skidded against the metal.

"YEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAH!" Tesas rejoiced.

* * *

"GO GO GO GO!" Sid demanded, the three skycycles firing off towards the explosion like a series of bullets. As expected, the physical barriers began to slide shut from one end of the opening to the other—rapidly, as if they'd been let loose by a spring.

"Of course they have secondary defenses" Sid muttered under his breath, "Of COURSE they do!"

"We're not going to make it!" Trok exclaimed.

"BULLSHIT WE AREN'T!" Xolin roared, pushing her skycycle to maximum speed as her fighting instinct took over. Sid followed suit, followed by Trok. She was NOT going to let this opportunity pass them by. The rest of Sword Fleet followed in, but were not fast enough. Only the three skycycles made it in—and only barely at that.

Sid leaped off his craft as it shot into the hanger. The skycycle crashed into the ground, skidding across the platform until it hit a stop. The red ranger meanwhile flipped into action, drawing his two swords as his boot came down hard on the nearest krybot. As soon as he'd landed, he spun around and cut two more robots down, even as more rushed up over to where he was, on some kind of low-level catwalk leading to some controls.

The chamber was vast; numerous SPD and Troobian fightercraft were housed in the hanger, many damaged from the explosion they'd just unleashed on the hanger bay doors. Debris lay scattered around from the force of the attack, including many downed krybots. Not that that mattered much, as the room was still filled to the brim with enemy troops.

All advancing toward him.

Trok combined his sidearms into rifle mode, mowing down the krybots closest him. Xolin combined hers into lance mode, spinning around like a dervish before throwing her weapon like a spear, somehow managing to impale three krybots against one of the fighters.

Trok blinked in surprise, "...I don't think I designed it for...that".

"Life finds a way!" Xolin yelled back, wishing she had another blaster before summoning her lance, "I need like, another eight of those!"

"I'll take it under advisement" replied the green ranger as he continued to mow down enemies. No matter how many he shot though, more kept coming. They were limitless.

"Trok!" Sid called, cutting down another krybot, "Control panel! Get this sucker open! We can't fight these guys alone forever!"

Trok was already on it, leaping over two krybots Sid was fighting before mowing down another as he ran over to the control panel, "Got it!" Unfortunately for him, it was quite impossible to concentrate as he was still being shot at. Trok ducked behind the console as he returned fire, "I need cover fire!"

Retrieving her sidearms, Xolin wheeled her twin lances around before splitting herself into three. Two went after Trok, the other backed Sid up.

Trok placed his gun down as he fiddled with the controls, frowning as he did so.

"...Any time now, Trok!" one of the Xolins called as they split their lances into blasters and opened fire.

"Hey, this is hard!" Trok complained.

"How hard is 'open the door'?!"

"Do I *look* like I speak Troobian!?" Trok yelled back, "I've never worked with these interfaces before!"

Sid called back to them, "Hey! Less talking, more working!" He paused when he got an incoming transmission from Nikki.

"_Hey, you guys okay? We're waiting for you to bring down the wall!"_

"Working on it!" Sid exclaimed, cutting down another krybot, "Trok, just pick a button!"

"Uh…" the green ranger sweated a bit, then just randomly pressed something, "Sure, okay"

...And that's when dozens of defense turrets dropped from the ceiling and began to prime themselves.

"Wrong button WRONG BUTTON!" one of the Xolins exclaimed in terror.

"THANKS MOM, I KNOW" Trok replied in panic as he randomly began punching buttons left and right. The guns charged as the sprinkler system activated, the lights brightened and dimmed, and music began playing.

...Was that country?

"TROK!" Sid called.

"IF YOU THINK YOU CAN RANDOMLY PUSH BUTTONS BETTER THAN ME, BE MY GU-" Trok stopped pressing buttons when suddenly every single defense turret exploded. He looked on, dumbstruck, "...Why would they...I mean, problem solved!"

"Great. Now how about that door?!" Sid replied. He and the Xolins had moved in close around Trok, now being swarmed by an entire army of krybots. The doors to the interior of the base opened, and even more began to pour in, along with blueheads, orangeheads, assault mechs, you name it.

"Oh good" Sid muttered, "Wave two. Can't wait for the boss".

"The more we kill in here, the less we have to worry about inside" Xolin reassured him.

Sid didn't buy it, "That's horseshit and you know it!"

"I got it!" Trok said, "...I think!" He pressed the button and lo and behold, the door retracted as the decompression of the chamber resumed. A number of krybots lost their footing and were sucked out, but the decompression didn't last long as a tertiary defense activated; a low-scale forcefield to keep the air in. Meanwhile, craft were landing. Numerous APCs, troop transports, and assault pods from dozens of worlds began filing into the launch bay. And very quickly, things got crazy.

One of the pirate boarding pods crashed into a fighter. A second landed next to it, opening up as a number of pirhanatrons, tengas, and assorted monsters stepped out, Yorhor leading them.

"Arr, ye scurvy naves! Prepare to feel the wrath of the master of the seven galaxies!" Hook and cutlass in hand, Yorhor launched into the fray, cutting down numerous krybots.

Nearby, General Quickspur and his elite guard had arrived in formation, the battle droid-class cogs aiming and firing with their laser rifles. Any krybots that got too close were cut down with their swords. Quickspur soon found himself putting down a number of krybots personally.

"Yee haw! It's like a showdown at high noon! Aim and fire, boys!"

King Ihara had taken the field as well; he'd gathered most of the former Confederate forces under his own command. The Gold Ranger led a mixture of triforian, human, edonite, aquitian, horathean, and xybrian marines in their battle. There were others as well; Delarn was fighting with the tengas and his own ranger team the Sky Guardians, a number of SPD marine teams had just landed, and at least six hive clusters had dropped with numerous stingwingers flooding out, lead by one of the princes—a humanoid heir to the throne of this particular hive who had not yet undergone a metamorphosis in a cocoon.

Heroes were about as well; the remaining Peacekeeper teams, as well as a handful of SPD squads were engaging the enemy. And that wasn't counting the handful of independent teams from across the universe, nor the non-ranger heroes getting in on the action: at least three masked riders, a duo of heavily armored siblings in red and blue dubbed the 'Storm Defenders', and a mysterious mystical armored figure known only as the 'Galactic Sentinel'. One team of rangers, based on xybrian jungle animals, swung down on cable 'vines', grabbing krybots as they flew by. Another, based on various ancient aquitian civilizations, unleashed a group attack on an orangehead.

"Quite the party you're throwing!" Nikki joked as she rejoined the other rangers, watching their backs as they formed a circle, the swarms of krybots now pressing in from every side.

"Well you know me" Sid said with a grin, "It's not a party unless everybody's on the floor by the end".

"Let's speed that along, huh?" Xolin asked, now rejoined and gripping her lance in preparation for her next attack.

"So what's the plan?" Trok asked.

Sid looked back at his team, then at the chaos that surrounded them. "Easy. Hit them 'till they die. BREAK AND ATTACK!"

The team split apart, each diving into the fray, hacking and blasting away at the enemy. As they did, more chaos unfolded; the Eltarian troopship arrived, landing gracefully as the fight raged on. The sides of the craft opened up, allowing teams of battlemages to stop off, Lasandra at the helm. The older woman took point as her forces assembled into a phalanx of staffs, the mages wearing a mixture of robes and armor.

"AIM!" she commanded, "FIRE!" A torrent of magic launched from the staffs and flew into the enemy lines. The krybots were hit with everything from elemental spells to curses as the battlemages moved forward. Unfortunately, battlemages were sort of like glass cannons; they were ranged fighters and couldn't do so well in a melee. And so when they were hit in the side with not just standard krybots but also orangeheads and the larger mech units, they soon faltered. Lasandra moved to intercept, launching a number of spells and attacking head on. Numerous krybots fell, but the war mech crashed into her forces, batting them away like flies. It was advanced enough to have several magical wards to protect it, meaning that Lasandra found it nigh impossible to bring it down.

"OLLIE OLLIE OXEN FREE!"

A blur crashed into the side of the mech. It teetered, the force of the impact sending it crashing to the ground. The object that had hit it, person-sized in appearance, landed next to Lasandra as she saw it was a varox.

"...Who are you supposed to be?" she asked with a hint of incredulousness as she and her forces regrouped.

"I'm a dang cavalry!" B'rnix said, pointing to himself proudly with his thumb. Before he could get any further in his speech though, the mech began to get back up. B'rnix and Lasandra both resumed fighting stances.

"I mean, I guess you guys were supposed to be the cavalry" B'rnix rambled, "So I guess I'm like the cavalry's cavalry. Is that a thing? Is that a thing that exists? I mean, I guess I could be like…'I'm the chariots!' You ever seen a scythed chariot? Those things are impres-"

"Sorry, B'rnix was it?" Lasandra asked, cutting him off.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah" the eltarian said flatly as the mech barreled down on them, "Shut up and fight". She summoned a spell that bound the mech's arms to the ground with strong magical chains.

"You got it!" B'rnix replied, rushing into the fray. Lasandra just rolled her eyes in aggravation.

Overhead, Delarn's ranger team flew past on their suit gliders, peppering the battlefield below with laserfire. They passed by Yorhor and Quickspur, now back-to-back, pistols at the ready as the enemy moved in.

"Arrr, it be a good day to die!" the pirate lord crowed as he unloaded his guns.

"...Die?" Quickspur asked in disagreement, "Hell with that! I say we take these darn tootin' varments out to pasture!" The general also opened fire.

"GOLD RUSH!"

The gold ranger charged through as a force of energy, zipping back and forth into groups of krybots with incredible power.

Sid's swords were pressed up against an orangehead's own twin swords as it pushed him back. Sid finally loosed his grip on the enemy weapons, striking the monster down easily before taking another two swipes to remove three more krybots from the field.

Trok's hammer mace ripped through the enemy lines before wrapping itself around a war mech's leg. The green ranger pulled, destabilizing it as Xolin rushed up its arm and struck at its head with her rifle directly. Nikki meanwhile was all over the place; striking random krybots and then cloaking again before anyone could get a read on her position.

It was a hard battle—a long battle, but ultimately the conclusion was never in doubt. Despite the initial surge of krybot forces, they were simply no match for the assorted makeshift armies of the All Flags Navy. Eventually, even the war mechs were subdued and the battle fell silent.

"...Did we get them?" one of the masked riders asked.

Sid frowned; this had been too easy, "I doubt it. The lack of reinforcements tells me they want to draw us in".

"So what do we do?" Xolin asked.

"Easy. We spring the trap" Sid said, before calling to everyone, "Alright! I want this hanger secured as our forward base of operation. Assault teams, reload and replenish. Nikki?"

"Already on it!" the black ranger said as she and Trok were hunched over a nearby control panel.

"Got it" Trok said as they hacked into the database. Pretty soon everyone had been sent schematics of he entire base.

Sid looked it over with his morpher's holoprojector quickly, easily sighting the central power core and what looked to be a lab area with extremely high levels of morphing energy.

Bingo.

He quickly highlighted points of interest, sending them to everyone else's maps. He'd planned this attack out before arriving, but without a detailed map of the inside he'd had to speak mostly in generalized terms. Now things were more concrete, "These are our objectives. Confederate and Hive forces will take the various chokepoint nodes along our path" he highlighted a number of nodes, "Machine and SPD forces will expand outward from the sides, preventing enemy flanking as we move in. As you do so, you'll be prioritizing auxiliary generators, hanger bays, and anything else you deem as an objective of interest. Your main goal will be to harry and slow down enemy forces, as well as do anything to slow Alpha's goals. Sabotage is the word of the day. Pirate and mercenary forces will remain here to hold down the beach head and ensure our ability to withdraw. Ranger teams and other heroes will be dispatched to different areas of the front as needed. Questions?"

"And what about the central nexus?" asked one of the rangers.

"My team and I will be taking a small contingent of troops and splitting up. One group will hit the central core, the other a nearby lab area where we believe they are pumping in energy from the morphing grid" Sid said, "We good? Alright. Everyone stock up and be ready to move out in three. We have roughly forty-five minutes until the universe ends".

* * *

Epsilon's visage appeared on a holoscreen as Alpha continued to work tirelessly in the central chamber. The pillar of energy contained within the cylinder pulsed with power; now nearly twice the equal to the entire rest of this universe. Certainly that was a technicality; a paradox brought upon by quantum physics, but it was what Alpha needed. All around him platforms sat unattended above a large chasm of a room that lead to windows below showcasing Erebus's accretion disk.

"_They've breached our defenses. Our forces have gone dark on Docking Bay B" _Epsilon told him.

So, this was it. It was time, "It no longer matters" he said, continuing to work, "They've kept them occupied long enough".

"_...I still need more time. They'll be coming shortly"._

Alpha thought for a moment. Hmm. "...Did you ever get a chance to finish altering Iota's old device?"

"_Theoretically"_ she said, _"It's still untested. But it should work"._

"Then they come to their doom" Alpha replied, not even bothering to look up as he typed away, "The end comes, as it always does".

A pregnant silence formed briefly before Epsilon broke it, _"...I don't believe we'll have a chance to speak again after this"._

That actually did get Alpha to stop and look over. He regarded her, the last member of his team. It was getting rather empty in here, "...Perhaps not, no".

"_Then I guess...it's been an honor, sir"._

"Do your duty, and I shall do mine" Alpha replied, returning to his work, "Good luck".

She lingered for a moment longer, but realizing she wasn't going to get anything more out of him finally closed the link. For a moment she wondered what Beta would do if she were here. Or Delta. More than that, she wondered when she'd stopped caring.

Once, she had dreamed of stars.

* * *

The hallway was filled with light and blood. Soldiers took cover as the krybots advanced, each uncaring about their existence as they opened fire, the All Flags Navy forces returning in kind.

"FORWARD!" Sid ordered, moving to the next cover spot and opening fire again, "FORWARD!"

As they took a four-way, Sid waved down each hallway, "Machine troops to the left, SPD take the right. Everyone else ON ME!" More krybots came down the hallway and the shooting continued.

As the battle raged, Nikki checked the status of the various squads. So far they'd only managed to take about fourteen percent of the station, but that was fine. They weren't *trying* to take the whole station, only vital areas and a clear path to the central nexus. And on that, they were doing just fine. Aside from their forward push, several other pushes had been successful as well, and at the moment most teams were busy consolidating the front line and eliminating pockets of resistance.

The laserfire fell silent; they'd won this section of the base. Peacekeeper Team Twelve stood at another three-way intersection; one of the options leading to a staircase and a turbolift that had been sabotaged.

"...Central core is that way" Nikki told Sid, pointing down the hall.

"...And the labs are that way" Trok noted towards the staircase. The team let the facts settle—it was time to split up.

"Then let's do this" Sid said, rallying his team, "Let's get Sel, stop crazy-face, and go home and have a goddamn victory party".

"Look, if...if we don't make it out..." Trok said, realizing the seriousness of the situation, "I just wanted to say it's been an honor. I know it's cheesy and everything and overplayed but...I can't overstate how important you have all been to me". He put his hand out.

Xolin put hers over his, "...None of us are dying. I'm making that an order. If you die, I'm going to kill you myself".

Nikki hesitated; this wasn't, strictly speaking, her team. She'd been thrown in by Iota to fulfill a purpose, and then she'd sort of haphazardly replaced another teammate of theirs; their real fourth ranger.

Sid put his hand over Trok and Xolin's, "This is us. This is what we do. We're going to win; never doubt that. We're going to win and go home, and in an hour from now we will be *free*. Keep that in your mind. Less than an hour". He nodded to Nikki, as did the others. Hesitantly, she relented and put her hand on top.

"I know I've sort of the replacement ranger, but thank you. I'll never forget any of you".

"You were never the replacement" Xolin told her warmly, "You were always just one of the team. Don't ever think you weren't".

"Sixth ranger isn't yellow ranger" Trok said grinning, "Two entirely different roles".

"...Thank you" Nikki said with earnestness.

They pulled their hands back; though slightly reluctantly. Trok hugged Xolin tightly and she returned it. Sid nodded at Nikki; it was very likely this would be the last time they would see each other. She returned with a brief hug of her own.

"I hope you find what you're looking for" Sid told her.

"Take care of yourself" she told him, then turned to Xolin, "All of you".

"You first" Xolin said with a grin. She and Sid's eyes met as she let Trok go. She nodded at him emphatically and he returned in kind—it was time to end this. A moment later, the two groups split.

"Squad A with Nikki, Squad B with me!" Sid declared as he and Xolin headed down the hall. The troops followed their teams; the other squad followed Trok and Nikki down the stairwell.

"Sid!" Nikki called back; everyone stopped as Sid turned back to her, "...Learn to live".

Sid's expression quickly shifted between surprise, sorrow (briefly), touched, and finally that cocky half-grin, "There's a chance of it". The two teams finally broke, heading for their objectives. This time, no one turned to look back.

* * *

She was *still* slowing the process! They should have been done by now, but still that infuriating girl slowed them. And now the enemy was at the gates. Infuriated, Epsilon stormed over to Sel's pod, activating a digital window so she could peer in. The sight was not a pretty one; the girl was evaporating before her eyes. Her legs were mostly gone; her arms holding on in strands. An eye was gone; evaporated in the aether. It wasn't gruesome by any means; she was simply there and then...not there. In fact, by this point she was likely little more than an afterimage. If the Morphing Grid wasn't sustaining her by churning through her, she would likely simply cease to be.

How ironic that the thing killing her was also the only thing keeping her alive at the moment.

"...Problems?" Sel croaked out, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Why do you persist?" Epsilon demanded to know, "Your body is failing; the more you struggle, the more you try to hold the process back, the quicker it happens. You are killing yourself. Just let the energy flow".

Sel knew this of course. She didn't have any illusions about her survival. In the end, Sesh had been wrong-there hadn't been any hope. She was going to die, regardless of what she wanted. But she would be defiant to the end; they deserved nothing less.

"They're here, aren't they?" she replied hoarsely, "I can feel them".

"You selfish, ignorant child" Epsilon growled.

"I'm...selfish?" the girl asked, not even lifting her head as she spoke, the remnants of her arms still bound to their locks, "All I wanted was a life. You denied me even that".

"I'm not going to debate with you" Epsilon stated with distaste, "You are a tool, nothing more. You will perform as you were designed".

Sel managed to lift her head, "Wrong. I will do everything I can to spite you".

* * *

Shave and a haircut. That was the tune of the knock given to the door to Alpha's inner sanctum. When no one answered, the doors were blown open as the red and blue rangers stormed in with a squad of soldiers. They found themselves on a platform above a tall chasm, Erebus spinning silently beyond the windows. Ahead of them, at the end of the platform in the center of the room sat a maelstrom of energy, contained only by the transparent cylinder that dominated the middle of the chamber from the top to the bottom. At the front where the platform met it were several control consoles.

"...Anyone home?" Sid asked jovially as the troops piled in, "I brought cookies!"

Xolin approached the central pillar, covering her eyes as she basked in its impressive glow. The heat radiated even from here; she couldn't even look directly at it it was so bright, even with the shading of the exterior material, "Wow. That's...a lot of power".

"_Should be. It's the collective power of our entire universe twice over" _Trok said over their comm link.

"...How is that even possible?" Xolin asked with awe as she took a moment to look around at the rest of the place.

Trok was happy to explain, _"You ever heard of Schrodinger's Cat? It's a paradox; as long as you're not directly observing it, that energy can be anywhere—in fact it might as well be everywhere"._

"So this is some real scienc-y shit is what I'm getting" Sid said as he moved over to the controls, looking them over, "How do we stop it?" he paused, "...Y'know, without killing the universe".

"You don't".

The group turned, seeing Alpha standing between them and the doorway.

"...We're going to have to call you back" Sid told Trok as he and Xolin took up fighting positions.

* * *

The labs were vacant of people. Just...ambient noises and strange experiments. Trok and Nikki made their way through the mausoleum of science.

"...I hope they'll be okay" Trok muttered worriedly.

"They're the two best fighters on the team" Nikki told him, "They'll be fine as long as we do our job".

The small contingent of soldiers filed into the room behind them, taking position. Trok meanwhile had taken sight of a large pod structure in the center of the chamber—Morphing energy pulsing around it on his helmet's scanners. Cautiously he walked over to it, inspecting it with curiosity.

Man, that energy was off the charts. Trok's heart skipped a beat as he hoped against hope, "...It couldn't be".

"I think it is" Nikki said. She however also spied another center of energy at the far end of the room—a smaller pod, about half a person in size atop a pillar, "...So that's whatever they replaced Izzy with" she commented, walking over to a control panel next to it to see if she could figure out what it was.

Trok didn't care though. He was busy working on the big pod. Quickly the green ranger scaled around the object, quickly looking over each control panel in sequence, frustrated he wasn't getting any answers. "Come on, come ON...AUGH! Would it kill them to have some easy user interfaces?!"

"Calm down" Nikki told him.

"I can't calm down!" Trok exclaimed, still looking over the machine, "Sel's in here! We have to get her out! She could be dying in there! Everything depends-"

Nikki had crossed the room, grabbing him by the arm and staring him directly in the helmet, "Hey. Take a deep breath. We're going to get her out, but first we need to Calm. Down".

Trok did as he was told and exhaled, "...Sorry. I just, it's been months, and..."

"I know. It'll be okay. Okay?"

Trok nodded, "Okay". He made another attempt on the nearest console, forcing himself to calm. It was an Alliance OS at least; if it had been like the Troobian interface in the hanger bay he would have screamed.

"...I think I found it" he breathed. He tensed; this was what he'd waited for for months and now...and now… Closing his eyes, he pressed the button.

Well, it didn't work *exactly*. The pod didn't open; instead a virtual window formed on the front, allowing him a clear view in.

There she was.

No.

There was part of her. The rest was...oh man.

"...Sel?" Trok asked, his heart breaking at the poor mangled sight he saw in front of him. Gone was the yellow ranger he'd fought alongside. Instead he found a pale, gaunt ghost of a figure, much of her body having already vanished into the aether.

Weakly, she looked up, disbelieving the voice she heard. When Sel saw Trok standing there, just outside the pod, a look of surprise and disbelief melted into joy, "...You came".

"Of course we came" Trok said, pressing his hand against the pod, "We're...we're going to get you out, okay? Just hold on".

She was so tired, "...It's not that simple, Trok. I—behind you!"

Trok didn't turn in time; Epsilon slashed into his back with her sword. The green ranger fell down as Nikki leaped into the fray, coming down with a series of kicks on her opponent. Drawing her daggers, she parried the antipode's counterattack as the All Flags troops moved in, opening fire as soon as they had a clear shot.

"Ipsa Azzun!" Epsilon chanted as she broke free of Nikki. The laserfire paused as soon as it came within six inches of her, hovering there for a second before she finished her spell, "ABALAST!" The lasers flew back, hitting all six soldiers in the face and leaving all of them dead on the ground.

"Now then, with the Help out of the way" Epsilon stated as Trok paired up next to the black ranger "Allow me to escort you out of my lab".

* * *

The squad of soldiers hadn't lasted long. Sid wondered why he'd bothered letting them tag along at all. Any hope of reinforcements had died when Alpha had sealed the door shut behind him with a reinforced barrier that had slid shut. Now the three remaining warriors—the red and blue rangers and Alpha himself—did battle above an angry event horizon. The rangers' attacks were deflected easily as Alpha prepared his own. Charging Morphing energy in his fists, he tossed them at the rangers like glowing tennis balls. Explosions rang out as the two enemies dodged.

"...Grid energy?!" Sid exclaimed in surprise, reading the influx of data from his helmet. He drew his axe, "You infused yourself with power from the Morphing Grid?! You know what that will do to you! Your body can't support that!" This was bad; depending on how much he'd infused himself with, Alpha may have very well outclassed the two rangers. An Antipode on a normal day with just two rangers was a dicey proposition; but one with Isdilian's power levels? That was the stuff of tactical nightmares.

Alpha beat back Xolin's latest offensive as he turned his attention on Sid. The two clashed, "I will survive long enough to end your incessant mewling!" the crimson warrior declared, their two weapons pressing against each other. Alpha pushed Sid away and struck.

"You're insane! It'll kill you!" Xolin warned, coming in from behind with her lance. She and Sid struck in tandem, temporarily forcing Alpha on the defensive until he created an aura of power around him.

"Oh, but I am sane!" a whirlwind of energy built, "I am the sanest I've ever been". The energy threw the rangers back. They rolled away into a defensive position, "You don't get it. You don't get it because you're weak. Because you're soft. Because in the end, you don't have what it takes". The aura pooled into his hands, and an electrical storm threw itself out at the rangers, landing solid blows. Their suits sparked and exploded as they again fell back. More lightning blasts came down on them, snaking across their forms as they writhed in agony.

"You think you can win because you feel you're fated to win" Alpha growled at them, continuing his energy surge, "You think you're owed this. You don't believe you have to pay, or sacrifice to achieve victory. How fairy tale of you. Weak, unworthy children".

This was very bad. Sid could tell from his helmet's readout that their suits were close to overloading. If they did, then it was all over. They needed an upset.

"XOL! GO LONG!" he called.

Xolin knew what he was going for. Before Alpha even understood what was going on, a second blue ranger struck the red warrior from behind with a knee to his neck. Alpha stumbled forward, allowing a third blue ranger to hit from the side. The first blue ranger rushed forward, picking herself off the floor even as everything was still dizzy.

"Keep him...keep him off center!" Sid slurred, stumbling to his feet. Everything felt hazy and dry. Had purple always tasted like that? "BATTLIZER!"

Red and silver armor formed and wrapped itself around Sid. Wings unfolded as he opened the gun ports. If they were going to win here, they had to hit him fast and hard, "Xol, now!"

The three blue rangers flew out of the way as Sid's guns charged. The red ranger unleashed a torrent of destruction. Alpha braced himself with his arms and the antipode was thrust back, his boots skidding across the surface. Sid marched forward as he didn't let up, continuing the barrage unabated.

It wasn't enough.

Alpha charged through the laserfire, launching himself into Sid. The two red figures flew into the control panel, Sid pinned between an enraged Alpha and the entire power of the universe twice over—honestly, not the best situation. He couldn't aim his guns, he could barely move as Alpha began to choke the life from him.

"BATTLIZER!"

The armor on Sid's body vanished, reappearing on a reunified Xolin in silver and blue as she rushed to help her teammate. Alpha turned just in time to see her sword come down, which he grabbed with his bare hand and stopped in mid-swing. Gripping tighter, the blade cracked, then shattered. Before Xolin could respond, power surged through Alpha's hands as he clapped them together in a wide arc. Power ripped through the battlizer as Xolin was sent flying back into the wall. As she slumped to the floor the mangled remains of the battlizer vanished, shutting down.

"All these toys and they don't help you at all" Alpha growled, turning back to a rebounding Sid. He grabbed the red ranger by the neck again and began bashing him into the ground again and again, sparks flying on each hit, "Pitiful! Absolutely pitiful!" He tossed Sid aside, "Your world is ending, and this is the best you can manage. A rag-tag fleet. A handful of societal rejects. And a collection of children's toys" he laughed as Sid struggled to pull himself back up.

"We've...gotten this...far" Sid declared as he stood up, drawing his two sidearm blasters, "Everything you've thrown at us we've taken out. Capricorn. Beta. Delta. Zeta. SPD. You're running out of minions".

"Minions are designed to be expendable" Alpha said as he casually strolled forward, "They soak up the enemy and wear them down. You don't understand that because you still think victory is achievable without sacrifice". Sid lunged forward, blasting as he closed in before switching to sword mode. Alpha casually knocked the blades aside as he struck at Sid. The red ranger barely held his ground as he took blow after blow. Alpha continued, "You think that because you've suffered, because you somehow stumbled here like a petulant child, that you are owed victory. That somehow, you are the hero of this story. The protagonist, and that no matter what, it will get better because fate has decreed it!"

Sid was finally knocked back, crumpling into a heap. Xolin however, was back on the attack. Aiming her rifle, she opened fire from the side, "What the hell are you even babbling about!? How crazy are you?!"

"You come to storm the castle. Slay the dragon" Alpha said, deflecting her shots, undeterred by her comments, "Save the day like the heroes you pretend to be". In the blink of an eye he was upon Xolin, knocking her gun aside as he delivered a solid gut punched with his charged up fist. She gasped, the wind knocked out of her as he added, "I will dispel you of this foolish notion". Pulling her arm towards him, he threw her backwards with a spin kick.

"Heroes are a fairytale; propaganda. An illusion used to keep children from crying at the unfairness of it all. They don't exist".

"...You...talk a lot" Xolin gasped, pulling herself into a fighting stance. She was down to her bare fists; her weapons had been scattered or shattered. Her suit was sporting battle damage. And she herself was just a little haggard form all the abuse her body had been taking, "But that's all it is. Talk. Justification for your bullshit. You had no right to do what you're doing. No right for all the lives you've spent, the worlds you've ruined".

Alpha flashed with anger, "No right? I have EVERY right! When faced with extinction, *every* option is preferable! You know nothing of what I have seen, nothing of what we've suffered through! You cannot know".

"She's right" Sid said, pulling himself up, "It's just justification. Yeah man, it sucks your universe is dying. If you'd asked, we could have helped. But trying to wipe us out? You're quick to jump on us for stopping you from saving your people, but we have every right to save ours".

Alpha glanced between the two of them. Two insignificant ants. Two children, unable to understand the truth. Unable to see beyond their own self-indulgent tropes. He was done with them.

"Such good little heroes" he growled as he absorbed more energy. The two rangers braced themselves as he spoke, "Bringing your fleets, your armies. Your champions and allies. Your convictions and beliefs. But you have not brought them victory, only doom". He lashed out; an energy storm erupted that crashed into the rangers. Energy whips attacked, striking the rangers. He flew in with a flurry of attacks, not giving them a second to prepare as lightning bolts came down. Sid went down first; despite his somewhat higher stamina, Xolin was faster and more skilled. Soon enough however, she too fell. The two rangers landed in a heap, their suits smoking from the barrage of attacks.

Alpha regarded them, "I will make sure that when the dust settles, when everything is said and done, that your corpses will be nothing more than a regrettable footnote in our history. And at last, my daughter will have a home again".

* * *

"SALAS ITZA AMMUNTUN!"

Fireballs launched out from nowhere as Trok and Nikki evaded them. The two rangers landed apart, forcing Epsilon to split her attention. Nikki attacked first, vanishing from view as she rushed in. Epsilon struck where she thought she was, but no dice. Nikki hit from the side, then vanished again. Epsilon counterattacked, then got hit again. Nikki vanished a third time, but by now the antipode had had enough.

"ISLADESH!"

A wave of energy rushed out in a wide arc, catching Nikki as she attempted for hit number three. Before Epsilon could press her attack though, she found her body being imprisoned by Trok's hammer-mace. The green ranger pulled, green energy surging out into the antipode. She sparked and yelped before the green ranger thrust her up into the air.

He never got to land the hit home.

"ULIDAR ITASSIDON!"

Trok's weapon unraveled. She grabbed the head of the hammer and forced it to retract into Trok's hilt, pulling the poor ranger with it. Then, in midair, she threw him against the wall before landing.

"Phantom Mode!" in a flash, form-fitting armor had settled into being over Nikki's suit. The black ranger went on the attack, extending her new energy wrist blades and striking at the orange antipode. Epsilon blocked with her own sword.

"So what's behind pod number two?" Nikki asked, referring to the smaller of the two objects, "Izzy's dead, so you had to have found a replacement somehow".

Epsilon scoffed at the hologram's denseness, "Isn't it obvious? Think back now; I know it's difficult but try to connect the dots a bit. Where else did you see a conduit?"

Oh...shit.

"...Eltar" Nikki said, her eyes widening in shock. It WAS obvious, why hadn't she thought of that?

"That's right" Epsilon said with a slight laugh, "The relic. Wasn't perfect by any means, but you work with what you have". She broke her hold against Nikki and then cast a new spell, "ARADON IKSAI!"

Smoke erupted all around them, obscuring Nikki's vision sensors. She looked around frantically, trying to gauge where her enemy was. Then she got hit. And then hit again. And again. Nikki wasn't fond of having her own strategy used against her, so she cloaked and rolled out of the way of the cloud. It dissipated soon after, but as Nikki's cloak ended she found she was now surrounded by at least twelve Epsilons.

Uh oh.

Nikki tried her best to identify the real one, but at a quick glance she couldn't get a lock. Too late; Epsilon came by again and again, striking at Nikki. She did her best to defend, but whereas they could all hurt her, her attempts to block or attack would simply pass through. Her suit suffered serious abuse before the black ranger was thrown into a control panel, her chest smoking.

"What's wrong?" all of the Epsilons mocked as the black ranger rose to a defensive crouch, "All that science built into your system and you can't figure out a simple illusion spell?"

"Simple my ass" Nikki grunted, frustrated that her systems were still coming with nothing. Whatever Epsilon was doing, it was some pretty high-grade stuff.

"A flatterer" Epsilon cooed, then snapped her fingers, "But you're still going to die". The group of Epsilons began chanting, "ISHTA ANISH USIPSA!" Each of them started charging up an electrical storm spell. Static electricity began to emanate from the surrounding area and Nikki tensed—getting ready to dodge.

She didn't have to though, as when the full force of the electrical tsunami came in, Trok intercepted with his hammer. The green ranger let his weapon collect the brunt of the attack like a lightning rod, then just when it was at max capacity he flung the energy back out. The resulting blast absolutely devastated the room. Equipment lay scattered and broken and there were a number of small fires that had broken out; it looked like a storm had rushed through. In fact, it seemed that the only thing that still held together were the two pods.

"Cute" Epsilon grunted, plainly furious at the destruction of her lab, "But that trick won't save you a second time".

Sel watched with increasing worry as Epsilon gained the upper hand in the fight. She had to do something; she couldn't just sit here and let them lose when they were so close, especially when she could detect which Epsilon was the real one; the others seemed...empty somehow. Hollow. But how could she help? She couldn't create an avatar through the dreamlands anymore; the pain surging through her body was keeping her preoccupied and grounded.

...Maybe she didn't need to go that far.

Closing her eyes and concentrating as much as she could, she pushed out to Trok. It took a bit of doing; the pain was enormous and she could barely focus. But soon enough, the green ranger...felt something, for lack of a better term.

"...Huh?" Trok gasped, feeling almost light-headed. Like an out-of-body experience that wasn't quite out-of-body.

_Trok! It's me._

"...Sel?" the green ranger glanced at the pod where his friend still hung inside, seemingly unconscious.

_Yeah, I'm sort of telepathically linked to you. I think. Talk about it later. Right now we need to focus on Epsilon's shadow clones._

This whole thing came as kind of a shock to Trok; as far as he knew, Sel's native xybrian abilities had never blossomed; what they had thought were it was really just her-_Grid abilities, yeah I know. Same deal here; I don't have xybrian abilities because I'm not a real xybrian. I need you to focus, Trok. Please._

Right. Focus. Trok returned to the matter at hand, and just in time, as Epsilon's horde rushed at him.

_Left!_

Trok dodged the first blow.

_Right!_

Another dodge.

_Block!_

To Trok's mild surprise, his sidearm blade actually managed to block the next sword attack. Realizing this was the real Epsilon, he drew his other sidearm and fired at his opponent's abdomen. Sparks flew as Epsilon staggered back in pain. She was not given any chance to regroup as Nikki launched herself over Trok, violet wristblades at the ready as she came down, cutting through the antipode. Epsilon flew into the wall, her phantoms vanishing.

She staggered to her feet, shocked at the sudden turn of events, "...How? How did you..." she glanced at Sel's pod, the answer coming to her, "...Wretched girl. I've had enough of your interference". The antipode slammed her fist on the nearest control panel. 94 percent. Hrm. She supposed that was close enough. The options were clear; continue this losing battle as the plan continued on course with the risk of losing it all because the rangers had freed Sel...or go all in, take what was left in one fell swoop. The risk here of course was that the girl really would completely evaporate before they were done. But then, that was a risk anyway even with the first option.

They were close enough; hell with it.

"ATAN ISHLA AKZU!" Epsilon chanted, blowing the two rangers back while she worked on the control panel, "Game's over, children" she seethed.

Sel felt it just before the pain struck. She looked up in abject terror, "NO!" she got out just before the screaming started.

"Wha—AUGH!" Trok began screaming in pain as well, dropping to his knees in agony as he felt Everything being ripped away.

"Trok, what-" Nikki started, but stopped when she heard Sel's screaming too. The pod was glowing; she couldn't see anything inside of it and holy shit the power readouts in that thing were off the scale.

Sel felt herself evaporating. Time seemed to stand still in the agonizing seconds and yet go all too fast at the same time. She burned to a crisp as the full weight of the Morphing Grid moved through her, expending what little life force she had left. She didn't want to die. She didn't want to die. Please. Not like this. Not like-

The power dimmed, the pod fell silent and empty. Trok was whimpering on the ground, "...She's gone" he choked out, "She's...she's gone".

Nikki looked between him and the pod, realizing what had just happened. What they'd just lost.

"You..." she growled at Epsilon, rage quickly building as Trok simply lay there, "How dare you..."

"How dare I?" Epsilon threw back at her, "All you had to do was lay down and die. How hard was that? This was supposed to be easy. You think I like committing mass murder? You think I got into this for the jolly's? I got into this to be a goddamn scientist" her voice began to become more frantic, "I wanted to *help* people! But life sucks. And I will not be responsible for the death of my entire universe!"

"You won't have to worry about that you little monster" Nikki said in anger as she strode forward, "Because I'm going to end your suffering right here".

Epsilon forced herself to calm, "...No" she said, "You won't". Pressing another button, Nikki stopped in mid-stride, suddenly wracked with pain. Not like, physical pain like before she was an AI, or the weird sort of hollow pain she'd felt since. No, this was a deeper pain, a metaphysical pain. Her suit surged with Morphing energy, sparking and glowing as she staggered, shouting in sudden pain. She fell back, and immediately realized her powers were gone.

So were Trok's.

"...What?" Nikki asked as panic began to set in. She activated her morpher; nothing. Not even a hint of power.

"I control your universe's Morphing Grid now" Epsilon said with not just a hint of pride, "And I just shut off the power switch for everyone. Ever".

Panic became despondence. They'd *lost*. Nikki looked herself over again in disbelief, then back at Epsilon.

"It doesn't matter anyway" Epsilon said, "In a few minutes the two Grid energies we have stored will synch up with your universe's residual power. The resulting paradox is all we need to start over. But you won't be here to see it".

"What?" Nikki asked at the sound of the sudden threat.

"You remember Iota's project, right? Pocket universes?" Epsilon asked, activating something else with her console, "Well I made one. Have fun".

Before Nikki could respond, she felt herself being ripped away. The universe pulled away from her vision, becoming dimmer as if she'd stood up too quickly. Then the floor under her gave way and she fell.

* * *

The sudden surge in power was all Sid had to see to know something had gone terribly wrong. He opened a channel, "Trok, the nexus just lit up like a Christmas tree, what's going on" no response, "Trok? Nikki?"

Alpha cut through Xolin's attack, sending her flying back into Sid. Just as he stumbled back and helped her up though, their suits exploded. Power surged and they shouted in pain as their powers left them.

"...What?!" Sid exclaimed in panic, now a mere mortal again.

Xolin tried to activate her morpher to no avail. She kept trying, not understanding why it wasn't working, "What's going on!?"

"Simple" Alpha said with a laugh, "Epsilon has finished her work. Your Morphing Grid is now ours, and she's cut off your power".

Sid's eyes widened. As terrible as that was, he realized what else that implied, "...Sel". Xolin shot a look at him, fear and sorrow filling her.

"Dead, most likely" Alpha agreed, "But I wouldn't worry about it. You're about to join her. If I know Epsilon, she's most likely triggered the trap she laid".

"What trap?" Sid demanded to know.

"Without your powers, you're much more...malleable" Alpha said, "You can be moved much more easily. The Grid was an added anchor to this reality. Without it, well..."

"Sid!" Xolin shouted in terror as she felt herself blink out of existence. Sid looked at where she'd just been in shock, but his attention was soon taken by his own fading existence. Alpha didn't need to elaborate, as Sid's vision was ripped away as he was pulled in a direction that wasn't height, width, or depth. Reality fell away, and so did he.

* * *

It was a dark place. The ground was muddy and putrid—not exactly the best thing Sid wanted to have to pull himself up from. Ew. Stagnant water surrounded him in what looked to be some sort of bog. Dead, twisted tree husks rose up into the sky and in the distance he saw sharp, jagged cliffs and mountains—some of them floating in midair. The sky was dark, covered in thick stormy clouds. The only real light was by the weird fungal growths that filled the forest undergrowth.

It was cold too. And wet.

Sid looked around for any kind of sign or clue as to where he was at, but there wasn't. This place, wherever it was, he'd never been to.

"...Xolin?" he called out, "Xolin!" louder that time, but there was no sign of her. He was alone. He was powerless and alone.

Again.

* * *

_**To be Continued...**_


	39. 3x13: The Trolley Dilemma, part 3

The sky was ablaze with fire.

Thousands of ships rained death upon one another in a sphere of activity around the antipode station. The battle had spread out since the ground troops had boarded the base—as per Sid's strategy. Phase one had been to meet the enemy in battle and surround them, thus throwing them off-guard. But the smaller All Flags Navy wouldn't be enough to beat the larger antipode forces that way. And so as soon as Sid had left the orchestration of the fight to his father, phase two had been implemented. The battle had spread out; a wide open affair that forced the already injured lines of the antipode forces to unfurl and hunt down their opponents. The All Flags Navy no longer had to defeat the enemy fleet, they only had to wait. Time was now on *their* side.

But it was still a bloodbath. In one part of the battle, a troobian battleship came down on a machine gearship below, pounding on it with its beam cannons. The machine ship ruptured and was pulled apart with a gigantic explosion as three wings of Triforian obelisk fighters swooped in and up at the offending ship, opening fire as they closed in. Moderate damage was done to the hull—especially when two of the fighters were shot down and collided with the hull.

Elsewhere, twin aquitian ships, in formation, were ripped to shreds, colliding with the nearest antipode-SPD ship. Wings of pirate strike craft flew into a swarm of Troobian cruisers; carnage ensued.

This was the endgame. This was the bloodletting that the Antipodes had spent years preparing for. These were their own personal fields of Megiddo, the battle at the end of the world. Only one side would triumph and secure a future, and it would not be without cost.

Within this vast sphere of chaos, one little ship found itself tailed by three enemy fightercraft, even as it passed over an SPD frigate.

Sitras gripped the controls tightly as the ship shuttered from the assault. "Tesas!" she angrily told her gunner.

"I'm working on it!" the aquitian grumbled back as the Megaship's guns opened fire, "If you'd keep the ship more steady it'd be easier".

"If I kept the ship steady they'd have an easier target!"

One of the ships tailing them exploded after being hit by Tesas's barrage. "Got one!"

"I'm going to try to shake the other two!" Sitras said. Before Tesas could object, the Megaship made a hard turn, divebombing towards a Triforian battle pyramid as it and a Hive mothership faced down a Troobian assault carrier. The three traded blows as the Megaship neared, veering off at the last second and tracing the pyramid's outline. One of the fighters didn't make it; exploding on the pyramid's hull. The other was shot down by a friendly Triforian fighter, giving the Megaship the clear.

"YEAH!" Sitras exclaimed in triumph.

"What happened to 'dignified princess'?" Tesas teased.

She was about to sound a retort, when instead suddenly everything on the ship shut down, leaving them in utter darkness. It was only for a split second before auxillary power kicked in, but they were already in full panic mode.

"...What just happened?!" Sitras asked as she desperately checked her systems.

Tesas was already doing a full system diagnostic, "Main power's offline. I don't know why. I'm trying to reactivate it, but it's not responding". The aquitian stood up and headed towards the door, "I'm going to engineering to see if I can't restart the Mega Accelerator manually".

"We can't fight like this" Sitras told him, "I'm going to dock us with the triforian ship".

* * *

"Report!" Admiral Drake demanded to know as the consoles of his ship flickered back to life after the sudden power drain, "Status update!"

"A number of generators just went down" one of his subordinates, male, said, currently sitting in front of one of the many consoles that lines the bridge of his flagship, "...None of them are responding. Engineering's reporting total failure for generators two, four, and nine".

"...Two, four, and nine?" Admiral Drake repeated in distress, "Those are the Mega Accelerators..."

"Sir, I'm getting reports from the whole fleet. We're seeing multiple systems shutdown from every device with a link to the Morphing Grid" another officer, male, stated.

"...Impossible" Admiral Drake gasped, bringing up his own readout of the fleet on a holoscreen. It was just as had been said; numerous ships were having issues. The entire Eltarian contingent was basically dead in the water. "This can't be possible".

Another officer, female, also spoke, "Getting reports that enemy ships are also suffering. Still no clue what's causing it".

The enemy was afflicted too; thank god for small miracles. Still, this was bad. This was extremely bad. It was like the entire Morphing Grid had simply ceased to exist. An entire pillar of existence was gone. It would be like if gravity or magnetism suddenly stopped working. As bad as things were now in this fight, what could the long-term ramifications be?

Admiral Drake turned his gaze to the Antipode Station, "...What have you done?" he asked in quiet terror.

That was when Admiral Lacanth's image appeared on another screen from his own flagship, "Admiral, we have problems".

Problems indeed.

* * *

**Power Rangers Peacekeepers**

**Series Finale**

**3.13: The Trolley Dilemma part three of four: Out of Many, One**

* * *

The status on the front lines could best be summed up as 'panic'. Without warning or reason, every hero with access to the Morphing Grid had been suddenly and seemingly irrevocably stripped of their protections. Once the vanguard of the assault, the former rangers, riders, and other assorted heroes were now little more than rank and file soldiers—and some civilian teams weren't even that well armed and had become civilians that needed protection. The effect wasn't limited to just them either, as basic magic seemed to have been severely weakened. Mages were now almost useless, to say nothing of their enchantments.

Now on the defensive, the remaining All Flags infantry ceased expanding through the Antipode base; instead in some places they'd begun to fall back to more defensible territory. The advance had ceased.

This was bad enough, but even worse was that the snake's head had been removed from the body. No one could contact Sid or any of Peacekeeper Team Twelve. No one knew what had transpired in the innermost sanctum of the base, nor could anyone find out, as the entrances had all been sealed shut with not just heavy metal barriers, but also numerous force fields and magical enchantments. It would take forever to break through.

And they didn't have forever. Not that that didn't stop some from trying; a few dedicated squads of soldiers and mages (even without their spells, they had technical knowhow) began working their way through the defenses. The alternative, after all, was death.

Relaying this information back to the fleet didn't help much either, as they apparently had their own problems to deal with. Whatever had stripped the ground forces of any ranger powers had also partially crippled the All-Flags Navy and left them vulnerable. What had seemed like imminent victory was now quickly slipping away into total defeat.

And yet, as madness and desperation gripped everyone, one question lingered on everyone's mind.

Where was Peacekeeper Team Twelve?

* * *

It was dark, and cold. Trok found himself wandering around aimlessly in an otherworldly canyon. Dead, twisted trees lined the cliffsides, reaching up to the stormy sky that never quite let loose. The soil was muddy and putrid; the (former) green ranger had nearly vomited his lunch all over the ground upon arrival, and even now he was still struggling to get used to it. Only the ambient light of the magma pits that littered the area gave any sort of illumination beyond 'full moon'.

It was the perfect place to die.

And why not? They'd lost. The Morphing Grid had been wiped out; Trok didn't even want to think about the ramifications of that. He'd lost his friends and been trapped here in this hellish pocket dimension without any way out. There was no way to save home anymore.

He'd felt Sel's death throes as she'd been ripped from his mind. He'd *felt* her die. It was like part of him had just been torn off, like he'd lost a limb, for forgotten half his life. He numbly stumbled through the canyon, still dazed to the whole affair. The lingering pain was almost overwhelming. Everything felt...hollow.

Why was he even still walking? How could he even bare to walk? What was the point? What was he walking TO? Maybe he should just jump in one of the lava ponds.

No, no. Don't do that. Don't give up. Sel was...gone, but the others were just unaccounted for. Focus on that. He had to find them...somehow. Then together maybe, they could figure something out. Time travel, or something.

They'd done it before.

...Sort of.

"NIKKI?" he called out, "SID? XOLIN!" Nothing. He checked the sensors on his morpher, but it was dead as a doornail. To be expected. Despair flickered within him again.

That was when he heard the growl. Trok turned, catching sight of a beast of sorts—matted fur, but still reptilian in design. It was twice his height and four times as long, with razor sharp teeth and claws. A shell covered its backside, filled to the brim with orange and red crystals that jutted out and looked just as sharp as the teeth. Two nasty tails with spikes extended from its rear. And it was looking directly at Trok. In hunger.

"...Uh oh" Trok managed to utter, taken aback by the sudden turn in development. The creature snorted angrily. "Uh..."

It charged.

The horathean ran, faster than he'd ever ran before. He attempted to evade, using his smaller size to round by rock formations and get through narrow passes, but as it turned out the creature's mighty crystal horns were more than enough to simply smash through any barrier Trok tried to put between them.

"CRUDCRUDCRUDCRUD!"

Up ahead was a cave. OH THANK THE SPIRITS.

Trok dived head-first into the cave mouth, sliding through into the interior. The beast rammed into the rock wall, but only managed to disorient itself. Dust and pebbles rained down as Trok looked back, scuttling backwards further into the cave. The monster tried again, but still no success. It then tried digging its way in and seemed to be doing okay at first...until it wasn't. It huffed, not wanting to give up, but not finding a solution. Finally, it wandered off a bit, looking for another way in. Trok could still hear it outside though, sniffing around.

"Oh jeeze" he gasped, standing up and dusting himself off before taking a look at the prison he'd thrown himself into. It was fairly good sized; a 'waterfall' of molten material flowed down from an opening further up, dumping into a stream that eventually pooled into a pond not too far away from where he was. The rock here was like the rest of the realm he'd seen; dark and grayish. And jagged, couldn't forget jagged. There were numerous cliffs and ledges, but no clear exit.

Crap.

He glanced down at his dead morpher in frustration, "If only I had a sensor map, at least. Or...something" he grumbled to himself. He was so caught up in finding an exit he didn't notice the other person sneak up on him.

"Hey Trok!"

He jumped; he wasn't prepared for another pe—wait. That voice. It couldn't be.

Trok dared to look up at the nearest ledge, where the voice had come from. A very familiar person beamed down at him with a wide smile. Trok looked on, dumbstruck.

Sel was alive.

* * *

The island floated above the ground several stories. Xolin found herself with a majestic view of...well, whatever this hellhole was. Numerous other rocks found themselves stationary over the jagged mountains, cast in the dark shadows of the sunless, stormy sky. Her own island was a few dozen feet wide, fractured in multiple places and possibly in the process of a slow disintegration. The soil was slimy and muddy and a bit of a chore to walk on.

A mere few seconds ago she'd been facing off against Alpha. Everything, all they'd accomplished, ripped away in a matter of seconds.

And Sel was dead.

Her morpher was lifeless; useless even for just tracking the others down. She was alone in this deserted hellhole as her own universe faced extinction. And she could do nothing.

This was a fate worse than death.

In a sudden flash of rage, she kicked a rock off the side of the cliff, yelling in futile anger at the unfairness of it all. Sinking to her knees, she instinctually shivered slightly as an unpleasant humid and cold breeze filtered through.

"Bullshit" she whispered. Then louder, echoing out into the hellish landscape, "BULL. SHIT!"

"I don't believe I raised you to be so unbecoming".

Another shiver went down Xolin's spin, her stomach turning over. It wasn't because of the weather this time though. That voice. She'd never wanted to hear that voice again. How he was even hear, she couldn't-

"You should look at me when I talk to you. Stand up".

The authoritative tone was unmistakable. Slowly and methodically, Xolin stood up, reluctantly turning around to the source of the voice.

"Hello, Xolin" said her father.

* * *

Sid had decided that swamps were his least favorite type of terrain. The boggy forest was tiring to navigate; the trees blotted out what little light there was, forcing him to navigate via the strange bio luminescent fungal growths. The soil was absolutely soaked with foul-smelling liquid, slowing his process to...where WAS he going anyway?

Wait, one of the lights were moving. Sid squinted, looking in the distance. The small ball of light fluttered about, as if to catch his attention, then descended further into the swamp.

"...You have got to be kidding" Sid grumbled, following the light as best he could. This was what he was reduced to; following a will'o the wisp in an otherdimensional swamp on the vague hope it would lead him to something useful.

Might as well hope some lady would offer him a sword and a kingdom.

The light was getting further ahead. Sid called out, "Hey, wait!" even as he was embarrassed for doing so. The light didn't stop however, and rounded the trees. By the time Sid got there, it was gone. Damn.

"Well, there goes that" Sid said, grumbling. Now what?

"Let's be honest, dude. It was probably going to lead you to something that was going to eat your face anyway".

No way. That was impossible. That *voice*. Sid peeled himself away from where he'd lost track of the light, only to find himself with three other people. Three other very familiar people. Two humans, a male and female, and a rock golem.

"Matt" Sid managed to croak out at the male.

Matt put on one of his wide, cocky grins, "Hey Sid. Long time, no see".

* * *

All at once she felt her physical form burn away. Her mind was ablaze as her remaining nerves ceased to be—painfully. And then, darkness. She fell; and then...expanded? Suddenly her consciousness, freed from its mortal shell, began to swell in all directions. She felt things she'd never encountered, saw things she'd never witnessed. It was like the dreamlands, but all at once, in all directions, and she was living it, feeling it. Her consciousness expanded to all corners of everything. She began to lose herself, pulling apart too far to retain her identity, who she was. Agony rippled through as her mind was overloaded with sensations and information and knowledge, as she came to touch every corner of creation. She burned up.

And then darkness overtook her.

When she awoke, Sel found herself with a splitting migraine and lying on the floor of a very familiar place. She grunted in pain as she sat up, cradling her head in her hand.

Her whole hands.

She was whole.

Well, sort of. The fact that she was in that rotunda with the nearly infinite number of doors told her that she wasn't on the physical plane. Another throb from her headache and she redoubled her efforts to press her hand on her head.

"...I'm so tired of spirit quests" she sighed in irritation, now sitting upright, "Ow". It was starting to feel like her life was on endless cycle; dream quest, horrible torture, rinse and repeat. If she never saw this place again, she would be perfectly fine. Sel looked around, "So what is it this time?" she asked the universe, "Andromeda? Elder Sesh? My brother?"

"Not quite" came the familiar and very unwelcome voice. Sel shot to her feet, even as her head protested and did her best to get into a defensive pose. There in front of one of the doors stood the Man with the Briefcase, adjusting his glasses. "Hello, Sel. We have much to discuss, and far less time".

* * *

The ruins didn't meet with anything on Nikki's database. Whoever had lived here on this pocket plane, it wasn't anyone modern civilization knew about. She wondered how long this dimension had been in existence; a thousand years? Ten thousand? A million? It seemed quite large, which meant that it could survive far longer than say, something that was only the size of a room. The so-called 'Dark Dimension' that had been so important in early human ranger history had completely evaporated into nothing by the mid-twenty-first century, having long ceased to have been nourished by its caretakers. But that place had only been about the size of a soundstage.

This looked like a world, if not larger. Not that Nikki could really tell, considering most of her systems were inoperable. In fact, it was amazing she had power at all. The Morphing Grid was gone; most of her morpher's functions were gone with it. All she had now were what could be activated on her backup battery—i.e., her main computer systems and holo-generator. She hated being reduced in capabilities—she'd kind of forgotten how limited base organics were in terms of sensory output. Nikki had really come to rely on her map sensors.

Dang.

Lightning from the ever-present clouds struck one of the ruin's spires, diverting her attention. She'd arrived here not too far from the edge of this complex and had moved inward since. They where white—or had been, once, before the mud and fungi had gotten to it. Graceful but stern arches and pathways dominated the complex, though by now much had been eroded away, leaving eerie silent half-built structures. It was almost like a maze, but still well-ordered enough that she was able to find her way to the center with not too much in the way of trouble.

The central courtyard was dominated in the center by what looked like some sort of fancy well. All around it were arches and spires that reached up into the sky. Each spire also contained a small alcove at about shoulder level, each with a softly glowing cyan crystal and a detailed relief above it—twelve in all. Another lightning strike came down, hitting another spire. Nikki jumped back, instinctively.

So this is where she was going to be trapped forever, huh?

"I should have just cut my losses and stayed dead" she half-joked to herself. In part it was to remind herself that she was still here, she still had a voice. It was also to keep absolute despair from flooding through her; she was stuck here, with no way out. She'd never see anyone ever again and when her battery finally ran out…

Well, best not to think about that.

She sighed as she looked over the ruins, "Figures one of Iota's toys would do me in. It's friggin' poetry".

"Not entirely" Iota said, standing in one of the archways as thunder sounded, "But it definitely rhymes".

* * *

Admiral Drake's bridge shook slightly as his flagship took another hit. His attention however was drawn to the series of holo-windows he was quickly becoming surrounded by, each carrying the visage of a different fleet commander. Represented were Admiral Lacanth of the SPD forces, General Phonobot of the Machine Empire, Coros of Aquitar, Mage Antreii of Eltar, Elder Sesh of Xybria, and half a dozen other heads of fleet. The mood was that of panic.

"_We should pull back"_ Prince Krish of the Hive forces stated, _"Our position is compromised"_.

"_And leave our forces on the station behind?"_ Antreii stated, _"Preposterous!"_

"_We couldn't escape even if we wanted to" _said Coros, _"With the Grid gone, FTL travel is impossible. We can't leave the system"._

"_Leaving is suicide anyway" _Lacanth said, _"Where would we run to when the universe gets reformatted?"_

Admiral Drake looked at the assembled war leaders, "The fact remains however, the current plan of attack is no longer effective. The Eltarian forces are crippled, and the rest of our fleet has taken heavy setbacks. The enemy has suffered too, but the fact remains".

"_Options?"_ Lacanth asked.

"Regroup" Admiral Drake replied, "Close ranks. The wide field of battle worked when we were buying time, but now we need to protect our weakest members; hold the line as long as we can. Most heavily effected ships in the center, least in front".

"_We'll be sitting ducks"_ said Coros.

"_We don't have much of a choice"_ Antreii replied, _"...If this is to be our armageddon, then so be it. We die for the universe"._

"_Has there been any word from Peacekeeper Team Twelve?"_ General Phonobot, a female robot in Victorian fashion, asked.

Admiral Drake shook his head, "No word. The rest of our ground forces are pinned and on the defensive. We've played our last card. Everything now rests on those kids".

"_And if they've failed?"_ Prince Krish asked.

Silence fell, only the dull sounds of the firefight outside echoing until Admiral Drake spoke again, "...Then may we find peace in our deities".

* * *

Alpha idly watched the enemy forces slowly being pushed back on his holo-screens. Good, good. Some areas were stubbornly resisting, while others were slowly withdrawing to their beachhead.

It no longer mattered; they weren't anywhere close to the nexus anymore, and so nothing they did was of consequence anymore.

The timer ticked down. Soon the nexus would synch up. The universe only permitted paradoxes as long as it didn't directly observe them; quantum physics was full of them. But when you forced the universe to understand its own folly; when you somehow managed to observe Schrodinger's Cat, reality would not be able to stand. At this moment the nexus contained the entire power of the universe twice over, thanks to being charged up by two conduits—Sel and the Eltarian artifact (and before that, by Isdilian). Soon, once the energy was aligned properly and in synch with itself, the universe would understand its error.

And in that moment of fluidity, Alpha would be able to rewrite creation, and convert this universe into a habitable one.

Not much time now.

Not much time at all.

* * *

The only thing Trok could utter was one simple word.

"...How?"

It's...complicated" Sel said, kneeling and extending a hand to Trok. The horathean grabbed it and she hauled him up onto her ledge.

"I felt you die" Trok blurted out, "You were...ripped from my mind. You were *gone*".

"Like I said, complicated. I'm not entirely sure what happened myself. One moment I was..." she hesitated, "Look, it's not important right now. We need to get out of here".

"We need to find the others" Trok said as they began to climb up further ledges. Sel led as he followed her, "Once we're all together, I'm sure we'll be able to come up with a plan". He was mostly running on autopilot; in truth Trok was still reeling at the sudden reversals. Sel was back! It was a miracle! She was back and….and they could DO this!

"I'm going to get you out first, then find the others" Sel replied as they scurried into one of the cave's branching hallways, away from the main chamber, "It'll be quicker that way".

Oh. Um. Okay. That was...different, "You don't need my help? I mean, I'm not offended or anything, but wouldn't it be faster if we worked together?"

"I'm just hedging my bets" Sel replied, "Look, we don't have a lot of time, I don't know if the xenoformer will affect this pocket dimension or not. If we wait to get everyone all at once, we could risk losing everyone. But if I get you guys out one at a time, at worst some of us will still get out".

Trok paused. When she noticed he wasn't following, she looked back, "...What?"

Trok frowned, "That's...kind of cold" he said.

She looked away, embarrassed, "I'm...just being pragmatic. I'm sorry. It's the kind of choices we've had to make. Hopefully I can get everyone".

Trok nodded in understanding. They resumed walking, now on an incline when he asked, "So where are you dropping me off at?"

"A place called Kinsara Gorge. It's beautiful; you'll love it" Sel said as they arrived at a hole in the ceiling that led to the outside.

Wait, what? Trok frowned again, in confusion, "...Wait, you're not taking us back to the battle? Then what's the plan?"

Sel jumped up, grabbing hold of the ledge before pulling herself up. Scrambling up topside, she then reached down and grabbed Trok's hand, pulling the larger horathean up. She was stronger than he remembered. Probably Morphing Grid abilities. Isdilian had been stronger too.

"The plan-" Sel grunted as she pulled Trok up, "-is to get all of us to safety".

Both of them stood up as Trok pressed her, "No, I mean, how do we stop the Antipodes?"

"Trok..." Sel started, distraught, "...It's not that easy. I wish it was. I really wish it was".

"...What are you saying? Aren't we going to save the universe?" Trok asked, becoming somewhat frantic, "That's the plan, right? That's what we're going to do".

"The Antipodes have the Morphing Grid, Trok" Sel stated, "They have all the cards. In a few minutes, it's not going to matter what we want to do. If we want to live, we have to escape".

"...Escape where?" Trok asked. They were just going to give up? Let so many innocents die? This wasn't right. None of this was right. He was trying to grasp the logic here and it just wasn't happening.

Sel hesitated, "I...when I was being absorbed. I was...I found another universe. One that follows the physical laws of our own. We can escape there, all of us. The whole team".

Trok blinked in disbelief. This wasn't the Sel he knew. What had happened to her? What had the Antipodes done to her? "...You want us to invade another universe?!" he exclaimed in distress, "Just like they did?!"

"What?! No, of course not" Sel said, correcting him, "We're nothing like them. We're not going to terraform the universe. Like I said, we can exist just fine. We're just going to...hide out, I guess. Blend in".

"And you just want to abandon our home" Trok accused, now a little more angry than surprised and distressed, "Leave countless people to die".

"And what would you have us do?!" Sel bit back, "Wander back in just to die? We don't have any powers anymore, Trok. And they're about to reset the universe any minute. We don't have *time*. We can't save everyone". Sel turned, and with a wave of her hand as they stood on the top of the rockface, a portal appeared; a shimmering oval of blue energy. "I've still got a little bit of residual energy. Enough to do this, at least for now".

"...You're not how I remember" Trok said sadly, "The Sel I knew wouldn't have been so cold about this".

"The Sel you knew was a puppet" Sel said, a twinge of anger in her voice, "And you're not quite how I remember either".

"…What?" Trok asked, honestly confused...and self conscious, "What do you mean?"

"Trok, you ran away from home to avoid judgement. If it hadn't been for Xolin and Sid, you would have let people in your clan suffer for the crimes you brother charged you with".

Trok looked like he'd been hit with a brick, "I...that was then. I'm not the same person. What I tried to do was wrong, I realize that now".

"So what about when you tried to rewrite time in order to save me?" Sel pressed, indignation in her voice, "Was that just a 'lapse in judgement'?"

"...How did you even know about that?!" Trok asked, now firmly on the defensive and not having really any cards to play at all.

"I was the *Morphing Grid*, Trok!" Sel replied as if he was dense, "I FELT that! At least I'm honest. You talk a big game and then decide to be a hypocrite!"

Thunder boomed in the distance.

"...I'm sorry" Sel said, brushing her hand through her hair with regret, "I didn't mean it like..."

"...You think I'm a hypocrite?" Trok asked, hurt.

"I..." Sel chose her words carefully, "I think you want the best. But I think you also know, deep down, that sometimes the best isn't possible, even if you don't want to admit that. So we have to settle for the next best option".

"Like giving up" Trok said. No judgment in his voice, but weary resignation.

She nodded, "Look, Trok. Let's be honest. Was there even anything in that universe to go back to? You can't go home; your brother banished you. The Confederacy only ever saw us as tools. The Peacekeepers are gone. Iota's gone. What would we even do? We don't owe them a damn thing, Trok. Let's just...go. Cut our losses and go. Find somewhere nice and just...settle down, huh?"

Settling down. No more fighting. They could just leave right now. Trok looked at the portal longingly. All he had to do was step through.

"Please Trok" Sel said, "Every minute we spend arguing here is one less minute I have to find the others. Please".

The portal beckoned, and Trok began to move towards it, if very reluctantly.

* * *

It was like she was twelve years old all over again. He towered over her, a reminder that no matter how far she ran, no matter how much she pretended otherwise, in the end she was just a little girl pretending.

Her father sighed in disappointment. It was *that* sigh. The one that let her know she was in trouble, "A sad state of affairs, isn't it?"

"...How are you here?" Xolin asked him, honestly confused. Her normal fire was gone though, as if extinguished by his sudden presence. Amazing how one person could revert years of development simply by being. How you could be an entirely different person, against your will, just because of someone's presence.

"That's all you have to say to me?" her father asked in disappointment, "After all this time? After everything that's happened?"

"I-" Xolin stuttered, "It's just-"

"Have we had our fill of fun?" he asked, "Gallivanting across the cosmos? Ending up face-first in the dirt in two-bit fighting rings. Wasting meager winnings getting drunk. Fighting other people's wars for them. Have we gotten it all out of our system?"

"This isn't a phase, if that's what you're asking" Xolin said, summoning her courage.

"Yes, of course it's not. Just like throwing yourself into temple service wasn't".

"That's not..." Xolin trailed off—hadn't she run away in part BECAUSE he'd redirected her life away from the temple and towards marriage? Funny how that works. "That's not fair!" she said, a bit more petulant than she'd wanted.

Her father began to pace around her, circling, "I thought that if I let you leave, you'd work this aggression out on your own. That, eventually, you'd realize what was really important. But my patience wears thin. You've wasted enough time in idle flights of fancy".

"It's not an idle flight" Xolin said, anger and frustration bubbling up, "This is important! I'm trying to save the universe! The longer we stand here, the closer we get to armageddon!"

Her father wasn't having any of it though, "Don't take that tone with me. I didn't raise my daughter to be so disrespectful to her elders". She looked away, chastened. He continued, "The fact of the matter is, you've failed in your bid, haven't you? Your powers are gone, and you're trapped here. If I hadn't come to rescue you, you'd have spent the rest of your days in this hellhole".

"I have to find the others" Xolin said, "We'll think of something-"

"They're gone, Xolin. They left".

"...What?" Xolin asked, not quite sure she'd heard him correctly.

"Your team, right? The other three? They left. They're have the matter well in hand; in fact last I heard, they were just about wrapped up. There wasn't time, and you would have just slowed them down".

Her mind was swimming. They...they wouldn't have abandoned her. "That's a lie!" she declared in a sudden fit of rage.

Her father matched her, "You dare impugn my honor and sanctity!? When have I *ever* lied to you?"

"I-" she faltered, her rage evaporating; he was right. Whatever else, her father had always been as pious as possible. He was a true believer. The others...they'd...left her.

He calmed himself, "You failed in your bid. Accept that. Own it and move on, like any self-respecting member of our House would. You will return with me to our home. There, you will represent our House and bring it honor, instead of being the petulant child you've been all this time". He tapped a device on his wrist and a portal formed behind them.

"...By 'represent', you mean 'marry some rich kid', right?" Xolin muttered in distaste, looking away.

"Did you have something better to do?" her father admonished, "Would you rather stay here forever?"

Her friends had abandoned her. They probably hadn't thought of it that way; Sid had probably just thought it expedient. As soon as the job was done they'd come back for her. But that was where it hurt; she wasn't vital. She wasn't needed.

As she'd always feared, she was just a liability. And now here she stood, with the man she hated most in the universe, forcing her back home. Back to a place where she didn't fit. A square peg in a round hole.

She was a failure in all things. She always had been.

"I don't want to go" she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She was all but broken.

Her father put his hand on her shoulder, his tone becoming gentler, "It's for the best. Come home, Xolin. Your mother misses you. Life isn't so terrible. Learn to accept what you can and can't do".

The portal beckoned.

* * *

Sid was surrounded by ghosts.

"...How?" was all he managed to blurt out.

Matt chuckled, walking up to Sid as he slapped his hand on Sid's shoulder, "Really, dude? We live in a universe full of magic spells, alien wizards, and pocket universes, and you can't deal with a couple ghosts?"

Certainly, ghosts were a real verifiable subject. But still, their relative rarity made them something of an improbability in daily life; certainly, if your friend broke a world record in something it would make you think considering how rare that was. It was a similar thing here; conversing with the dead was not a normal thing.

"...All of you?" Sid asked, looking back at Sarah and Akire. Sarah gave a wave, the rock golem just nodded impassively.

"We've been looking for you for a while. You're hard to track down" Sarah said, currently sitting on a rock about her height, her legs dangling.

Sid was still a little dumbstruck, "It's...good to see you again" he said, finally. It was true; it was almost like old times all over again. If only Nikki was here too.

"I would hope so!" Matt said with that big grin of his, "After all, you got us killed".

Sid froze.

"Not that it really seems like you spent much time on that" Sarah said dryly, "Moved on with your life and everything".

Sid's throat went dry, "I didn't...I spent years mourning you..."

"Well I'm sure we all appreciate it" Sarah grunted in mild irritation.

Seeing the conversation veer off, Matt decided to steer it back on course, "Oh come on, Sarah. We didn't come out here all this way just to lay blame. Though, I'll say" he laughed a little as he circled around Sid, "SOMEBODY hasn't learned the definition of insanity yet".

"...What?" was all Sid was able to ask. His mind was swimming. This sudden turn of events, this unsettling situation. All the guilt and blame. The memories—No. Not now.

"Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result" Matt laughed, "We died and you just picked up a new team. How long until they kick the bucket? Maybe they already have".

"It's statistics" said Akire with his deep, gravely voice, not moving from his spot.

"Right, thanks rock-man" Matt joked, then wheeled back on Sid, "Simple probability. I'm sure Nikki could give you a demonstration since you got her turned into a computer".

"What Matt's trying to say" Sarah butted in, rolling her eyes at the whole thing, "Is that if you flip a coin, it has a fifty percent chance of coming up heads, and a fifty percent chance of coming up tales. If you come up heads and flip it again, it now has a higher chance of coming up tails. Eventually, the more you flip it, the chances of you hitting tails becomes higher and higher until eventually, well..."

"You keep heading into fights and you keep thinking you can win" Matt said, a bit more soberly than before, "And maybe for that battle, you can. But really you're just gambling every time. And eventually, you'll gamble wrong".

"You can't always win" Sarah said, "We're proof of that. What happens when you lose again?"

A portal opened behind Sarah.

"You were the team strategist" Matt told Sid, "You can't tell me you don't know how to know when to fold".

Sid turned to the portal. It beckoned.

* * *

"...You" Sel breathed, staring down the Man with the Briefcase.

The man gave her a slight smile as he nodded, briskly walking into the door-filled room, "It's been a while, hasn't it?" He caught sight of her defensive posture and chuckled slightly, "Still don't trust me? If I remember correctly, I helped you last we met. Got you a way out of that cell they were keeping you in".

"Not that it worked exactly" Sel bit back, "And you've helped the Antipodes before, too".

He shrugged, "I can't help that you squandered your chances. But whatever else you might think, I'm on your side here, Sel. I want what you want".

She wasn't giving him an inch, "And what would that be?"

He smiled, a sight that was just a little unnerving, "Freedom, of course".

"...Freedom?" she repeated, distrustful. Something about him had always set her on edge. Even back during her first meeting, something about him had felt...wrong. Incorrect. The Morphing Grid didn't integrate with him like it did with most other living things.

"Indeed!" the man said, "At this moment, you are in a bit of a predicament. Your physical body is gone, removed from existence. By all accounts, you should be dead".

"But I'm not" she said, following him as he paced around her.

"Not entirely, anyway. Not traditionally. For you are also the Grid, and right now the entirety of the Grid is focused in a singular moment, in a singular way. Are you familiar with the Big Bang?"

"...Like, the beginning of the universe?" she asked, not sure where this sudden jump in conversation was going.

The man nodded, stopping. He adjusted his glasses again, "In the beginning, there was a singular point of zero dimensions. There was a singular moment of zero time. In the beginning there was nothing, except the seed. But then, there was everything".

"What are you getting at?"

"Right now we are...between moments, I guess you could say. We are in the infinite time between time. That singular moment when choices are made. Your choice, to be specific".

"What choice?" She was getting tired of him beating around the bush, "Just get to the point already".

A door to their right opened, white light cascading out. Bright enough that it flooded into the room, but strangely not blinding. Sel tried to see what was beyond, but no dice.

"Right now, you are in a unique position. Normally upon the expiration of your physical form, you would have been reabsorbed by the Morphing Grid itself" the man said.

Sel's eyes widened in shock; that must have been what she'd felt before coming here—her consciousness expanding into nothingness. "...I was..." what was the correct word? "...evaporating".

The man nodded, "Correct. But right now the Antipodes have the entirety of the power of creation within their grasp. The universe's lifeblood, the energy that keeps it going. All of it is bottled up. And all of it is you".

"...Me?"

"At this moment, Sel, *you* are the Morphing Grid"

Sel contemplated this information; everything seemingly checked out with what she'd known and suspected. Still, she would never not be suspicious of this man. She motioned towards the open door, "So what's through there?"

"Salvation".

She gave him a flat stare, "Could you be more specific?"

He sighed; evidently a little peeved he couldn't be dramatic. It was likely the most human she'd ever seen him. "Right now you are between moments. You are the singularity of creation. The Antipodes believe they can win, but all you have to do is walk through that door. Embrace what you are; free the Grid. Save your universe".

"Save everyone?" she asked, "Just by walking through that door?"

"Just by walking through that door" the man confirmed, "The Morphing Grid is all things. It cannot be contained by anyone despite what Alpha and his brood may think. All you need to do is will it, and it will happen".

That...seemed entirely too easy, "What's the catch?" she asked, "What happens to me?"

"What should have happened" the man said, "You return to the Grid".

Sel's expression saddened immensely; she'd kind of assumed, but the fact that the only way out of this was by dying was still...well, awful. Any lingering hope was now crushed. "So no matter what, I still die" she said, despondent.

"The alternative is that you die when the Antipodes rewrite your reality" the man countered, "At least this way, you win, and your friends get to live".

"...And what do you get out of it?" she asked him, turning to him.

The man, to her surprise, chuckled, "You have grown up, haven't you? The girl I met would have cowered and silently kept her head down".

"You're avoiding the question".

"Child, there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of in your philosophy" the man said with an enigmatic smile, "Wheels within wheels, cycles within cycles. But do not fret; the only thing I am concerned about is the well-being of our universe".

Yeah, that didn't sound ominous at all. But in the end, she found little she could do except take him at his word. As if to bring this point home, he spoke when she lingered, "You can stand here as long as you want, but eventually you'll have to make your choice. The only real choice you *can* make".

The door beckoned, as much as Sel wished it didn't.

* * *

Nikki eyed Iota suspiciously, "...I thought you deleted yourself from my subroutines".

Iota shrugged, shameless when caught, "I lied. I needed you to think I was gone". The silver armored warrior looked around at the ruins they found themselves in. Another spire was struck by lightning before he spoke again, "A sad end, wouldn't you say? As far as puppets go, you ended up quite the disappointment. Now everyone dies, I guess".

Nikki ignored him, more focused on the crystals that powered the spires. She wondered what their purpose was, but was already guessing that they were acting as attractors for the lightning. What if she could harness that somehow? The lightning strikes were regular, and in a circular pattern, so there WAS a method to the madness here.

Testing her hypothesis, she pulled a crystal out of one of its sockets—the one that was about to get hit next. When nothing happened, she nodded, a grin forming despite herself.

"...What are you doing?" Iota asked, taken aback that she was evidently ignoring him.

"Testing something" she said, absentmindedly, "Hold that thought". Taking the crystal, she placed it at the base of the next spire. A moment later the spire was struck by lightning—twice as long as before.

Ah hah.

"...Are you still trying to get out of here?" Iota admonished, "It's over. You failed. Give up".

Nikki began collecting crystals, careful not to get struck, "You just want me to give up on your grand scenario? Just like that?"

"Ah, a loyal puppet to the very end" Iota said mirthlessly, "With little will to call your own, just as I programmed you".

"Hardly" Nikki said, doing some quick mental calculations to figure out the exact kind of message she wanted to send, "Yeah I mean, it sucks Iota always got what he wanted, but in the end it doesn't matter. I'm doing this because I can and it's the right thing to do, not because it's what he wanted me to do".

"Yes, just as I programmed you to-"

Nikki cut him off, "You can stop with the performance, it's really getting tiresome. Epsilon".

Iota seemed taken aback, "...How did you..."

Nikki turned to 'him' after placing two crystals down, "You idiot. I have self-diagnostic programs. I can tell from a simple scan you aren't transmitting from me. Nice try though, you had me for a couple of seconds".

"...I didn't want to have to kill you" 'Iota' sighed, his form rippling away to reveal Epsilon's orange armor, "All you had to do was just lay down and give up. All you had to do was surrender!"

"Yeah, you're such a saint" Nikki said with not a small amount of sarcasm as she placed another crystal at another spire.

Epsilon drew her sword, "Fine. Have it your way". She lunged at the unmorphed Nikki, her blade charging as she came in swinging.

* * *

Trok stepped forward tentatively, towards the looming portal.

Then he stopped.

"...What's wrong?" Sel asked, "We're running out of time".

The portal beckoned. Sel was pushing him on. It was the only way to survive.

"This is wrong".

"What are you talking about?! Trok, we don't have time!" Sel exclaimed.

He didn't turn to her, instead staying faced to the portal, "...You were right. I've done things I'm not proud of. Sometimes I act without thinking. Remember that time with that masked rider? Apollo, I think?"

"What are you-"

Trok kept going, "When I tried to rewrite time, all I was focused on was saving you. I didn't think about the consequences. I didn't think about all the other people I might hurt. It was wrong. I was wrong. And this is wrong too".

Sel was becoming increasingly irate, "Get though the portal, Trok! We can talk about this *later*!"

"No, we can't". Trok turned to her, "Because later an entire universe of people will be gone".

"They're dead already, Trok! You can't save them!"

"Then I'd rather die knowing I did everything I could" Trok said. Just then, a lightning strike came down in the distance. It had been striking semi-regularly during their whole conversation, but it suddenly shifted, the two of them watching as it became...

...S-O-S? Wait, was that Morse Code? Trok's expression become resolute as he knew where he had to go.

"I won't abandon people who need me" Trok told Sel, "No matter the risks".

Sel stepped between Trok and his path to the lightning storm, "You're not leaving".

"Are you going to stop me?" Trok asked, seriousness dripping into his voice as he dropped all pretense of the charade, "You know, I thought for a moment I could pretend you were real. That you weren't dead. But I guess I've never been good at lying". Putting his feelings aside, he took a defensive position, "I have to find my friends. Please move".

Sel's face contorted into hateful anger, "No". And just like that, she transformed. Now before Trok stood an imposing figure—his older brother. The one who had...killed their parents, had sold him out for the throne of their clan. Trok stepped back, a sudden case of intimidation hitting him like a sack of bricks. "You really think you, of all people, can change anything!? We've already won! You're nothing but an overeager child! What can you possibly do?"

But Trok found himself, and stood his ground, "I might not be much on my own, but you forget. I have my friends, some of the most amazing people ever, and I trust in them and believe in them. And I know, for some reason, they believe in me. And I won't let them down".

"Cute" his brother said, stepping forward menacingly, "But your words are hollow".

"Hardly! I believe in them. They believe in me. And if they believe in me, then there must be something to it!".

Trok's brother roared in anger, his fist coming down. Trok was faster though, and as his own fist met his brother's form, the other horathean shattered, his fragments vanishing as they fell away, leaving Trok alone. Taking a moment to comprehend what he'd just done, even if it was only an illusion, he glanced back at the portal.

"I won't be a coward" he said, mostly to himself. He wasn't quite the kid he'd been when he'd left Horath anymore.

He ran for the lightning strikes.

* * *

Xolin stood before the portal. Everything that had happened, all she'd done...it was just a diversion, an interlude. A dream she'd had. Soon she'd be back home, as if none of this had ever happened.

Her friends had left her. That was the most soul-crushing thing about this. She knew her friends; they wouldn't do this.

…

They wouldn't do this.

"No" she said, her voice barely a whisper.

"...Excuse me?" her father said.

"I said no" Xolin repeated, getting stronger, "I'm not going".

"I am your father and you will do as I say!" he said, becoming irate, "Now go through that portal!"

"No!" Xolin threw back at him, "I'm not going with you. I'm going to find my friends".

Her father looked down at her with disgust, "I told you, they already-"

"Bullshit" Xolin said, "They wouldn't leave without me".

"And why would that be?" her father asked, the contempt in his voice clear, "What could you possibly contribute that would make you so valuable?"

What indeed? At the end of the day, Xolin simply wasn't that essential; she fought good, but what did she have beyond that? She didn't have the tactical awareness or charisma like Sid, or the smarts like Trok or Nikki...she was quite an unlikable angry person.

And yet, everyone else had always told her otherwise.

"...I don't know" she said at last, but her father's smug grin didn't last, "But they believe in me. I know they do. They've always needed me. And because I believe in them, I trust that they see something in me even if I don't. And that gives me the strength to keep going".

"So you use them to bolster your own self-confidence?" her father sneered, "Parasites, all of you".

"Yeah, something wrong with that?" Xolin asked, her confidence rebounding. She was now on the offensive as bit by bit this seemed less like her real father, "We're a team. A family, more of one than you ever were. We support each other, keep each other sane. Something you wouldn't understand".

Something happened with the lightning storm in the distance; it began to shift and contort into a pattern...Morse Code?

...Oh!

"...They left me, huh?" she asked coyly, looking off in the distance in the direction of the message.

"Don't you dare turn your back on me!" her father roared, "Everything you are is because of me! Your fighting skills, your faith, your moral compass!"

He was right; and it was something that ate at her a bit. But right now, that wasn't important. Heck, this wasn't even her real father; it was clear at this point that this was some sort of illusion. *Almost* right, yet not, as if someone had built it with a lot of information but no first-hand experience. No, right now what was important was that she had to save her friends.

"Want some advice?" Xolin asked, "My dad was more stern, less rage".

"DON'T YOU DARE!" her father shouted at her, but Xolin was already moving, taking a vine down the side of the floating mountain, sliding down into the valley below.

* * *

Sid studied each of his friends. It was a good illusion; he'd been fooled for a few moments and they'd even gotten some good digs in—Sid was doing his best to ignore them. But the way they talked, the way they'd forced the conversation...this was not the most well-handled attempt at manipulation.

"Funny thing about probability" he told them, "It differs depending on the variables. Yeah sure, if you take every fight we've had and flip those coins, shit doesn't look good. But if you look at it one battle at a time, the odds are so much better".

"So you'd just ignore the bigger picture? Lead them to their doom?" Sarah asked him with a hint of maliciousness.

"Hardly" Sid told her, his expression hardening, "I'm sorry what happened to you guys. I'll always be sorry, and some days are harder than others. It's a scar that will follow me forever. But I'm tired of living in your shadow. I'm tired of running in place forever".

"You think you have that right?!" Sarah bellowed.

"I don't know" Sid replied in earnest, "But I do know you don't have the right to ask. Nor do you have the right to pretend to be people I lost who were dear to me and words in their mouth".

The three illusions of his friends seemed taken aback. Sid continued, righteous anger boiling within him, "You come here telling me all about probability and numbers, but you want some real math? We've killed each of you in turn and haven't lost a man. And I *know* from experience that you're the least powerful antipode in terms of offensive output. What chance do you really think you have?"

"You really think you can win with them?" Matt asked, "You really think you won't suffer casualties?"

"Maybe?" Sid said, "I don't know. Maybe you're right; maybe we won't make it out of this. Maybe only some of us will. But what I do know is that I believe in them; they are some of the most capable people I've ever met and I will lay down my own life for them. If it's possible to win this, they can. And they believe in me, even when I can't. Especially when I can't".

As he spoke, the lightning storm in the distance shifted and roiled into a singular pattern—an SOS signal.

Sid smiled, despite himself, "Case in point".

His old team said nothing as he gave them one last look, then raced off into the swamp, towards the lightning strikes. The figments glanced at each other, then faded away.

* * *

Epsilon swung at Nikki as the latter dodged, occasionally parrying with a metal shard she'd found laying around. She wasn't anywhere close to Epsilon's power level unmorphed, so she avoided trying to control the fight, instead trying to simply wear the Antipode out while she waited for the others.

"You think it was wise?" Epsilon growled, "Putting all your hopes on the rest of your team? What if they abandon you? What if they fail you?"

"I think you talk too much" Nikki replied, landing a solid punch on Epsilon's helmet. The latter was actually fazed slightly by it, "Also yeah, I believe in them. Heads up".

Her words had barely left her lips when Sid crashed into Epsilon from the side, throwing her to the ground before he flipped out of the way, landing half-crouched and looking somewhat unhappy, "I'd like you to remember what happened to the last girl who messed with my head" he turned to Nikki, "Nice work with the SOS signal".

Nikki shrugged with false modesty, "I got lucky".

"...All you had to do was lay down" Epsilon growled as she stood up. Bad move, as soon enough Trok and Xolin came flying in, emptying their lungs with a roar as they came down with a double kick. Epsilon landed in the dirt as the four rangers reassembled. "Gang's all here, huh?" Epsilon grunted, getting back up.

"Give it up, Epsilon" Sid ordered, "Game's over".

"Is it?" the orange antipode asked, "From where I'm standing, you're beaten. No army, no powers, no Morphing Grid. No weapons, no plans. Trapped here, in this pocket dimension".

"Hardly" Sid replied, "The fact that you're still here trying to mess with us tells me we're not actually stuck here, because otherwise you wouldn't be bothering".

"So how's this for a plan?" Xolin asked, cracking her knuckles, "We kick your ass until you give us what we want".

Epsilon demeanor shifted as she began to laugh, "You? Beat me? You're forgetting the part were you have no powers. What can three mortals and an AI do against me?"

Sid shrugged, then got into a fighting stance. The others followed suit, "I dunno. Let's find out".

Epsilon powered up her sword before flinging energy bolts out from the end of it at the former rangers. They charged forward, evading the shots as they rushed in.

* * *

Destiny beckoned Sel. With one act of sacrifice, she would undo all the plans of those who had invaded this universe, of all those who had used her as a puppet for their ambitions. With one act of sacrifice, she would forgo any of her own desires.

Her entire life had been one of first not knowing what she wanted, and then fighting for the right to have it. And now, despite literally having the power of all of creation, she found she had none at all. She had no choice, no agency. She would sacrifice herself to save the universe...all at the behest of the man who had been shadowing her from the beginning.

Gingerly, she stepped forward towards the door, hating every moment yet dragging it out as long as she could. All this power, yet nothing could save her.

All this power.

She stopped just short of the door.

"...What's wrong?" the man asked, apprehensive at her sudden pause.

She turned to him, "...You said that all I had to do was will it, and it would happen, right?"

"...Yes?" the man replied, not comfortable where this was going.

"So I could do anything" Sel surmised, subconsciously rubbing her wrist as she flexed her other hand, "Even...go back".

"You can never go back" the man said, "You are the Grid now".

"I could if I left" Sel replied, "Create a mortal form. That's possible, isn't it?"

The man frowned, stepping towards her, one hand in his pocket, "That would be most unwise. It is dangerous, irrational, and even if you managed to accomplish that, you would be abdicating your role. You would leave the fate of the universe in the hands of the Antipodes. Is that what you want? Would your temporary freedom be worth the destruction of all you know?"

Sel's gaze shifted between the door and the Man with the Briefcase, torn between her choices. Her hand clenched into a fist, her decision made.

"But it won't be. My team will stop them".

"No, they can't" the man said, "As we speak, they're losing. The only choice you have is to sacrifice yourself. Be who you were born to be—step through that door".

As the man approached, Sel made one last backward glance at the glowing entryway, then turned her attention back on the Man with the Briefcase, "...No".

"Excuse me?" the man asked, not entirely certain on what he'd heard.

Sel stood her ground, "I said no. I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to kill myself for you".

"Your entire universe-"

"Will be *fine*" Sel countered, "We'll handle it. We always have".

"You'll risk universal armageddon on a group of children!?" the man exclaimed.

"Those 'children' came with a fleet and an army" Sel said, stepping away from the door, "They came here, to the Antipodes' home base, made it to where I was being kept. They've beaten everything the Antipodes could throw at them. They've gone up against so many impossible odds and come out the other side".

"...You believe in them that much" the man said, wonder in his voice.

Sel gave a determined smile, "I do".

Another door, several doors down, opened. Light funneled out into the rotunda.

"That's my ride" Sel said with a smile before heading for the door.

But the Man with the Briefcase wasn't having it; he jumped between Sel and the door; "No! I won't allow you to throw everything away on a hunch!"

She glared at him, "It's not your choice to make".

The man towered over her menacingly, "You have no idea what forces you are toying with! No idea the forces at play!" he became more enraged, more desperate. For a brief second, Sel swore she could see...*more* of him, beyond what should be, "SELFISH CHILD! I WON'T ALLOW YOU TO RUIN WHAT I HAVE CREATED! I WON'T ALLOW YOU TO WITHHOLD THE DAWN!"

The sudden rage and...other things...caused Sel to back away, but his words only served to further her resolve. Power surged through her; the Grid itself rippling within her. Her eyes began to glow, "I'm not your puppet, I make my own choices, and I reject *you*!"

"...No. NO!" the man stated, as power began to flow out. The room filled with light as the fires of creation stirred, "NOOOOOOOOOOO!" He reached for her in desperation, but it was too late. Creation itself turned against him, and he was burned away.

* * *

Trok and Sid found themselves flying backwards after Epsilon had tossed them away. Xolin came in with a series of rapid-fast jabs, but in her current unmorphed stated she could do little to injure the antipode. Epsilon swung her sword wildly, forcing the triforian to dodge out of the way, just as Nikki struck from the side.

"Insolent vermin!" Epsilon exclaimed as she worked hard to keep her four opponents at bay, "Why. Won't. You. Die?!"

Sid was already flanking her while Trok came in like a hammer, rushing at her side with his body. Epsilon stumbled, allowing Sid to get a good hit in, followed by Xolin.

"ENOUGH!" Epsilon roared, throwing her sword into the earth. The resulting shockwave knocked the former rangers back, landing them in scattered heaps as she pulled her sword back out. "Look at you. Battered and beaten. Yet you delude yourself into thinking you can win just because you assume the others can pick up your slack". As she spoke, the team charged in again; Sid leading and the others flanking.

Epsilon continued as she blocked and deflected each of them in turn, "You're parasites, leeching off one another in order to ignore your own inadequacies. It's pathetic!"

"And that's what infuriates you, isn't it?" Sid said with a smile as the two of them squared off, Sid dodging her strikes while Nikki came in from the side.

"Because we lean on each other" Nikki said, striking and withdrawing, "Because we make each other stronger!"

"This isn't strength!" Epsilon roared, swinging wildly at the withdrawing Nikki, just before she was struck in the back by Trok, "This is like mewling children, grasping for breath! A swarm of ants, desperately clawing for survival!" She knocked Trok down and prepared to finish him off.

"Someone's bitter" Xolin said with a grin, delivering a kick to Epsilon's head. The antipode grabbed her leg, tossing her into Nikki. The two tumbled back and she turned her attention as Trok rebounded.

"It's called teamwork!" Trok exclaimed, lobbing a not-small rock at Epsilon before he brought his foot in, "Alone yeah, we've got all got issues you can exploit. But together we can protect each other, reinforce where we're weak!"

Trok was knocked aside as Sid came in, "You of all people should get that" Sid said, "It's basic strategy!"

Epsilon was forced back a step, blocking Sid's advance. As he backed off, Nikki swung in, "You've forgotten that, haven't you? Your team used to be like that, long ago. But you all forgot. You withdrew into yourselves, isolating each other when you could have helped one another through the dark times!"

Epsilon became enraged, "Shut up. SHUT UP!" she attacked Nikki, but Xolin hit from the rear.

"Or maybe you DO remember, and deep down you realize what you lost. You know why your teammates were taken out one by one! You know why you can't beat us!"

"ENOUGH!" Epsilon roared again, powering up her sword. Swinging in a wide arc, she blew the rangers back, "I have had enough of your incessant mewling! I will kill you Here. And. NOW!" Raising her sword to the sky, the blade began to absorb the lightning strikes that were coming down. "You want strength?! I'll show you real strength! I'll show you my resolve, the one thing that has kept me going all these years! It was not the others that kept me alive, it was not your pitiful co-dependance! It was me! My will! My resolve! MY POWER!" She prepared to swing down at the prone team on the ground. The former rangers braced themselves.

And just like that, the clouds above parted, golden light flooding down as a being began to descend. Energy crackled around her, dancing through her green hair. Her eyes were on fire, burning and glowing. The former rangers and Epsilon looked up at her, awestruck at the sudden display.

"...How…" Epsilon stuttered.

Sel spoke with the voice of legion, **"You want power!? I'll give you all the power you've always wanted!"**

Dawning horror began to reach into Epsilon's mind, "….No" she said, backing away instinctively, "No!"

**"Have it!"** Sel bellowed, the energy around her quickening, **"HAVE ALL OF IT! HAVE EVERYTHING YOU'VE BEEN TRYING TO USE ME FOR FOR YEARS! IT'S ALL *YOURS*!"**

The Morphing Grid erupted, leaving Sel as it cascaded like a torrent of water right into Epsilon. The pain was unfathomable as she was burned away where she stood, screaming as she was ripped from the world.

The storm subsided, and when the dust cleared Epsilon was gone, no trace remaining. Emptied of power, Sel fainted and collapsed, her lithe form barely caught by the rest of her team. Around them, Epsilon's pocket dimension rippled away, vanishing and leaving behind only her labs.

"...Is...is she..." Trok hesitated, looking down at her inert form.

"She's breathing" Sid confirmed. A wave of relief emanated out through the group.

"Breathing...and awake" the xybrian mumbled, forcing herself to open her eyes. She was *exhausted*, it felt like every part of her body was rubber, and even just keeping awake was difficult. It was getting easier though.

"Welcome back, Sel" said Sid, smiling warmly as the group cradled her. Their missing teammember was back

It quickly became a heartfelt group hug, "I thought you were dead" Trok whispered, tears beginning to form in his eyes, "I felt you..."

"Thought I was too" Sel said, her voice raspy as the hug broke, "I think I might have been. But then I...became the Morphing Grid, I guess. For lack of a better term". She wasn't entirely sure how to explain it. How could you?

"What, like some sort of god?" Xolin asked quizzically.

"Maybe?" Sel replied with a shrug. She forced herself into a sitting position, despite protests from the others, "I dunno. But I had a choice. And I chose to come back here" she flexed her hand, studying it intently. It was her arm. HER arm. Not a Grid construct, not an illusion. It was HER arm, her mortal, xybrian arm.

She was a xybrian.

"As a mortal".

"No more Morphing Power?" Trok asked, "Then what was all that just now?"

"That was all I could carry back with me" Sel replied with just a hint of sadness despite herself, "It's gone now".

"I'm just glad you're alright" Trok said with earnestness, "You looked terrible before".

"Same here" Sid said warmly. Xolin nodded in agreement as Sid added, "Also I think a thank you is in order for saving our asses back there".

Sel laughed a bit, even as it seemed to hurt a little, "You're going to thank *me*? You came for me. You have no idea how much that means" tears began to form, despite her best efforts to hold them back. Her voice cracked, "It's so good to see you".

This summoned another round of group hugs.

"You ever doubted?" Sid joked.

Sel's smile widened, "Not for a second".

As the group broke again, Trok reached into his pocket, "Oh, yeah!" he said, pulling out the yellow morpher and handing it to Sel, "This is yours".

The xybrian took it, strapping it onto her wrist greedily, "Thank you. All of you".

"Are you sure you'll be able to fight?" Xolin asked, a little bit worried about how exhausted Sel seemed.

Sel nodded, "Yeah, I'm feeling better. Just give me another moment". The team simply basked in the fact that they were finally all together again. As for Sel, well, this was everything she had ever wanted. Just this.

Nikki had already withdrawn from the group as she began to scout out the lab for anything useful, "I hate to break this up, but we only have a few minutes at best before Alpha kills us all. We need to get moving".

"He still has the Morphing Grid on lockdown" Sid grimaced as he thought, "We'll need to find a way around that if we want a chance at beating him".

Xolin snapped her fingers, a sudden epiphany coming to her, "Our morphers have an option to switch the connection from the Megaship to our lifeforce directly, right? Why not switch to that?"

"I'd...advise against that" Sel said, still getting her bearings, "The Grid is the source of all life. Without it, we have days of our existing lifeforce left, at best. Attempting to funnel what little remains into our morphers would be...inadvisable".

"How long, exactly?" Sid asked her.

Despite more protests, Sel began to force herself to her feet—she really was rebounding quickly, "Seconds. A minute or two at most".

"Okay, so suicide run's out as an option" Sid mused, "What about the energy you already released back into the wild?"

Sel shook her head, "If we had it, sure. But that energy is ambient now; scattering back to the four corners of the universe. It's so thinly spread out it might as well not even be there; not enough for a morph, let alone five".

"Then we need a direct connection to it" Trok said, "Another conduit".

"I think we've got something like that" Nikki said. Everyone turned to see what she holding: the Eltarian conduit.

* * *

The hallways were full of fire and thunder.

The All-Flags forces had retreated and were now nearing the launch bay they'd arrived at on nearly all fronts. Without the power of the Morphing Grid, their offensive capability had been halved, with grunt soldiers now the best they could offer against the seemingly endless onslaught of krybots.

Suddenly, Sid's voice rang out through the battered forces.

"_Attention all forces: This is Sid Drake, Peacekeeper Team Twelve. Sorry for the lapse in communication. Target Epsilon is down, we're currently en-route for Target Alpha. All forces are ordered to immediately begin evacuation procedures back to your ships. Without the Grid, there's little more than you can do"._

Outside the station, the All-Flags Navy had folded itself into a bubble, minimizing its surface ratio and maximizing its firing ability as the enemy fleet surrounded it and attempted to batter it into submission from all sides.

On the bridge of Admiral Drake's flagship, he heard Sid's order go out.

"_On the off-chance this thing goes south and the base goes boom, I advise all ships to jump as soon as the Morphing Grid is back online. Don't worry, we'll handle it from here. We got this. Sid Drake out"._

Admiral Drake frowned, "...What fool plan does that boy have?" The bridge shook as his ship took a direct hit. The admiral turned his attention from his son to his orders—the ground forces would soon need to be picked up. Thus, the fleet would need to be in a better position to do that. Admiral Drake opened a channel to all allied forces.

"This is Admiral Drake. In order to give our escaping ground forces a chance to return to our ships, we're going to make one last push. Maintain bubble formation; all ships, ahead full!"

Together as one, the All-Flags Navy began to move forward, staying in formation as they forced themselves through the strained enemy lines.

* * *

The metallic barrier to Alpha's inner nexus went down with a series of explosives planted along its width. The magical spells reinforcing it were virtually useless with the fall of the Morphing Grid, meaning that once the team had burned their way through the physical doors there was nothing stopping them.

"Eighty-ninth floor" Sid joked as the five of them stepped inside, "kitchen appliances, outdoor grills, evil megalomaniacal supervillains!"

Alpha didn't even bother to turn from his post at the control console, patiently awaiting the end of all things, "I take it Epsilon is gone, then?" he said wearily.

"Dead as a doornail" Sid affirmed, "You're all alone now".

"A pity. She was always the most reliable" Alpha grunted.

Nikki spoke next, "Give it up. It's over".

To this, Alpha actually let out a chuckle, "Over? From where I'm standing, I have all the time in the world. And you? Well, I'll admit that you have spunk. But you have no hope in stopping me".

"That's too bad" Xolin told him, "The others all dismissed us too. Now they're dead. Every single one".

Alpha finally turned around to greet his assembled foes. All five of them, even the conduit. She was alive.

How?

"...Impossible" he gasped. Frustration began to bubble up. Everything he'd thrown at them and they were still here. Even the conduit who by all rights should have been gone was standing here, in front of him, with no sign of damage. Her body was even whole again, as if nothing had ever happened!

"Apparently not as much as you think" Sel replied sternly.

"Last warning" Sid said, "Give up. Now".

Alpha finally became angry, "Who the hell do you think you are to presume to order me?"

"Who are we?" Sid asked the others as they pulled out their morphers, "Let's show him. Transform!"

Together and as one unit, the rangers activated their morphers, their suits forming around each of them. Red, blue, green, yellow, and black. The five rangers assumed fighting formations as they replaced their civilian counterparts. The golden armor of the Lights of Andromeda surrounded the four core rangers, while Nikki's suit received her black and violet Phantom Mode armor. Each wielded their signature weapon.

"Sid Drake!" the red ranger shouted, "Peacekeeper Red!"

"Xolin, House Sais!" the blue ranger shouted, "Peacekeeper Blue!"

"Trok, Clan Tesei!" the green ranger shouted, "Peacekeeper Green!"

"Sel of Xybria!" the yellow ranger shouted, "Peacekeeper Yellow!"

"Nikki Manuel!" the black ranger shouted, "Peacekeeper Black!"

"Who are we?" Sid asked Alpha, "We're the-"

The five rangers roared as they got into formation, pillars of their chosen colors erupting behind them, before those pillars vanished in the wake of a giant explosion.

"POWER RANGERS!"

"...Impossible" Alpha gasped, completely at a loss, "How!? I stripped your universe of its Morphing energy! You should be cowering, waiting for the end of your pathetic lives! HOW?!" How did they keep coming BACK?!

In response, Sid tossed the Eltarian conduit at Alpha's feet. As the antipode digested this fact, Sid stepped forward, pointing his ax at him, "It's OVER, Alpha! You've got no one left to fight for you".

Alpha kicked the conduit off the side of the platform in a fit of rage, before summoning his own twin swords, "I don't need anyone" he growled, "I'll kill you all myself!" With a roar, he charged.

The rangers issued a battle cry as well, and rushed forward, deflecting Alpha's laser blasts as they came at him with their weapons. A moment later, the two sides met, and did battle.

* * *

_**To be Concluded…**_


	40. 3x14: The Trolley Dilemma, part 4

"Who are we?" Sid asked the others as they pulled out their morphers, "Let's show him. Transform!"

Together and as one unit, the rangers activated their morphers, their suits forming around each of them. Red, blue, green, yellow, and black. The five rangers assumed fighting formations as they replaced their civilian counterparts. The golden armor of the Lights of Andromeda surrounded the four core rangers, while Nikki's suit received her black and violet Phantom Mode armor. Each wielded their signature weapon.

"Sid Drake!" the red ranger shouted, "Peacekeeper Red!"

"Xolin, House Sais!" the blue ranger shouted, "Peacekeeper Blue!"

"Trok, Clan Tesei!" the green ranger shouted, "Peacekeeper Green!"

"Sel of Xybria!" the yellow ranger shouted, "Peacekeeper Yellow!"

"Nikki Manuel!" the black ranger shouted, "Peacekeeper Black!"

"Who are we?" Sid asked Alpha, "We're the-"

The five rangers roared as they got into formation, pillars of their chosen colors erupting behind them, before those pillars vanished in the wake of a giant explosion.

"POWER RANGERS!"

"...Impossible" Alpha gasped, completely at a loss, "How!? I stripped your universe of its Morphing energy! You should be cowering, waiting for the end of your pathetic lives! HOW?!" How did they keep coming BACK?!

In response, Sid tossed the Eltarian conduit at Alpha's feet. As the antipode digested this fact, Sid stepped forward, pointing his ax at him, "It's OVER, Alpha! You've got no one left to fight for you".

Alpha kicked the conduit off the side of the platform in a fit of rage, before summoning his own twin swords, "I don't need anyone" he growled, "I'll kill you all myself!" With a roar, he charged.

The rangers issued a battle cry as well, and rushed forward, deflecting Alpha's laser blasts as they came at him with their weapons. A moment later, the two sides met, and did battle.

* * *

**Power Rangers Peacekeepers**

**Series Finale**

**3.14: The Trolley Dilemma, part four of four: Delenda Est**

* * *

Sid was first into the fray. The red ranger leaped into the air, as did Alpha, their weapons smashing into each other at full speed. As Alpha landed, Sid crumpled to a heap behind him, his suit sparking as the antipode rushed forward, slashing through the green and blue rangers easily. As they tumbled back, Alpha found himself on the defensive, deflecting laser shots from the yellow ranger's bow-blade. As he did this, the black ranger cloaked, flanking him before striking with a series of quick jabs from her energy wrist blades. Alpha, despite being taken by surprise, quickly countered her, taking the black ranger out with a few short attacks.

Seeing him turn his attention on her, Sel began firing more rapidly, even has he closed in, deflecting each shot. When he was almost upon her, she extended her bow's blades, engaging in a short exchange before he tossed her aside with a solid hit.

Sid came in from the back, his ax swinging down and delivering perhaps the first clean hit against Alpha. The red antipode wheeled around, blocking Sid's next attack.

"Is this all you can muster?" Alpha sneered, "After all your boasting and insistence at not dying, I would have thought you would have put on a better show".

"Give it a moment" Sid replied, breaking his hold against Alpha. Trok and Xolin came in from behind and the sides, and the three rangers struck together, pinning Alpha between their weapons. For a moment it looked like they had the advantage, but all too soon Alpha powered up, pulling himself back to his full height as he spun around, a cyclone of energy spinning out and hitting each of the rangers in turn.

POW.

Alpha dropped one of his swords, his arm suddenly flung back from a sudden shot. There stood Sel, her bow aimed and priming for another shot. Growling as he stepped over Trok, Alpha summoned his weapon back to him, charging the yellow ranger. She pulled her bow back, allowing it to collect energy from the Lights for a singular powerful attack.

He was almost on top of her. She fired.

He deflected—though he was forced to stop in his tracks, blocking the super-powerful blast with his twin swords before pulling it aside.

It was all Nikki needed.

The black ranger leaped over the yellow ranger, using her as a springboard as she came down on the prone antipode with her energy blades. It was close; she almost made it past his defenses, but in the end he overpowered her, forcing Nikki to carry the inertia of his hit by sliding by him, rolling back as she grabbed her daggers.

"SEL!" she shouted, now on the other side of Alpha. Her daggers flew through the air, missing the antipode and heading towards Sel. The yellow ranger intercepted the weapons, loading them into her bow. By now Alpha realized what was happening and had turned his attention from black to yellow.

Too late.

The powered up daggers shot at Alpha, impacting him directly. The red antipode staggered back from the blows, giving Sel a chance to close the gap between them, uppercutting Alpha with her bow. Attempting a second strike met with failure however, as Alpha grabbed her weapon by the blade and threw her into Nikki. The two rangers tumbled back.

Having a second to catch his breath, Alpha thrust his sword into the air, charging it with power before swinging it towards the incoming green and blue rangers. Trok was thrown back by a blast of energy. Xolin narrowly dodged, though hesitated when she saw Trok fly back. It almost cost her; a second lightning bolt nearly roasted her. The blue ranger, having had enough, split into three, evading Alpha's attacks as she closed in.

Sid watched Alpha attempt to swat away the trinity of Xolins as they swarmed him with grim amusement. Still, things weren't looking too good; there were minutes left on the clock, and they were barely scratching him, much less dismantling his machine. The Lights at least had seemingly evened the battlefield for them, but unfortunately they didn't really have anything that could tip the scales further; zords were out, and the battlizer had already been reduced to scrap.

Sel opened fire with another barrage as Trok wrapped his hammer mace around Alpha. The antipode yanked the chain, throwing Trok towards him. The green ranger was batted aside as Xolin's three forms rushed in again, followed by Nikki.

Screw it; they had him occupied. Sid broke from the fight, heading for the control console that lay before the nexus. Sid ignored the unfathomable levels of power emanating from the central pillar, instead focusing on the controls. Something had to undo this, and in a way that wouldn't end with like, six different apocalyptic scenarios all at once.

Three maybe?

Sid would settle for just three apocalypses right now.

Alpha crushed a reunited Xolin into the ground as he caught sight of Sid's actions.

"NO!" he roared, blasting past Trok and Sel, unconcerned about them as he prepared to strike Sid down. The red ranger barely avoided the sword strikes, spinning around to face his foe. He flipped back, avoiding another assault.

Trok steadied him as he nearly crashed into the green ranger and Sel, "Boy I wish you hadn't gotten the battlizer killed already!" Trok grunted.

"Preaching to the choir!" Sid replied with a hint of panic, just before the three rangers broke rank from Alpha's new attack.

Alpha lunged at Sid, "Relying on toys you've already used up is a poor strategy".

Sid blocked Alpha's attack—though just barely, "I don't think I asked for your tactical advice" Sid grunted. The rocket boosters on armor of his boots activated, and the red ranger launched, pushing Alpha back., "TROK, NOW!"

Trok's hammer began to glow green as he powered it up. The green ranger swung back as Alpha neared him, then swung forward.

Alpha flew forward.

Xolin's lance loaded into Sel's bow, the latter fired the lance like a harpoon into the airborn Alpha, a mixture of blue and yellow energy swirling around it as it impacted him. Alpha dropped to the ground.

"Lights of Andromeda, fireball mode!" the four core rangers shouted, racing together towards their downed foe. Their forms vanished, replaced by a gigantic cascading wave of power that rammed into Alpha as he was standing back up. It pushed him back, threatening to consume him.

...Then it stopped; Alpha was successfully holding it at bay with his weapons, planting his feet on the floor. Then he pushed his swords forward, and broke the rangers' assault. The four power rangers were thrown back, landing in a heap on the ground.

From behind Alpha, Nikki was already lining up her own finisher. Alpha however used the power he'd collected from the last attack to wheel around and cut her down. He panted, "You...you don't understand when you're beaten. When you're outmatched. You don't know when to lay down and die with dignity!" He stepped forward, winded. As Sid staggered to his feet, Alpha added, "I told you before, child. Heroes don't exist".

"Allow me to disagree" the battered red ranger panted as his team, began to pull themselves back up as well.

"And what do you think makes you a hero, boy?" Alpha asked him, "Hm? Your 'tenacity'? 'Stubbornness'? Your ability to not know when to fold? Those aren't heroic traits, those are traits of stupidity, the kind that gets you removed from your gene pool".

"Cute" Sid grunted at the insult.

Alpha continued, "You think that because of your stupidity, that because you're fighting against the odds, that that makes you in the right. That it makes you 'heroic'. It doesn't matter if you have the blood of trillions on your hands; you're the 'good guys' because the narrative is convenient".

"Says the jerk who came to *our* universe where we were minding our own business!" Trok exclaimed.

"Yeah, sounds like projection to me" Nikki concurred with a grin.

Xolin rose to her feet, her hand clutching her other arm, "You're always trying to make us look as bad as you, but we're not the ones who invaded another universe. We're not the ones who started senseless wars to keep everyone occupied while we ruined their universe".

"You can pretend it's gray on gray all you want, but at the end of the day you're just a monster, no matter your intentions" Sel added, her tone one of disgust and absolute hatred.

"You could have always found another way" Sid told Alpha, "But you chose not to, and we refuse to be the scapegoats for your mistake".

Alpha turned, looking at each ranger in turn as they surrounded him.

"Enough talk".

Raising both swords and crossing them, Alpha began to summon even more power from the nexus; Morphing energy pooled out like a lightning bolt into his weapons, channeling down into his body. He nearly stumbled, grunting from the sudden harsh influx of power. The rangers backed off, knowing that getting close to that would be bad news.

Alpha dropped to his knee, his arms falling to his sides as he simply couldn't take anymore. Energy crackled around him, his entire body now supercharged by the captive grid. He forced himself to stand, and prepared for his attack.

Sid's eyes widened in panic, "EVERYONE, *MOVE*!"

They weren't fast enough. Alpha's attack came down on each of them, his super-charged blades leaving his hands as he guided them, cutting through each ranger in turn. Explosions erupted, sparks flew. The rangers were thrown back as Alpha brought his two swords back together, and brought them down on the prone Sid.

The red ranger countered just in time; with his ax having landed a few feet behind him, Sid was forced to rely on his armor's energy wrist blades. He extended them, red energy meeting Alpha's brilliant-white weapons. Sid struggled to hold his ground, and his body even began to form a crater into the platform they were fighting on as his body was pushed further and further down. He grunted in pain, his blades threatening to break.

"Yes, you feel that, don't you?" Alpha asked him as he stepped closer, keeping a constant pressure on Sid, "The whole weight of the universe, crashing down upon you. You know the only reason you haven't been cut in half is because I've allowed you a moment of reprieve, yes? If I pressed even a bit harder..." he trailed off, and willed his swords to move down.

Sid shouted in pain as his energy blades began to overload. His powers were about to give. Alpha laughed as he savored this victory.

"Hey, Alpha!" Trok shouted from behind. Alpha diverted his attention, then saw what all the commotion was about: the green ranger had loaded his hammer into the yellow ranger's bow.

"Eat it" Sel grunted before firing. Filled with yellow and green energy, the hammer's impact was enough to break Alpha's grasp on Sid, his weapons falling away as the antipode stumbled back. Sid gasped as Xolin and Nikki helped him up.

"We need a plan" Nikki told Sid urgently, "His power levels are off the damn charts. We can't take him conventionally".

Sid and Xolin shared a knowing glance, "Then we don't" Sid said, "Alpha's already got a fatal flaw. We just have to keep him occupied until his body gives out from the sheer amount of power he's ingested".

Nikki frowned with worry, "You think we can do it before everything goes up shit creek?"

"Any idea how long we have?" Sid asked her.

Nikki glanced back at the nexus, getting as many sensor readings as she could while Trok and Sel kept Alpha busy, "...Not that I'm an expert or anything but...four minutes, maybe?"

Sid digested this fact, "...Good luck to all of us" he said with uncharacteristic finality, before rushing back into the fight. Nikki and Xolin glanced at each other, and with a shrug, summoned their weapons again and followed suit.

Sid used his rocket boots to lift himself over Alpha, delivering a series of energy blasts from his wrist armor while he was above, distracting the antipode from Sel and Trok as the red ranger landed in front of him, again drawing his energy blades. The two clashed briefly before Sid backed off, evading a strike.

All of this was to give Nikki time. She'd summoned Isdilian's old sword and shield, combining them into the Sentinel Cannon, and was now aiming at her opponent. Xolin rushed past Alpha's side, delivering a cheap hit to his abdomen with her lance.

There.

Nikki fired the instant she had a clean shot. The powerful wave of energy actually made Alpha stumble forward. The antipode spun around to face her, but before he could Sel let loose another highly-charged shot from her bow, hitting Alpha from the side. This gave Nikki the chance she needed to re-charge her own weapon.

It was not to be; enraged, Alpha struck his swords into the platform, allowing cascading waves of power to rush forth, forcing the yellow and black rangers to abandon their positions.

Trok and Xolin came in from the other side, using Sid as a launching point as they came down, firing blasts of green and blue energy from their wrist gauntlets. The two summoned energy blades as they landed, each flanking Alpha from different directions as he was forced to fend both of them off.

There; Nikki had another shot. She fired again, hitting Alpha right in the side and allowing blue and green to get lucky hits in.

Sid lunged; parrying Alpha's attack before jumping back and using his rocket boosters to fire energy blasts at the antipode as Trok and Xolin came back to the fore. Hammer and lance in hand, they pushed him back several feet before he countered and landed twin solid punches that threw them to the ground, sparks erupting from their suits.

Sel fired again; again from behind.

Enough. ENOUGH!

**"ENOUGH!"** Alpha roared. He summoned his power, lifting his feet off the ground as he began to hover, preparing to end it all with a single solid attack. The air rippled, reality quickened. It almost seemed to dim everything else except the nexus itself.

He then suddenly dropped back to the ground; his body beginning to shake and convulse as electrical bolts raced across his armor. Sparks and miniature explosions ripped across his body as he screamed in pain. His body was beginning to burn itself out. Alpha dropped to one knee, his armor smoking.

"What's wrong?" Sid grinned as his team reassembled, "Something you ate?" That was what they'd been waiting for; Alpha had been unable to keep hold of the power he'd amassed, and now his body was paying for it.

Alpha stuttered, "You...can't...I won't...let you..." Somehow, through sheer force of will, the red antipode stood back up, channeling what power he still had into his next attack. As the rangers charged, he sent several bolts of energy out, each of them missing the power rangers.

No longer afraid to get up close and personal, the rangers surrounded Alpha; Nikki and Trok flipping over him as Sel, Xolin, and Sid attacked from the front. The five heroes attacked in tandem, keeping Alpha barely able to fend them off all at once.

He got a lucky shot in on Sid; knocking the red ranger back. This then gave him the opportunity to flip Xolin and Sel, but they literally rolled with it, landing safely behind him as Trok and Nikki pressed the attack from the rear. Sid delivered a super-powered kick from his side, throwing Alpha right into the waiting arms of green and black, who in turn delivered super-powered punches. Alpha flew back, rolling to a stop.

He'd barely gotten back to his feet when the rangers closed in on him again. Each came at him in turn, wearing him down further and further even as he fended them off consecutively.

"...How?" he asked in shock as he fought, feeling the tide slowly and irrevocably turning against him, "How is this possible? How can you do this?!"

Sid kept him occupied as Xolin came down over Sid's head with another kick. Sel and Nikki opened fire as Trok came in for another series of jabs. He knocked aside Trok, then grabbed Sid and Xolin and thrust them back. Nikki decloaked from the side, coming down with a kick to his head, before landing gracefully. He'd just turned to her when Sid and Trok struck from behind.

"This is impossible!" Alpha cried, firing a beam of energy that Sel dodged as she came in with a flip, delivering another solid kick. He was just too slow, too singular. He couldn't be everywhere at once. And just kept countering him, keeping him occupied. Alpha fought as hard as he could, with every inch of strength, skill, and power he possessed.

But the end was no longer truly in doubt.

Another volley from Sel dashed any hope of counterattack. By the time Alpha rebounded, she and Trok were leaping off of Sid and Xolin, coming down on him with their bow and hammer, both charged and ready. The green and yellow rangers struck, and upon landing allowed Sid and Xolin to jump off of their shoulders, ax and lance charged up and ready. The next series of weapons landed home, striking Alpha.

All four rangers, now together, locked their arms together as a platform, giving Nikki a boost as she launched from them, flipping up into the air. She summoned her daggers and flung them at Alpha, before following up with a beam blast from her armor gauntlets. Alpha staggered back, his armor black and charred from the constant barrage, his form smoking from the assault.

Nikki came down, and the two fought. She got in a few good hits, including a solid uppercut, but he still had superior strength, grabbing her arms.

"I will *break* you!" he growled at her.

"Hardly" she replied, "You're beaten. Oh, and say cheese".

"Wha-" was all Alpha managed to get out, before she used him as a brace to kick him back. As Alpha stepped backwards, he noticed what she'd meant. To his side, the other four rangers had assembled their weapons together.

"Defender Cannon!" Sid shouted, "Ready and-"

"FIRE!" all four rangers commanded. Their energy intertwined and pooled, spinning around into a singular beam of white light. Alpha tried to dodge, but he was too slow, too injured. The beam cut right through him—and behind him. Part of the attack went behind him, striking the nexus directly.

The result was indescribable; there was the sound of material breaking and then…everlasting light, even though it was only momentary. As vision returned, the rangers found themselves with quite a sight; the Nexus was gone, and it was like they were swimming in golden water; rippling effect coming off the walls. Bits of Morphing energy fluttered down, like dandilion seeds.

"...N...No..." Alpha wheezed, on the floor and obviously in a catostrophic amount of pain. He grasped helplessly at the energy particles that hovered about, in full knowledge that his plan was done. With barely a minute and a half to spare.

So close.

He'd been so close.

"I'm...sorry..." he muttered, presumably for his daughter.

"...We did it!" Trok said, marveling at the visual result, "We did it!" He and Xolin shared a tight but brief hug.

The others had just begun to celebrate as well at the fact that simply blowing it up hadn't ended in unfathomable destruction, when suddenly the entire base shook violently, the lights flickering. The Morphing Grid energy began to dissipate, returning to the rest of the universe.

"...What was that?!" Xolin demanded to know, panicked.

Nikki raced over to the control console and began to work through it as another quake threatened to knock Sel and Sid over the side of the platform. Trok headed over to help Nikki.

"...Remember how in order to do this, Alpha had to absorb the power of the universe twice-over in some sort of paradox?" Nikki asked, though she didn't wait for an answer, "Well bad news; this nexus only held one universe of power. There's a secondary nexus above this one, and it's still on the countdown sequence, which I can't abort!" Nikki reported, even as her hands raced across the controls, trying to find *something* she could do.

"This whole place is destabilizing" Trok added, looking over the console. The others regrouped around the two of them, "The process depended on the two nexuses working in tandem. With one gone, the other's about to blow! The universe can't handle the fact that there's an entire nexus of its own power inside itself!"

"This is what happens when you mess with paradoxes" Sid frowned, "How bad are we talking?"

Nikki opened a new window, "...How does a radius of several hundred thousand light-years sound?"

Another quake shook the room, this one more violent than the last two.

"...We need to leave" Sid said as he turned to exist, "Come on!"

Three of the rangers followed him. They stopped, realizing one had stayed behind. Another quake.

"...Nikki" Sid said as the black ranger stood there, head down. That was right; in all the chaos he'd kind of forgotten where this was all going.

"Sid..." she replied, turning to him, "You know I have to". Part of her didn't want to. Part of her was absolutely terrified of the thought of leaving everything she'd known behind, possibly forever.

He nodded regretfully, "I know".

To Nikki's surprise, it wasn't Sid who crossed the gap between them first. She found herself suddenly in a tight grip of a hug from Trok. She returned it as the others approached, ignoring the next quake as well as they could.

"You're coming back someday" Trok muttered as they broke their hold on each other, "Understand? I'm not letting you say no". He wasn't entirely serious of course, he knew the chances of her return were iffy at best, but he couldn't help it.

Under her helmet, Nikki smiled sadly, "Yes sir" she said, mocking but in good humor. Then she turned to Xolin. They didn't need words as they also gave each other a hug. They'd already said what they'd needed to. An odd friendship had developed over the past few weeks, to be sure, but neither had regretted it one bit.

"Thank you" Sel said as Xolin and Nikki broke contact, "For...everything, really".

"I'm sorry you and I didn't get time to know each other before" Nikki told her, "It was a rough time for me".

"Maybe next time" Sel told her, as hopeful as she could muster. Nikki nodded in response, even though both of them knew the chances.

Finally, Nikki turned to Sid. One more hug followed, and then another seperation. Another quake.

"I hope you find what you're looking for" Sid told her.

"Likewise" she replied. When they lingered, she added, "...Goodbye, Sid. Be happy".

Xolin, Trok, and Sel were already beginning to head out. Sid turned, but not before replying, "You first".

Nikki couldn't help but giggle at that. She watched them go, watched them not even look back. Watched them vanish from sight, just as another quake began to rip the base apart.

She had work to do.

The black ranger turned back around to the console, trying to find the way out. She knew there was one; Iota had been very clear they'd established a subspace link with their home universe in order to keep up on news.

"What...what are you...doing?" Alpha wheezed; he knew he didn't have much time left. He'd been mortally wounded, and even if he hadn't been, the seals on his armor were failing...it was only a matter of time before the antimatter of his body met the matter of this universe. Yet he couldn't help but be curious as to the black ranger's actions.

"Iota left me his data. I can't save your universe, but I *can* save some of your people" Nikki replied, knowing this wasn't good news, but still stressing what she *was* offering to the dying man.

His response was bewilderment, "...Why?"

She stopped, regarding him. He was broken, physically and psychologically. He'd been broken for a long time. He couldn't even contemplate why she'd help him. Nikki glanced between him and the countdown, which was nearing its final seconds.

"Because we're the good guys" she replied. She meant it, too. A second later she'd removed her data storage from her morpher and inserted it into the computer. Her program transferred over, and her physical form evaporated, her morpher falling to the floor with a harmless clank. Alpha stared at it for a moment, mystified, but then he began to laugh. It was a hearty laugh, one made by a person who'd just finally gotten a really funny joke after years and years of not being in on it.

The countdown hit zero.

Two seconds later, the quakes worsened, and the entire chamber was consumed by an expanding fireball as the station began to implode.

* * *

The activity in the hanger bay of the Antipode Base was that of controlled chaos. Numerous ships were taking off to escape back to the fleet, while other forces were holding off the encroaching krybot army as best they could. It was a losing fight though, and they only hoped they'd be able to hold until as many ships as possible had left. Gunfire rained back and forth between the front lines.

And then something amazing happened; a subtle wave of energy, like a breeze, rushed through, and everything that had deactivated when the Morphing Grid had vanished began to work again. Almost immediately the tide turned; the defending forces were again on the attack, keeping the krybots at bay as the remaining troop ships took off.

The wave expanded outwards like a bubble in all directions; barely visible and ethereal, but golden in sheen. It blew past the fleets, and the various mega-accelerators and other generators powered by the grid came online once more.

The wave continued, faster and faster, in all directions. It expanded into every galaxy, every cluster. On Eltar, the mages had begun to panic due to the sudden failure of numerous protective wards they'd placed over ancient dumpsters they'd imprisoned evil forces in over the eons. On Aquitar, the Eternal Falls began to flow again. KO-35's cities lit up once more, their power grids coming back online. Triforia, Edenoi, Mirinoi, Horath...the bubble expanded. What had once been Alliance space, Troobian space, the League, the Imperium, the Wildlands...all of it restored.

And further out, the wave went. Beyond known space. Into the Virgo Supercluster of galaxies, and beyond, faster and faster.

Life would continue. Stars would continue to be born. The danger had passed.

* * *

The four power rangers ran down the hall, away from the central nexus.

The base was already rupturing; explosions were ripping out walls, hallways were beginning to disintegrate. Knowing there was no way they'd make it on foot, Sid summoned the skycycles as they came to a giant hole in the ground.

The quakes got worse. Trok's countdown reached zero.

An eerie yellow light filled the hallway behind them. As they looked back, they saw the all-consuming fireball headed their way. Sid yelled at the others, ordering them onto the skycycles as the vehicles arrived. Each grabbed their cycle, with Sel taking Nikki's as they veered off in the only direction they could go: down. The fireball followed them as they weaved in and out between the beams and debris of the base that was rapidly falling apart around them.

Outside, the base was visibly starting to implode, its structure collapsing inward as it was consumed by its own destruction. As the apocalyptic storm built within its hull, the battle came to its conclusion as the krybot forces commanding the troobian and Antipode-owned SPD vessels shut down, no longer receiving a signal from their home base. The mercenary forces the Antipodes had hired were doing exactly what the All-Flags Navy was doing; leaving. One by one, two by two, the ships that had been pounding each other into submission began to warp out, leaving the doomed station behind.

Inside, the rangers were only barely ahead of the fireball; unable to find an escape, they had no choice but to continue weaving in and out through the destruction, through half-destroyed hallways and open abysses.

Ahead though, they saw stars. They saw an exit!

And then just as they neared it, the base collapsed around them; the hole vanished. Explosions ripped through where the base collided with itself. The rangers barely evaded crashing in, but without a way out, they were-

The end of a gigantic sword shoved its way through the hull above them, nearly impaling them. Then it pulled back, taking the hull with it. The rangers looked up at the starry sky to their savior.

The Defender Megazord. It flung the chunk of metal it was holding with its sword away, then extended its hand to the sky cycles. As they docked with the zord, it flipped around on its axis, transforming back into megaship mode, blasting away at top sublight speeds from the remains of the Antipode Base.

All around them, the remaining stragglers of the fleet were warping away. Two seconds later, the Defender Megaship did the same.

Two seconds after that, the base imploded...and then reality exploded, instantly taking the black hole with it.

* * *

The rangers raced onto the bridge, taking their helmets off as they hurried to their designated stations.

"I have never been so glad to see you assholes" Sid told Tesas and Sitras as he took the captain's seat.

Before anyone could reply, the ship shook.

"Report!" Sid ordered.

Trok brought up a holoscreen at his station, "...We've got an incoming quantum wake!"

"English, Trok!" Sid demanded as she ship began to shake even worse.

In response, Trok flipped the viewscreen to the rear camera. A wave of..._something_ was headed for the Megaship, even at FTL speeds. At first it looked like the fireball, but then as it got closer, the white and red made way for the blackest of nights. The void of all voids.

"Can we go any faster?!" Xolin asked, panic rising.

Sitras shook her head in terror, "We're already going at maximum hyperrush!"

"We're not going to make it!" Trok exclaimed. He looked around, thinking it might be the last time he saw any of them. Sel met his gaze, then put her arm on his shoulder in reassurance, even if she didn't know if they were going to make it either.

At least they were all together.

"Yes" Sid growled as he took count of the number of light-years they'd traveled, "We ARE. HANG ON!"

The wake closed in on the ship. The ship shook, vibrating at dangerous levels. Lights flickered, consoles sparked. The engines pushed themselves to their absolute limits. The wake vitually touched up against the rear of the vessel, scorching the ship with incomprehensible energies. It even seemed to almost push the ship further ahead, like a tidal wave would push an ocean-going vessel. The rangers grabbed hold of their seats as reality came undone, and everything went white.

* * *

_Xolin's Personal Log:_

_Eight hundred thousand light-years. That's the diameter of space that's just...gone. I'm not a math person, so don't ask me to explain how or why; I'm still trying to wrap my head around it._

_Eight hundred thousand. That's the entire Argolis galaxy, plus everything orbiting it and then some. We lost an entire galaxy. And I thought that, you know, there'd be a hole or something. But apparently that's not how space-time works. There's just...nothing. If, for instance, you want to go from the Ithar Galaxy to the Ophan I Galaxy, there's simply eight hundred thousand fewer light-years between them._

_I can't get over that._

_I asked Trok, but hell if I could get an answer I could wrap my head around._

_If there's a silver lining to this, the Argolis galaxy was sparsely inhabited; I guess that was sort of the point though, the Antipodes wanted someplace out of the way and private. Only a handful of worlds had colonies, so a few million people at most are...well, Gone, I guess. And that sounds awful, but at the same time I can't help but wonder what it would have been like if a heavily populated galaxy like Andromeda or the Milky Way had gotten it, where hundreds of billions of people live._

_It's been...weird. Since escaping, I mean. We had to put into port; the ship got pretty banged up by the wake and we kind of just barely limped in. But we made it._

We're alive.

_Most of us, anyway._

_But it feels like the universe is almost just holding its breath right now. What do we do? Where do we go? Everything's in chaos, there's just not a lot of coherent movement right now. So, for the moment at least, we're staying here. Waiting._

_I hate waiting. I just helped save the universe and now nothing's happening and I just need to know what's going to happen next or I'm going to actually lose my mind._

_Sigh._

_I'm going to let some steam off in the simudeck._

* * *

Trok found her sitting in her room. She'd left the door open, which had to have been a conscious decision considering doors on the Megaship closed automatically.

"...Sel?" Trok asked. She'd been staring off into space, currently sitting on the side of her bed. "Are you okay?"

She blinked, seemingly coming back to the present, "...Oh, sorry. I was just..." she trailed off.

"Thinking? Trok offered, stepping inside.

"Sort of".

"You uh...left your door open" Trok said, sitting down at the end of the bed. He was so glad to have her back and yet...now he felt this weird uneasy divide between them. He'd wanted everything back for so long and yet...maybe that wasn't possible anymore.

Her response was muted, distant. Almost more like how she'd been when they'd first met, "I don't like closed doors".

Trok wasn't quite sure how to respond to that, so he didn't. He just kind of sat awkwardly, wondering if he should go. That train of thought ended when she spoke again.

"I've just been...I came here, thinking I could just...I don't know" she admitted, giving up trying to explain herself, "It's my room, but it doesn't feel comfortable. It feels distant. Alien".

"We...we left it just how you left it" Trok said, not understanding. When she didn't respond, he asked again, "...Are you okay?"

This had been the first peace and quiet she'd gotten since...well, since she'd revolted against the Antipodes and been trapped in that pod. The first time she'd just been able to sit down and think.

And she was rapidly beginning to realize that was a very, very bad move.

"I...don't know" she admitted, finally. "I just...have a lot to process, I think".

Trok frowned in sympathy, "Look, I was going to invite you to the simudeck with me, Xolin, and Tesas and Sitras. We were going to blow off some steam while we're stuck here at this outpost. But if you'd rather-"

"No" she interrupted softly, still keeping her gaze on the far wall, "Go on and have fun with Xolin and the others. I just...need to be alone right now. Okay?"

Trok nodded, accepting her choice even if he was still very concerned, "Yeah, okay" he said, getting off the bed and heading for the door, "...Hey, Sel?"

"Hm?" she asked, finally making eye contact.

"I'm just glad you're back" Trok said in earnest.

She nodded, "Me too". She said nothing else, returning to her thoughts. Trok lingered for a moment longer in concern, but finally forced himself to leave.

This wasn't right.

* * *

He had, like, a million messages to deal with. So much paperwork.

Yet, instead of Iota's office or the bridge or his own quarters, he found himself here. In her room. Nikki's room. He'd come ostensibly to clean it out, get it over with, but the truth was...she hadn't really done anything with it. It was just about as pristine as it had been when she'd moved in.

Somehow, her room was even more impersonal than Sid's was. She'd been even more of a ghost than he'd been, and he hadn't even thought that possible. Even he still had a few things he carried with him...moreso since moving onboard. But this room was desolate.

His heart ached. He hoped she was going to find what she was looking for, he really did. He knew what it felt like to live like an empty shell, consumed by one's past, and he didn't wish that on anyone.

Nor did he want to keep experiencing it himself. He didn't know what the future held, but he knew he couldn't go back to aimlessly wandering. He couldn't go back to not existing.

Silently, Sid left the room. He hadn't cleaned it; he hadn't needed to. It was already ready for the next occupant.

He had work to do.

* * *

"I'm worried" Trok said, just before banking the turn with his go-kart. They'd chosen the Kingdom of Atlantis level; a series of tubes beneath the ocean with tight corners.

Xolin grimaced, somewhat ahead of Trok and already dealing with the next major obstacle on the track; a slippery area where a bunch of eels had been dropped. She got caught up in it a bit, but remained firmly ahead of Trok, "She's probably been through a lot. Who knows what the Antipodes did to her".

"Trapped in that pod, having your power sucked out" Trok muttered with distaste, "Barbaric". He picked up a new weapon; a pack of guided missiles. The kart ahead of him, Tesas's, exploded in a blaze of glory, Trok couldn't help but grin as he heard the aquitian curse. Loudly.

Xolin thought for a second, "Maybe Nikki can-" she stopped when she suddenly realized what she was saying, "Huh...you know, I didn't realize how much we'd sort of started to rely on her".

"I miss her already" Trok muttered.

Xolin braved another turn, "You miss everybody" she teased.

Trok followed her, "Well, everyone's important!"

Xolin couldn't help but smile at that. "Yeah, I guess they are..." Her train of thought was broken when her kart was suddenly struck from the rear, her speed drastically decreasing as the missile did its work. Trok zipped ahead.

"HEY!" she shouted as her kart picked up speed again.

"EAT DIRT!" Trok laughed as he drove off. He still wasn't in the lead mind you; Sitras was still somewhere way ahead of everyone. But any chance to irritate Xolin in a game was time well spent.

"Oh, he is *so* dead" Xolin cursed as she sped off after him.

* * *

It had been three days since the Battle of Erebus. Nearly three days since they'd limped into port. Not that Sid could really tell one day from the next. He'd taken a few naps here and there, but there had been so much work to do. Between keeping tabs on the ship repairs (they were at an out of the way independent trader station and while nothing had happened yet he didn't entirely trust them) and finalizing the dissolution of what remained the Peacekeepers, as well as dealing with all the fallout from the battle...sleep had sort of taken a backseat.

Besides, he was still sort of worked up after the whole thing.

Still, it was starting to wear on him. Sid entered the workbay, getting himself a fresh cup of coffee from the synthatron. They really needed synthatrons installed in more rooms, crew dynamics be damned.

He hadn't noticed her when he'd walked in, but when he turned around to leave, he jumped, "AH!" There was Sel, sitting in one of the chairs. Silently. In the dark. "...Sorry" Sid said, "Didn't see you. Scared me a bit".

"Sorry" she replied, "I was just..." she trailed off, not sure how to finish that statement.

"...Not sleeping?" Sid said wryly as he took a sip of his drink, fully aware of the hypocrisy, "It's three AM".

"I needed to be out of my room" she muttered listlessly, "It was...I just had to be out". She couldn't explain it further. She'd just needed to go somewhere else. She'd been in the lounge for a while too, before she'd needed to leave that place too. This room was starting to become a bit stifling. Maybe she'd go back to wandering the empty halls again.

Sid frowned. He'd been told about this from Trok and Xolin, but he'd sort of put off dealing with it, due in part to how busy he was and in part because he wasn't really sure how to deal with this. Now he just sort of felt guilt over having not done anything, "...Sleep in here, then?" he offered, "I can see the bags under your eyes even in the dark. Have you slept at all since getting back?"

"I..." she hesitated, "Sleep is a bad idea". This conversation was becoming uncomfortable. She got up, "Sorry for startling you. I'll find somewhere else to-"

"It doesn't stop, does it?" Sid asked her sadly, with full understanding.

That did it. She wasn't even sure what about it had did it, but it did it. "...No" she admitted, her voice cracking as the tears began. Sid drew her into a hug as she began to let it out. No words were exchanged for quite a while. No words were necessary.

* * *

_Trok's Personal Log:_

_It's weird, coming back. On the surface, everything almost feels like it did back then. And yet...it doesn't at all. Everything's different. Everything's going to be different._

_Sel's not doing well. I'm doing what I can to help, but this is way beyond me. I know mega-accelerators and particle beams. Psychology wasn't ever really my thing._

_Xolin was right; we're really kind of missing Nikki right now. She knew how to keep people stable. How to stem damage._

_It's weird. Everything's weird. Technically the Peacekeepers are gone, technically we're not really on duty anymore; mission's over. But at the moment we're all still hanging around the ship like nothing's ever changed, even though in a few weeks at most we're all going to be leaving. It's weird to think about._

_Part of me doesn't want to leave. Scratch that, most of me doesn't want to. But I know I need to. So much has happened, and I just...I can't. I need time to process. We've been fighting nonstop, and I haven't had time to consider everything. I got in this to have adventures, see new places, and there's that old saying, right? Be careful what you wish for?_

_I don't want to end up like Sid...or Sel._

_The wars left so much destruction. We're at least partially responsible for that. I think I'd like to spend some time fixing things instead of breaking them._

* * *

_**Three Weeks Later**_

And so they found themselves back on KO-35.

Sid stepped out of the changing room decked out in a full suit and tie, and looking fairly unhappy about it. As he entered the main room, he saw he'd been beaten by both girls, both of them wearing formal robes of their respective homeworlds.

"...Where's Trok?" Sid asked.

"Here" the Horathean replied, stepping out of his own changing room looking less like someone about to go to a memorial ceremony and more like...well, Conan the Barbarian if he had a few more clothes on. Leather and fur armor and golden trinkets were the rule of the day here.

"...Seriously?" Sid asked him.

Trok immediately felt self-conscious, "It's...traditional dress for a khan's son. Even in exile".

Sid sighed with regret as he glanced between Trok and the classy robes Xolin and Sel were wearing, and then the monkey suit he had on, "...I should have gone Native Mirinoite" he said flatly.

Xolin gave him a puzzled look, "...What?"

"Nothing, come on" Sid said, waving them to follow.

"Do we have to do this?" Xolin asked in distress as they left the main area of the changing rooms and headed down the hall, "You know this is just going to be one giant guilt trip, They are doing it just to pin all the blame on us because we led them into war". No, she wasn't bitter at all about how the pre-battle conference had gone. No siree.

"It's the right thing to do. We DID have a hand in every casualty that happened simply because we asked them to follow us" Sid replied.

"If we hadn't, then everyone would be dead" Xolin grumbled back.

"It's still our responsibility" Sid relied, "Besides, everyone's in sort of a fragile state right now. It'll be good to have the people responsible for leading them to victory hanging around. It'll be a bit of a unifying factor".

"Better than everyone being at war" Trok added.

Xolin frowned, "Oh yeah, I'm sure they'll just load heaps of praises on us" she said flatly.

Sid gave her a wry look as they walked, "Has anyone told you you're a real downer?"

She shot him a very similar look, "Fine. Don't come crying to me when they crucify you".

"Actually, I think the Eltarians are more a fan of whatever the magical equivalent of drawn and quartering is" Sid joked back.

"Oh, even better".

"Can we stop talking about this?" Trok asked.

"Please" Sel added, obviously still very sleep deprived. She hadn't said much today, but right now all the others could do was stick around her, keep her occupied.

They arrived at the door, each ranger somewhat anxious about what lay beyond it. Taking a deep breath, Sid followed through, "Come on guys, it's just one night of fake smiles. We've literally handled worse".

* * *

When KO-35 had offered to host this ceremony, it had been an easy choice to use the old Senate Hall of the Confederation. For one, it was a large building no longer in use. For two, the fall of the Confederation was almost a symbol for the destruction the Antipodes had caused. So was the fall of the Alliance, but at the same time considering the current fate of the Alliance and the ongoing wars, it wasn't really a good place to host this.

The hall was filled with people hailing from every corner of the known universe, mostly those who had fought in the battle and-or loved ones, but also their political backers—diplomats and politicians. This was a chance to forge ties, build alliances in this new, weird post-antipode world where much of the old order had been overturned.

The four rangers wandered in, a bit overly cautious as they took stock of the chamber. It was long, consisting of two parallel seating areas high above the central valley. At the far end was the consul's podium, where leaders would dictate to the rest of the chamber. And there in the center, above the central hall, was the speaker's podium, connected to below via stairs and to the seating areas via catwalks.

"So now what?" Trok asked.

"Now...we mingle" Sid said, putting on a smile and walking forward.

Xolin sagged, "Ugh. Got enough of this back home" she grumbled, before sighing and switching to 'mingle' mode.

"You made it!" a very familiar voice said. B'rnix came wandering up in a slightly tipsy walk, carrying a glass of...something, "Well, most of you!"

The group shared a series of looks, frowns crossing from one to another. Sid spoke, "...It was her choice".

"A pity" the varox slurred, "A toast then! To the finest companion on my wacky misadventures!" he wobbled, a little woozy.

"...How many have you had?" Xolin asked him, suspicious.

He laughed, "Not as many as I'm going to". B'rnix wandered off, off to make nice with the next group.

Trok blinked with surprise, "...I didn't think they were serving alcohol here".

"They're not" Sid replied flatly.

The memorial ceremony went along as well as could be expected. As the room filled, the actual ceremony began, remembering the thousands who had been lost in the assault. Remembering the millions who had been caught in the quantum wake.

Remembering the millions who had been lost in all the wars up to this point.

It was incredibly uncomfortable for the four rangers at parts. How much of it was their fault? Even ignoring the fact that thousands had died in the battle, they'd fought the battle with the idea that it was to keep the base from self-destructing...and then the quantum wake had happened anyway. Several hundred light-years just...gone. Millions of people just gone.

Was that their fault? In the end there hadn't been any way they could have prevented it...but how responsible were they?

Sid was keenly aware of some of the looks they were getting, ranging from curiosity to surprise to...well, he'd caught sight of a distinct glare Lasandra had given him when they'd gotten to the Eltarian portion. Thanks to the temporary loss of the Morphing Grid, the Eltarian forces had lost more than most of the other parties due to their near-total dependance on it.

Sid didn't meet her gaze for long.

Speeches happened. The rangers didn't really pay attention to them that much; most of them were empty platitudes and calls for unity. You know, vanilla stuff.

And then the rangers had been asked to take the stand. They'd never been asked to write a speech. Xolin gave Sid a dirty look; here it was, the chance to string them up as scapegoats. Sid frowned in response; she was probably right.

Trok was the first to stand. They'd brought this all on, they had a responsibility to see this through...and he wasn't a coward. Sel was next to join him as they walked towards the speaker's podium. Sid nudged Xolin, then followed suit. With a sigh, Xolin did likewise.

With purpose but with reluctance, the four rangers assembled in the central podium, surrounded by the audience gathered. Ahead, in the consul's stage, sat the assembled heads of state of the various powers they'd assembled—or at the very least, in some cases their representatives.

"Four million people that existed a month ago do not exist today" Lasandra stated sternly from the consul's stage, "An entire galaxy is missing. A scar exists in spacetime that will always remind us of what happened there".

The rangers kept their heads down as the blows continued to come.

"You led the force that fought the Antipodes. You're the team that took the reigns and decided history regardless of what anyone else felt or thought, and assumed all of the consequences therein. You will always share in the blame in the result. There are people who did not come home from that battle; there are whole colonies who simply vanished without a trace".

"But" said King Ihara, standing up next to her, "It is just as important to count the living as it is to count the dead. And just as it is on you that people are gone..." he smiled, "It is also on you that we are all here. That many more people had homes to come back to".

The rangers dared to look up.

Ihara nodded, "And we will never forget that. While we were bickering amongst each other, fighting pointless wars and being manipulated, you worked to save us, without support and without recognition. If it had not been for you, none of us, not a single person in the entire universe, would be here to mourn the dead. Not a single person would have remained to stand here now. We would have been nothing more than a footnote in someone else's history. We owe you our lives. And because of that, we celebrate *you*".

Ihara began to clap, and soon enough the other representatives stood and began to clap as well. And then...and then the rest of the room began to do the same. A standing ovation spread through the senate chamber like wildfire, and the rangers couldn't believe it. Each stood, mouth agape as the impossible washed over them. Eltarians, triforians, humans, aquitians, machines, horatheans, and over two dozen other species joined in. Trok couldn't help but be a little giddy despite everything; it was what he'd always wanted and could never get because of the nature of what the Peacekeepers had been.

Recognition.

He grabbed Sel and Xolin into a tight hug from the sides, using them as leverage as he jumped for joy. Sid just marveled at it all. He glanced at Lasandra, who despite her earlier glare gave him a begrudging look of respect. His father, too, gave a look of approval as he clapped.

Realization sunk in. Despite everything...they were heroes.

* * *

Sometime later, the reception had set in. People were talking, enjoying themselves, reminiscing.

Trok and Sel found themselves at one of the many food bars, eying the snacks. They happened on a large plate of aquitian calamari. Trok eyed Sel, "...Bet you I can eat the whole thing".

*That* got her attention. The edges of her lips curled up as she gave him a conspiratorial look in response, "You're on".

As Trok began the absolute debauchery, Xolin rolled her eyes and looked away, turning her attention to the conversation between Sid and his father. Anything was better than watching the children embarrass them all.

"Have you thought about what you're going to do next?" the admiral asked Sid, before taking a sip of his drink.

Sid shook his head, "Not really. I've been sort of busy dealing with, y'know, the end of the world and all. Why?"

His father seemed to contemplate his answer, trying to decide where to start with this, "...The Peacekeepers taught the Confederacy an important lesson. We shunned rangers and riders and got burned in response. If you hadn't been there..." he trailed off, but then shifted gears back to the original topic, "Anyway. A few of the former Confederate member worlds have been talking".

"...Getting the band back together?" Sid asked.

His father shook his head, "No, nothing quite so overt, none of the worlds are ready to hand themselves over to yet another alliance or organization. However, a number of them are interested in a new ranger organization. Not clandestine like the Peacekeepers, but out in the open, and properly funded".

Sid gave his father an odd look, "...Really? We just got our shit wrecked by SPD, again, and we're already ready for a principle building block of the police state?"

"The problem as it's seen is that the rangers never should have been an arm of any particular government. It never should have been a combined military and police organization. However, that doesn't mean the idea isn't worth pursuing. As the Antipodes demonstrated, there will always be threats that normal military forces aren't equipped for fighting".

Okay, this was getting interesting. Sid's interest piqued a bit as he took a bite out of his sandwich, "Where are you going with this?"

"We're looking at building an international task force organization, free of any particular state. Each member world would contribute funds and resources. And as it would be independent but overseen by each state, it wouldn't be used as an offensive force".

"And it wouldn't be a military operation?" Sid asked him.

The admiral shook his head, "It would be a civilian organization, though it would be observed by various military and political voices".

"...You really think that would work?" Sid asked him skeptically.

His father shrugged, "Honestly? I don't know. But I do know we need something like it. If it turns out to be a bad idea down the road, then we'll just have to deal with it then".

Sid frowned; he didn't want to turn this opportunity down, especially when he and his father were just starting to work well together, but… "...Actually, I was thinking of stepping down as a ranger. I don't regret what I've done at all but...it's someone else's turn. I can't keep doing this, it..." unwelcome memories briefly flashed through his mind, "…No. I'm sorry". He couldn't; the aquitian therapist had been right. He couldn't keep fighting day in and day out. Not with his issues. One battle at a time would be fine but...again, like Epsilon had said back in the pocket dimension; he couldn't win forever. Eventually it would all come crashing down again.

And besides, he didn't want to be stuck here forever, not when everyone else was moving on.

His father caught his pained expression and understood, "...Actually, I wasn't intending you to continue fighting on the front lines".

Sid's expression shifted to one of confusion.

His father gave a small but satisfied smile, "I'm looking for the best of the best commanders. Those who will teach and guide their teams".

Admiral Drake's son's eyes widened in surprise and shock, "Wait, you...want me to..."

"Help lead the new Peacekeepers, yes. And yes, that's the name currently being tossed about, in remembrance of your team's achievements".

...Oh. Well, dang. Sid wasn't entirely sure how to take this. His father continued, "You would be responsible for commanding multiple teams in your sector. This includes missions, training, and all the logistics junk for your sector. You would be teaching, training, and then deploying. In addition, you would be offering assistance to independent civilian teams who reached out for support".

Sid was taken aback; his father didn't just approve of his actions, he wanted him to up hi game further. But this was so much more than Sid was used to, he didn't…

"I've seen your mission reports, watched you and your team in action" his father said upon seeing Sid's torn expression, "You're a natural tactician, better than myself even. You know how to inspire loyalty and zeal. You know how to outsmart your opponent. And you're not half-bad at logistics. You can do this, I believe that now". He extended his hand as if reaching out for a handshake.

"Take the jooooob" Trok whispered not-so-quietly into Sid's ear from behind. Irritated, Sid waved him off like a fly, but his father almost broke into laughter.

"I'd take the kid's advice".

Sid glanced at the encouraging Trok, both thumbs up and a fistful of calamari sticking out of his mouth, then back at his father.

Oh, what the hell.

Gripping his dad's hand tightly, Sid accepted, not completely sold but deciding to jump in on a leap of faith anyway, "Alright. I'm game". His father nodded in appreciation.

"Welcome aboard, Commander Drake".

...Man, that felt unexpectedly good.

* * *

Xolin had turned her attention elsewhere now, preferring to simply watch the goings on of the crowds of people around her. She became so immersed in it in fact, she didn't even notice the king walk up next to her. He began to sample the food, "So, have you considered my offer?"

Xolin nearly jumped, but composed herself quickly, "I..." had she? She looked over at where Sid was shaking his father's hand—evidently he was going off in that direction. Trok was leaving. Nikki was gone.

And where was Xolin? She didn't want to be drifting forever. She didn't want to simply be a piece of loose debris cast off from her home. She wanted more, even if she was terrified because she didn't think she could handle it. Long ago she probably would have said she could, but that had been borne out of arrogance and stupidity.

But as she had stated to Epsilon, the others did trust and believe in her, and she trusted in what they thought.

So maybe she could.

"...Yes" she told her king, finally, "I'm interested".

Ihara smiled, "Good. Welcome aboard, Xolin".

* * *

Sel watched the event unfold, suddenly feeling alone as the others all got wrapped up in their own conversations. While she'd been imprisoned, they'd all been moving on with their lives.

Where would she go?

She quietly left the floor, heading up into the senate seating area above, which was now sparsely populated as most everyone had moved down to either the central valley or out into one of the ancillary rooms. There she sat, watching everyone scurry about, back and forth.

She'd always felt different, alone. But now that feeling had been magnified, like she was just some passive observer.

"Sometimes I too like to disconnect, to watch".

Sel turned, seeing Elder Sesh sitting next to her, looking over the railing. He continued, "As much as I love our people's mental connection and wouldn't trade it for anything, sometimes I really do prefer to watch from afar. You get a point of view you otherwise miss, one that is important for dealing with non-xybrians" he turned to face her, "Hello again, Sel".

"Hi" she replied, "It's...good to see you. For real, this time".

"And it is good to see you have returned in one piece" Sesh replied, "Though perhaps...not entirely, am I right?"

She blushed, embarrassed a bit, "...Sid told you?" she ventured as she looked away from him.

"He did indeed" said the old man, "Though I can tell even from here you are not doing well".

Was it that obvious? "I...it's been hard. Things happened and I can't...it won't..."

"I want you to do something for me" Sesh told her softly, "I want you to come with me".

She blinked in surprise, "Come with...you?"

He nodded, "Back home. To Xybria. We can help".

"...Can you make it stop?" she asked in a quiet voice.

He shook his head sadly, "Trauma is like any experience. It stays with us forever, becomes part of who we are. It cannot be removed, not without removing part of your own development and a part of who you are. However, with time and effort, we *can* learn to live with it, to work around it. We can help you, Sel. We xybrians have the link, the hivemind we all experience. Our thoughts, our emotions".

"But we established long ago I don't have that" Sel mumbled, depressed, "I can't connect with other xybrians. I haven't even had so much as a hint of precognition". She'd read up on her people's culture and society of course. Xybrians didn't have *true* precognition, at least not in the traditional sense, despite what it looked like to outsiders. Rather, xybrians had the power to read minds, and could 'predict' by subconsciously guessing when they read another person's intentions or goals. In young, untrained xybrians this could result in sudden prophetic episodes. In older, more experienced members of her species, this could lead to long-lived plans—hence Xybria's relative stability and peaceful nature.

"But that was before, when you were a child of the Morphing Grid. How about now? You came back as a full-blooded xybrian, didn't you?" Sesh asked.

Sel nodded, that IS what she'd willed when she'd left the grid.

Sesh spoke again, "And considering your experience with the dreamlands, I would imagine your skills would already be formidable. I want you to try something. Just...sit there, quietly. Let it all fall away".

Sel assumed the meditation position Xolin had taught her. It was hard to focus; so many other things were happening around them, and she started to become frustrated and was about to give up. Except—a cool evening summer breeze. After-dusk. A temple, with calm lanterns lighting it. A tree, rustling through the breeze.

Wait, what? That wasn't her memory. It had only been there for a second, and then was gone. She'd only gotten the barest taste, now all that was left was a vague after-image. A memory of that memory.

"That was..." she breathed, not sure how to describe that.

Sesh smiled in the way that old man did when he's made his point, "We can help you, Sel. Come home. Be among your people. Learn what it means to be xybrian. You won't be trapped, you'll be free to come and go as you please".

"What would I do there?" Sel asked him, "Where would I go?"

Sesh leaned forward, "You would be able to do whatever you wanted. A proper education, perhaps. You would have time to figure out where you would like to be, what you would like to be".

Time. Freedom. Choice. Words that had once seemed so alien and unreachable for her, and now she had all of them. She fought back the swirl of emotions that threatened to burst out, "...Thank you" she whispered.

"No thanks are necessary" Sesh replied, "You are one of us. And we owe you our lives. I would be remiss to allow you to suffer alone". He stood up, "If you will excuse me, I must prepare our passage. Enjoy the rest of your night. Be with your friends".

As Sesh left, Sel looked back down at the crowd. Almost immediately she caught sight of Sid, looking directly at her. He gave her a smile and a knowing nod, and she smiled and mouthed a 'thank you' in response. As he faded back into the crowd, she put her arms around her knees, forming herself into a ball.

And maybe she didn't feel quite so alone.

* * *

The woman wore a practical business suit as she typed away a report on her computer. Her phone rang, but she did not care to answer it. A few moments later, a knock sounded on her door. She didn't even look up as she responded, "Come in".

The middle aged man in a business suit and carrying a briefcase walked in, taking a seat in one of the chairs on the other side of the woman's desk.

"...So you failed" she said. Not a question, an affirmation. A statement of fact.

The man smiled, "One never gets everything they plan for. However, I have learned to settle for *almost* everything'". He opened his briefcase, pulling out the ancient Eltarian trinket that had helped to bring the universe to the brink of extinction, that had once been the personal conduit of an ancient unfathomable nightmare of a being before he'd been purged of it by the rangers. The man placed it on the woman's desk. She stopped typing, taking time to look over at the conduit.

The man explained, "The Antipodes and the rangers both played their parts perfectly. While the girl refused my choice, in the end they still managed to set the xenoformer off incorrectly. Because of that, the fabric of spacetime itself has been punched through. It's an open, gaping wound. With a diameter of several hundred light-years, that sphere of missing space as become the single largest rift in the history of this kalpa".

The woman digested this fact, seemingly impressed before simply going back to her work, "Seems you did quite well then".

"Indeed" the man replied with a smile, "To think, millions of years have been spent on this scheme, and now finally the pieces are almost in place. We just have to wait a bit longer for The Dawn".

* * *

_Sel's Personal Log:_

_Home. It's a word that's weird for me. I mean, a lot of words are weird for me, considering. But home is...I've moved a lot. My earliest memories are of living with Coros on Arkilla. Then I spent a long time on the Megaship and I felt for the first time like that was home...but then I was kidnapped and spent a lot of time elsewhere. And now that I'm back and it...doesn't feel the same. So much has changed._

_And everyone's leaving. I think they feel the same way, even if they haven't said it._

_Xybria's my homeworld, even though I was only there once and for a short time, and spent most of it either unconscious or in a giant robot. I wasn't born on Xybria, or any of its colonies. I was 'born' in a tube, formed from the Morphing Grid itself. I was a tool, a weapon._

_A puppet._

_For so long everyone told me where to go and what to do, even as I fought and resisted. And yet now that I've won, and all I see is a blank canvas, and I'm terrified._

_...I should start painting again. Maybe I could get some of my emotions out. Like the nightmares, being trapped, and the pain._

_Sometimes I feel like my skin is on fire, even though I know it's not. I hate closed doors. I hate enclosed spaces. I'm afraid…_

_I'm afraid that this is all a dream and when I wake up I'll be back in that damned pod with no one to talk to and slowly wasting away and...no. Can't think about that. Won't think about that._

_Refuse to think about that._

_I'm going home. I'm going to get better. And then I'm going to live my life the way I want to, because I refuse to let them win. Not after everything._

* * *

The ship was silent and empty. Trok had been moving from one room to the next, taking a moment to get one long good look at each one in turn, even has he had to navigate a bit more carefully since he was loaded to the brim with bags that contained everything he owned.

He passed the workbay, idly remembering all the times they hung out there. All the project he had made. He passed the simudeck. Remember when he got everyone stuck in there by accident because of Capricorn's virus? He passed by each of their quarters; his, Sid's, Xolin's, Sel's, Nikki's...even Isdilian's. He passed by the medbay, and the observation lounge, and the bridge, each one bringing up different memories.

He approached main engineering, seeing the spot on the floor where the others had been tied up by that shapeshifter creature, when Sel had first demonstrated her Morphing Grid powers. Remember that time they'd looped time? Or when they'd boarded that ghost ship? Or the time Xolin had been split in three and couldn't recombine.

So many memories.

"Trok, what are you doing?!" Xolin reprimanded him from down the hall, "Sel's about to leave! Come on!"

Oh, right! "Sorry, coming!" Trok called back, waddling down the hall with his cargo.

* * *

Trok met the others outside, in the main hanger bay that the Megaship had been stationed on during their time on KO-35. They were currently high in orbit on one of the Karovian super-stations that handled the bulk of traffic around this nexus of trade. All around them, numerous other ships were parked, and hundreds of people were moving to and fro across the hanger bay.

Three of the team were packed and ready to go, carrying bags and luggage with them. Of the four, only Sid remained casual. Sel watched the xybrian ship she was going to be taking with hesitation and a bit of worry.

"It'll be okay" Xolin reassured her, "We'll all be only a single call away if you need us".

"I know. I just..." Sel fumbled for the words, "It's new. And different. And I don't do well with that".

Sid offered her a smile, "You can do this. You're stronger than you think. You stuck it to the Antipodes for months. You can do this".

"And we'll be right there every week!" Trok said happily, putting his arm around her into a half-hug. She stumbled as she was thrown a bit, "Heck yeah, group simudeck sessions! Group calls, online gaming, you name it!"

Sel couldn't help but giggle at that, "...Yeah. Thanks" she said to the group as she pulled out of Trok's grasp, "You promise?"

"Always" Sid replied.

Out in the crowd, Elder Sesh waved, beckoning Sel to follow. She turned to the others, "...It's time".

The others drew her into a tight hug, but even before they'd broken it Trok was already beginning to panic, "Wait! Wait!"

"What?" Xolin asked.

Trok pulled out his morpher, "Group photo, before it's too late!" The group posed, allowing Trok's morpher to scan them all. With the picture completed, they broke from each other, "I'll send you guys copies, don't worry".

Sel got one more series of hugs, then reluctantly but with purpose began to walk towards Sesh. She turned one last time to wave, then vanished with Sesh into the crowd, towards the xybrian ship.

"...I should get going too" Trok said, his mood turning a bit more gloomy.

"Where exactly are you headed, anyway?" Sid asked him.

Trok pointed to an SPD shuttle at the far end of the hanger, "Some of the Alliance worlds that broke off and declared independence are under Admiral Lacanth's protection. I'm sort-of-not-really enlisting with him. He wants to start a rebuilding project now that the wars over there are calming down a bit; try to help those worlds recover a bit. I'm going to help him since I'm good with designing stuff".

Xolin gave him a hug, "Be careful" she said.

"Yes mom" Trok said with a hint of sarcasm. She rolled her eyes with contempt. As they separated, Trok explained further, "I want to try and undo some of the damage that's been caused because of the Antipodes and...well, and because of us".

"And we couldn't be prouder" Xolin replied.

"We hope you find what you're looking for too" Sid told him.

Trok regarded the two of them for a moment, the two older rangers who had kept him on track this whole time. Xolin, the older sister he'd never had who had pushed him onward, and who had trained him from day one. Sid, the older super-cool mentor who he'd originally had a bit of a hero crush on, only to eventually find him to be a fellow partner in crime. Tears threatened to spill out.

"Thank you" Trok managed, before they drew in for yet another embrace.

"_Now boarding: SPD Shuttle A-Fifteen"_ came the voice over the comm.

"...That's my ride" Trok said, stepping away from the other two rangers.

"Knock 'em dead!" Sid called as Trok backed away further. They watched him turn, nearly run into another guy, and then begin to sprint even with all the bags he was carrying.

"...Think he'll be okay?" Xolin asked Sid, a hint of worry in her voice.

"He'll be fine" Sid reassured her, "He was trained by the best".

She smiled, despite herself, "...Flatterer" her expression flattened; morose, "I guess I still just think of him as that little kid I met back when this all started. I kind of forget how much he's grown".

The two watched Trok vanish into the crowd, leaving just two rangers behind.

"So" Xolin said, changing topics as she spun her heel towards Sid, her arms folded, "Commander, huh?"

Sid chuckled nervously, "...Yeah. I mean, it's still all preliminary so far, everyone still has to hammer stuff out and sign treaties and stuff, but...yeah. It looks like Peacekeepers 2.0 is happening" he glanced up at the Megaship, "I'm taking her to Mirinoi for reassignment. Likely one of the new teams we train will take command of her".

"...Hopefully they'll treat her well" Xolin mused, a bit sadly at the fate of what had become their home, "...Do you think this is a good idea?" she asked Sid suddenly, "I mean, another ranger organization? How do we keep things from happening all over again?"

Sid grimaced; he'd been dealing with that train of thought since he'd accepted the offer from his dad, "...I don't know. Not sure we can".

She looked at him, a bit hopelessly, "Then what's the point? We try to protect people, we become an oppressive dictatorship or a clandestine grudge match, we fail the people, but then they realize they can't live without us and start the cycle all over again. Where does it stop?"

"...You can't win every time" Sid muttered to himself, remembering.

"...Come again?" Xolin asked, confused.

Sid explained, "Flip a coin and it has a fifty-fifty chance of coming up heads or tails. Flip it again, and whatever you didn't get last time has a higher chance of coming up. Keep flipping it and eventually the side you didn't get the first time will inevitably show up. Basic probability".

She looked at him with a bit of worry. He continued, "But...if you take it one coin flip at a time, each one still has a fifty-fifty chance. Each one still has a shot at giving you the outcome you want, regardless of the other flips".

"So, what, don't worry about the other flips?" Xolin asked him.

Sid shrugged, "We can't predict what will happen in the future. We can't stop people from being people. All we can do is what we can do, and trust that the next generation will build on what we've done instead of making the same mistakes. Maybe this is the other coin flip—the one that comes up the way we want it".

"...Is that faith I hear?" she asked him coyly.

He smirked, "Gotta believe in something. Otherwise I wouldn't keep doing this".

Xolin was about to respond, but her morpher beeped; her signal that her flight was ready, "...And that's my ride" she stated. The two rangers stared at each other for a moment, letting time freeze for as long as they could make it. Another hug followed.

"Good luck, Minister Xolin" Sid cackled with good humor.

She pushed him away, "Call me that again, I dare you".

He called her bluff, "Sorry, _Royal Vizier"._

She slapped him playfully as he was too slow to move out of her range, "Dumbass".

"You're going to miss it" he warned her.

"...Yeah, I am" she admitted, then began to back off, "Don't get yourself killed, huh? If I find you went on another suicide mission or some nonsense, I'll raise your ghost myself".

"You don't even know any magic!"

"I'll learn" Xolin replied with a smirk, "Didn't you hear? I'm getting *all* the education".

Sid's smile became earnest, "…Good luck".

"Same to you" Xolin said likewise, then turned and left. Sid watched her wander off, giving a wave the one time she looked back to give him one. Then she vanished, into the crowd, just like the others.

And then there was one. Sid looked up at his ship, towering over him. Already it seemed far emptier, far more desolate. He entered he ship, setting it to auto-pilot from his morpher. It began its lift-off sequence.

* * *

_Sid Drake's Personal Log:_

_It's funny, you know? When I came aboard, all I wanted was to be literally anywhere else. I had to be blackmailed and manipulated into sticking around. Iota always played his cards well._

_And yet...now? It hurts to leave. It hurts to have them gone. Somehow, in the span of just a couple years, this place became home; a real home, not just a place I was staying at until my business was done._

_I regained my person-ness here._

Sid made his way past main engineering, and the work bay, and the medbay. Each room he passed offered new feelings, new memories. Happy memories, sad ones, terrifying ones. They'd laughed here, cried, bled. They'd become a team, a family—bound by friendship if not blood. Each memory was vivid, like ghosts in the corner of his mind.

And if he stopped for just a moment, he could almost fool himself into thinking it was just like it had always had been; that everyone else was still onboard, and they were simply elsewhere on the ship. Any second now, Trok would come running up in a panic over some new experiment he'd been running having gone amok. Or Xolin and Nikki would come down the hallway, arguing about something. Or he'd turn the corner, and Sel would be in the workbay, reading a book.

But the ship was empty.

_We all came here as broken people, miserable souls who had slipped through the cracks. People who only barely made it through each day at a time with little to look forward too._

Sel looked out her window as the xybrian ship took off, watching as the starfield replaced the hangerbay. Turning, she gave the shuttle she was in another look-over from the seat she was in.

Somehow...yes. This was a good thing.

_We came out of it far different. That's not to say we're 'whole' now, or unbroken. That's not how it works. You can't just 'wish away' scars. They stay with you._

_But you can learn to deal with them, to not focus on them. You can learn to lean on each other—to support one another, because that makes you stronger. We came away from our experience as stronger people; better people. My mom once had a saying I think was passed down from her people, that you can't truly enjoy the warmth of the fire unless you've experienced the cold._

Xolin watched as the Megaship took off without her, feeling an odd sense of loss. She stood there for a moment, before turning back to Ihara's personal transport, and continued her walk.

_Yeah, we still have our issues, they'll always be there. They didn't just magically vanish; because it's not a book or a video game; there isn't a clear beginning, middle, or end for your 'story'. Your development doesn't get tied up in a nice bow after twenty-two minutes. Life is messy. Our issues will always come back and we'll always have bad days._

_But we'll have good days, too._

Trok found the SPD shuttle and got in line. Sighting Admiral Lacanth, the two nodded wordlessly at each other.

_Because that's life, right? There is no 'happy ending', there can't be. If there ever was one, it'd be invalidated by the fact that after your happy ending day, there was yet another day after that. And another. And another. The only way your story ends is if you die._

_You can't be focused on the happy ending, because then you miss everything else for something that never really comes. And that's a shame, because life is all about the experience._

Sid entered the bridge of the Megaship, the room just as empty as the rest of the ship. Silently, the man dropped into the captain's seat, melancholic over everything.

_So we're imperfect. We've got a ton of issues and downsides. But it doesn't matter. We might not be quite at the level of loving ourselves yet—but we do love each other._

_...And maybe that's good enough for now._

Sid watched the viewscreen idly as the ship left the hanger bay.

"SURPRISE!"

"AH!" Sid screamed, dropping out of his seat and sprawling onto the floor in a sudden would-be heart attack. He looked up at his would-be murderers.

"HI!" Sitras said with an asshole grin. Tesas waved with her.

"...What the hell are you two still doing on the ship?" Sid asked in bewilderment as he shot up to his feet.

The two shared a glance, then back at Sid, "...Admiral Drake didn't tell you?" Sitras asked, "You're transporting us to Mirinoi. We're enlisting with the new Peacekeepers".

"We're going to be your students!" Tesas said wryly, "All over again".

Sid snorted at the obnoxiousness of it all, then waved them off as he sat back down in his chair, "Fine, fine. Take your stations already, assholes".

The two cadet rangers quickly dropped into their seats at navigation and tactical. As the ship left the no-fly zone around the space station, Sid gave the order, "Sitras, set a course for Mirinoi".

"Course set!"

Sid savored the moment.

Maybe this would all turn out okay after all.

"Punch it".

The Megaship adjusted its course as its engines roared to life, light blasting from its rear as the mega-accelerator powered up. A second later, the Defender Megaship was gone from the system, shooting towards its next destination.

* * *

_**The End**_

* * *

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**__ Okay, so, I'm sure you're wondering what the hell that Briefcase Man cliffhanger is all about, considering this series is over and is marked 'complete'. In short, yes, Peacekeepers is done. It's over._

_HOWEVER._

_I've always had post-series stuff planned, because I've been working with these characters for well over a decade, and I'm loath to say goodbye forever. In particular, the stuff about The Dawn and Briefcase Man were always supposed to lead into the post-series 'movie', and I've also always wanted to release a detailed factbook for all the stuff I lore-built (and some of which never even made it in to the series). When will it happen? In truth, I don't know. It *will* happen someday, I assure you, but it won't be anytime soon._

_Truth is, I need a break. A looooong break. There are a lot of original fiction ideas I'd like to try my hand with now that my ever-present project is over. I have a lot of original worlds that need building, and I'm really aiming to publish real stuff down the road maybe hopefully someday if I'm lucky maybe…?_

_I hope you've enjoyed this insane project of mine (which now just barely exceeds the word count length of 'War and Peace' if I'm right), which took me two and a half years to write, after spending another eleven years or so building it up. If you really did enjoy Peacekeepers, I highly encourage you to leave a review because haha, oh man. With only sixteen reviews this thing is doomed to the forgotten abyss of FF. (__But no seriously, let me know what you thought)._


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